What to Expect at Your First Appointment at the Crawford Spine Center

If your child has a spinal injury, scoliosis or some other spinal condition that is causing them discomfort or pain, you may be anxious about seeing another provider. Rest assured that our orthopaedic experts not only have the knowledge to help your child, but they will also work to make sure you and your child are as comfortable as possible with your care.

Our providers will work together as a team to put together a treatment plan for your child.

Making an Appointment at the Crawford Spine Center

We want it to be easy for you to get the care your child needs. You can self-refer to our clinic by contacting centralized scheduling. You also can get a referral from their pediatrician, another physician or hospital, or the emergency department.

Our experts at the Crawford Spine Center see patients at several different Cincinnati Children’s locations across the Greater Cincinnati area.

Before Your Appointment

Before your appointment, we will want to make sure that your child has undergone the appropriate X-rays or other imaging procedures. If those have taken place at another institution, we will want to have those images digitally transferred to Cincinnati Children’s, or ask you to bring them to your appointment.

In most cases, there is no need to fill out paperwork ahead of time—you will be able to fill it out on a tablet at our office.

If your child has scoliosis and wears a back brace, they may need to take off their brace 48 hours before the appointment. If this is necessary, we will discuss it with you before the appointment.

On the Day of Your Visit to the Crawford Spine Center

Arriving At Your Appointment

At the Burnet Campus, please arrive 30 minutes early to allow time for parking and walking. At the Liberty Campus, you can arrive 25 minutes early, and at the other clinics, you can arrive 20 minutes early. Your visit may take as long as two hours, so please bring along any snacks or other distractions that your child may need. If you are running late on the day of the appointment, please contact us.

At Your Appointment

The purpose of this appointment varies, depending on your child’s condition and the reason for the visit. Your child may be seeing a medical assistant, a registered nurse, a radiologist and an orthopaedic surgeon during their visit. We will likely be going over any previous imaging tests, confirming your child’s diagnosis and discussing next steps.

After Your Visit to the Crawford Spine Center

You will receive an “After Visit Summary” at the end of your appointment. It will include important details about upcoming appointments, test results, referrals to specialists and all medications (including new prescriptions). It also will include contact information for your child’s care team.