For people living with chronic back or neck pain, finding relief can mean returning to the everyday activities they once enjoyed. On World Spine Day, Oct. 16, Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic is introducing a new specialist dedicated to helping patients do just that.

Dr. Patrick Albright, a fellowship-trained spine surgeon and researcher, has joined Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic (KOC), bringing expertise in advanced and minimally invasive spine procedures to East Tennessee.

Albright treats a wide range of spinal conditions and emphasizes beginning with nonsurgical, conservative treatment whenever appropriate.

“Spine surgeries can be extremely gratifying because they are so impactful as some patients wake up in post-operative recovery and experience immediate pain relief,” Albright said. “There aren’t many areas within healthcare where you can make such a dramatic improvement in someone’s quality of life and see that almost immediately.”

He recalled a college-age patient who had suffered from chronic back and leg pain and was overcome with joy when she awoke pain-free following a lumbar discectomy.

Albright’s specialties include minimally invasive spine surgery, cervical motion preservation, cervical procedures, lumbar fusion techniques and treatment of traumatic spine injuries.

“The spine is the body’s structural foundation, with interconnected parts that protect the spinal cord and nerve roots,” Albright said. “Because pain can have many causes, identifying its source often requires detective work.”

Albright earned degrees from the University of Notre Dame and his medical degree from Western Michigan University. He completed his residency at the University of Minnesota and an advanced fellowship at Norton Leatherman Spine in Louisville, Kentucky.

He has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and presented research at conferences around the world.

Dr. Jay Crawford, president of Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic, said Albright’s expertise strengthens the practice’s ability to provide patient-centered spine care.

A new home in Vol country

Although Albright grew up in Iowa and moved to East Tennessee from Kentucky, his connection to Knoxville goes back to the Volunteers’ 1998 national championship football season.

After visiting family in Knoxville that year, he became a Tennessee fan. He even has a Black and Tan Coonhound named Luna who resembles Smokey.

Albright and his wife, Clare, have two young sons, Kieran and Rowan. The family enjoys exploring East Tennessee’s mountains and lakes.

Albright began seeing patients Oct. 12 at KOC’s Powell, Weisgarber and West locations.

Patients can learn more about the practice and its physicians at Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic.

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