Most doctors treat chronic neck pain without knowing what’s actually causing it. At Deuk Spine Institute®, we identify the exact source of your pain – then eliminate it with a precise, minimally invasive procedure.
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Your cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae (C1–C7), six intervertebral discs, and fourteen paired facet joints. Together, these structures support the weight of your head and allow the full range of neck motion.
When a disc tears or a facet joint becomes inflamed, the pain signals travel through the sinovertebral nerve directly to your brain. The key is identifying exactly which structure is generating those signals.
There are 6 cervical discs in the neck.
Discogenic pain is the most common cause of chronic neck pain. Painful disc injuries account for 85% of all chronic neck pain and typically involve the C4-5 C5-6 and C6-7 discs. Pain comes from chronic inflammation within the injured disc(s). Deuk Spine Institute can correctly diagnose the cause(s) of neck pain with 99% accuracy using the Deuk Spine Pain Map. The best treatment for cervical discogenic pain is Deuk Laser Disc Repair®
There are 7 paired (14 total) cervical facet joints in the neck. Facetogenic pain is the second most common cause of chronic neck pain. Painful facet joint injuries account for 15% of all chronic neck pain and typically involve the C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7 facet joints.
Pain comes from chronic inflammation within the injured facet joint(s). Deuk Spine Institute can correctly diagnose the cause(s) of neck pain with 99% accuracy using the Deuk Spine Pain Map. The best treatment for cervical facet joint pain is Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy®
There are 7 cervical vertebral bones in the neck. Vertebral fractures account for less than 1% of chronic neck pain. Pain comes from chronic inflammation within the fractured vertebrae. These injuries are more common in people with osteoporosis. Deuk Spine Institute can correctly diagnose the cause(s) of neck pain with 99% accuracy using the Deuk Spine Pain Map.
Other causes of chronic neck pain are rare and include muscle spasms, infections, tumors, inflammatory diseases like ankylosing spondylitis and DISH. Deuk Spine Institute can correctly diagnose the cause(s) of neck pain with 99% accuracy using the Deuk Spine Pain Map.
See what patients are saying about their experience, their recovery, and their results with our advanced spine treatments.
If you’ve lived with chronic neck pain, you know the cycle. Pain medication that stops working. Injections that wear off. Physical therapy that helps but doesn’t fix anything. Maybe surgery – and you still hurt.
Standard MRIs and X-rays show structural changes - but cannot identify which structure is actually generating your pain. Without a precise diagnosis, surgeons treat broadly and guess.
Opioids, NSAIDs, and steroid injections suppress symptoms temporarily while the underlying problem progresses. You're numbing the pain, not healing the cause.
Traditional spinal fusion means fusing multiple vertebral levels and eliminating motion — because without a precise diagnosis, surgeons have no choice but to operate broadly.
Many patients experience the same pain post-fusion, returning to the same cycle — now with less spinal motion, more scar tissue, and the real cause still unresolved.
Let Deuk Spine Institute customize a treatment plan for your specific condition
Chronic neck pain almost always originates from one of two anatomical sources. Identifying which one – and at which cervical level – is the entire key to getting fixed.
You may have more than one condition at once — each flaring on its own schedule. This is why Dr. Deukmedjian requires a comprehensive virtual consultation, not just an MRI review. A complete diagnosis is the only path to complete relief.
A torn or herniated cervical disc triggers chronic inflammation that irritates surrounding nerves. This inflammation doesn’t self-resolve — it drives a continuous pain cycle for months or years. Most commonly affects C5–C6 and C6–C7. Symptoms may include neck pain, arm pain, numbness or tingling into the hand, and grip weakness.
When cervical facet joints become inflamed or arthritic, they produce deep, localized neck pain — typically worse in the morning or after prolonged sitting or driving. Frequently underestimated on standard imaging and commonly misdiagnosed as disc disease. Symptoms may include neck stiffness, occipital headaches, and pain radiating into the shoulder or upper back.
A small percentage of chronic neck pain cases stem from vertebral fractures (most common in postmenopausal women and men with testosterone deficiency), spinal tumors, infections, and muscle injuries — diagnosed via X-ray or MRI and treated separately at Deuk Spine Institute®. Your cervical spine has 30 distinct pain generator sites. If you have chronic neck pain, the overwhelming likelihood is that your source is a disc or a facet joint.
Hear directly from patients who experienced Deuk Laser Disc Repair®. In these review videos, they share their stories, their recovery, and how the procedure helped relieve their neck pain.
Standard imaging tells you what your cervical spine looks like. It cannot tell you which structure is actually causing your pain. An MRI might show disc changes at three levels — but only one may be painful. A facet joint generating all your symptoms might appear normal on imaging.
Dr. Deukmedjian personally reviews every MRI alongside a detailed virtual physical examination – identifying the exact structures generating your pain, not just changes visible on imaging.
When you know exactly where the problem is, you don’t need broad, destructive surgery. Our procedures target your precise pain generator — 4mm incision, no fusion, same-day discharge.
Our proprietary laser procedure removes the exact portion of the cervical disc causing inflammation and pain — while preserving healthy tissue and maintaining full spinal motion. This procedure does not exist anywhere else. Dr. Deukmedjian developed it over 20 years of innovation and has performed it 2750+ times.
The laser seals blood vessels as we work, minimizing bleeding and promoting faster healing. By preserving disc structural integrity rather than removing it entirely, we eliminate the need for cervical fusion.
Twilight
4mm
Never Required
None
24 Hours
Zero to Date
~20min / disc
99% Average
| Feature | Cervical Deuk Laser Disc Repair® | Traditional Surgery(ACDF — Cervical Fusion) |
|---|---|---|
| Anesthesia Type | Twilight | General |
| Incision Size | 4mm | Large, multi-inch |
| Cervical Fusion Required | Never | Always — hardware implanted |
| Hospital Stay | None — outpatient | Days to weeks |
| Recovery Time | 24 hours | 3–6 months |
| Spinal Motion Preserved | Yes — always | No — permanently eliminated |
| Adjacent Segment Disease Risk | None | Very high — common long-term |
| Hardware / Implants | None | Plates, screws, cages |
| Infection Rate | 0% | High |
| Complication Rate | Zero to date | Up to 50%+ |
| Average Pain Relief | 99% | ~50% |
*Traditional surgery statistics represent published industry outcomes for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedures.
Instead of broad, invasive surgery, plasma technology allows us to treat only what’s causing your pain — through a 4mm incision, with no fusion and same-day discharge.
Our proprietary plasma procedure targets the pain nerves supplying arthritic cervical facet joints — permanently eliminating the signal carrying pain to your brain without damaging surrounding tissue or destabilizing your spine.
Traditional medicine treats this with Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA), which fails over 50% of the time and requires repeat treatments every 3–6 months. Our patients experience lifetime relief from a single procedure.
Twilight
~5 Minutes
99% vs. 50%
Lifetime
Rarely Needed
Zero to Date
None
Same Day
Upload your latest MRI for a free review and consultation with Dr. Ara Deukmedjian, creator of Deuk Laser Disc Repair®
Deuk Laser Disc Repair® and Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® were developed by Dr. Deukmedjian and are exclusive to our institute. When you come to us, you’re getting access to the forefront of spine care.
0.01% overall complication rate. 0% infection rate. Zero complications to date on our laser and plasma procedures maintained through meticulous protocols refined over thousands of successful surgeries.
Founded in 2004 by Dr. Ara Deukmedjian, his wife Sun (a physician assistant), and their children. We are not a corporate chain. Every patient outcome carries our family name and personal investment.
Free MRI Reviews
DLDR® Procedures
Performed
Procedures Performed
Of Innovation
Getting expert spine care has never been easier – here’s how we guide you from pain to clarity.
Upload your MRI through our secure portal. Dr. Deukmedjian personally reviews your imaging alongside a detailed virtual physical examination. You leave with a clear diagnosis – probably for the first time.
Receive a specific diagnosis and customized treatment recommendation – not a generic protocol. A plan built around your exact pain generators, with honest answers about whether we can help.
Your procedure takes 20–45 minutes. You walk out the same day. Back to normal activity within 24 hours – not 3–6 months. No hospital stay. No fusion. Just relief.
You don’t need another treatment that masks your pain. You need to know exactly where it’s coming from – and someone who can fix it precisely. Over 45,000+ patients have trusted us with their spine care since 2004.
Your first step costs nothing. Our free MRI review gives you clear answers about your condition and whether our treatments can help. No sales pressure. No obligation. Just an honest assessment from one of the world’s leading spine surgeons.
No cost. No obligation. Dr. Deukmedjian personally reviews every case.
Patients Treated Since 2004
Our procedures have given thousands of patients lasting relief from chronic neck pain when other treatments failed. Read their stories at our patient experience page.
Neck pain treatment costs vary depending on your specific procedure and insurance coverage. Most major insurance plans are accepted; however, they do not cover all of the treatments we offer. Be sure to ask our staff if your procedure will be covered by your insurance. We provide transparent pricing and work with you to maximize your insurance benefits. After your free consultation, we’ll give you a clear understanding of costs before you commit to treatment. Our focus is removing financial barriers so you can get the care you need.
Average recovery time is 30 minutes to one hour before discharge. You will go home the same day. 90% of patients experience immediate pain relief; for 10%, it can take up to three months. Our surgeries require no rehab time. This contrasts sharply with cervical fusion surgery (ACDF), which requires one to several days in the hospital for uncomplicated surgery and 3–6 months of rehabilitation.
You may be a candidate for cervical Deuk Laser Disc Repair® if you have a herniated or bulging cervical disc causing neck pain, arm pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness. The best way to determine candidacy is through our free MRI review, where Dr. Deukmedjian personally evaluates your imaging and symptoms with our proprietary Deuk Spine Exam®. Conditions we commonly treat include cervical disc herniations, radiculopathy, and arm symptoms that haven’t resolved with physical therapy, medications, or injections.
Deuk Spine Institute® offers proprietary patented procedures you cannot get anywhere else. Deuk Laser Disc Repair®, Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy®, and Deuk Piriformis Muscle Release® are exclusive techniques developed by Dr. Deukmedjian over 30 years of innovation. We’re not using generic laser spine surgery methods available at other centers. Our 0.01% complication rate, 0% infection rate, and 99% average pain relief set us apart. We’re a family-founded practice with over 45,000+ procedures since 2004.
Most patients who come to Deuk Spine Institute® do not need cervical fusion. Our minimally invasive procedures preserve full spinal motion while addressing the underlying problem. Traditional surgeons often recommend fusion because their open surgical approach destabilizes the spine, requiring fusion to restore stability. Our techniques work around and preserve healthy tissue — eliminating the need for fusion and hardware implantation in the vast majority of cases.
We frequently treat patients with failed cervical surgery who underwent unsuccessful traditional procedures. Our minimally invasive approach can often address problems that previous surgery either missed or created. During your free MRI review, Dr. Deukmedjian will evaluate your previous surgery, understand what went wrong, and determine if our procedures can help. Many patients who’ve had failed cervical fusion achieve excellent results with our approach.
Most major insurance plans are accepted; however, they do not cover all of the treatments we offer. Be sure to ask our staff if your procedure will be covered by your insurance. Our team works directly with your insurance company to verify benefits and maximize coverage. We provide transparent pricing and financial counseling so you understand your costs before treatment. Don’t let insurance concerns prevent you from getting evaluated. We offer free virtual consultations. Our representatives will review your insurance coverage after a specific diagnosis and recommended treatment has been made by our team of providers.
Deuk Spine Institute® was founded in 2004 by Dr. Ara Deukmedjian and has been performing minimally invasive spine procedures for over 20 years. We’ve completed more than 2,750+ Deuk Laser Disc Repair® procedures and 1,000+ Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® procedures across cervical, lumbar, and thoracic applications. Dr. Deukmedjian has spent two decades refining these proprietary techniques, and our experience shows in our exceptional outcomes and safety record.
You’ve lived with pain long enough. You’ve tried treatments that don’t work. There is a better way. Deuk Spine Institute® offers proprietary minimally invasive procedures that fix the underlying problem causing your pain. You’ll walk out the same day. You’ll return to normal activities within 24 hours. And you’ll finally have your life back.
Your first step costs nothing. Our free MRI review gives you clear answers about your condition and whether our treatments can help. No sales pressure. No obligation. Just an honest assessment from one of the world’s leading spine surgeons.
