Mayfield Brain & Spine emphasizes nonsurgical options
When most people think of Mayfield Brain & Spine, the network of neurosurgeons and other providers specializing in the central nervous system, they may think exclusively of surgery. Caring for such integral parts of the body, Mayfield may seem like a place for complex procedures. But for many patients who seek care at Mayfield, the operating room isn’t necessarily the end result.
“We treat a variety of things related to the spine: low back pain, neck pain, mid-back pain,” says Debbie Moesle, a physical therapist at the Springboro office who has been with Mayfield for eight and a half years. “A lot of times, physical therapy and other non-surgical interventions can help prevent surgery.”
The goal, she says, is straightforward. “I know a lot of people are afraid when they hear ‘spine specialist,’” she says. “But I’d hope they feel comfortable coming in. We have so many nonsurgical options that can really make a difference.”
At Mayfield’s Springboro location, which opened in 2024, physical therapy patients may be surprised to see that PT looks different than they previously thought. Rather than rows of exercise and weight machines, the clinic emphasizes one-on-one, hands-on care, Moesle says. “The vast majority of our treatments are hands-on and teaching you how to move your body and strengthen your core on your own,” she says.
For patients who need additional care beyond physical therapy, interventional pain management offers another layer of options, keeping patients out of surgery.
Dr. Rachel Boggus, an interventional pain specialist at Mayfield, says her focus is on exhausting conservative measures before anyone heads into an operating room.
Advances in pain treatments have significantly expanded those possibilities. Where there may once have been only one type of back injection, Boggus highlights that there are now multiple approaches, depending on whether the pain stems from a disc, a nerve, joints in the spine or even the vertebral bones themselves.
“The main thing is getting the correct diagnosis,” she says.
From there, physicians like Boggus can meet the needs of more patients thanks to some medical breakthroughs in recent years.
Among newer options is platelet-rich plasma therapy, which uses a patient’s own concentrated platelets to promote healing in injured tissue.
“Our goal is not to mask the patient’s pain,” Boggus says. “Our goal is to treat the underlying cause and get it to heal as much as possible.”
Boggus also performs basivertebral nerve ablation, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure for certain types of vertebral bone pain.
The procedure, Boggus says, highlights the many options that Mayfield is dedicated to bringing to its patients that other networks may not be able to yet.
Boggus is just one of a handful of physicians in the Dayton market who can perform the procedure.
“About 70% of patients who undergo the procedure experience at least 50% pain relief,” she says. “It’s outpatient, there are no implants left behind and most people are back to work within a week.”
Together, the approach perhaps reflects a broader philosophy at Mayfield: Surgery remains an important tool, but not the default. For many spine patients, relief begins with far less invasive care.
For patients hesitant to seek care, both clinicians emphasize reassurance. “Don’t be scared to come in and just have it checked out,” Dr. Boggus says. “No one’s going to force anyone to have surgery who doesn’t want it.”
