Andrea Cameron, PA-C: Supporting Active Lives Through Personalized Spine Care

When you’re experiencing debilitating back or neck pain, or even recovering from a traumatic spine injury, it can be overwhelming to figure out how to navigate recovery and get back to your normal day-to-day. Even identifying the root cause of the pain often proves difficult, and it’s common for people to feel unsure about the best path forward, especially when it involves a potential surgery. 

That’s why it’s so important to work with a care team like the one at Spine Colorado, where decades of experience are combined with personalized treatment plans to deliver patient outcomes that optimize for lasting recovery and restored mobility. 

And in Durango, we’re lucky to have such a team right here in our own zip code. The multi-modality experts at Spine Colorado are paving the way for better patient outcomes by prioritizing non-invasive treatment options and empowering patients to continue leading active lives. 

One of Spine Colorado’s newest providers is Andrea Cameron, PA-C. Drawing on a solid foundation in degenerative spine care (which includes experience at one of the nation’s busiest trauma centers), Cameron is devoted to helping her patients return to the activities they love most. 

Global perspectives in spine care

Before joining Spine Colorado, Andrea Cameron, PA-C, spent time serving populations in a variety of clinical environments, from a period in the Peace Corps in Nepal to working on the floor of a level-one trauma center in Seattle. 

“At the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, which is the only level-one trauma center for five states, we'd have up to 60 or 80 patients on our service at a time,” Cameron says. “I saw a broad spectrum of spinal issues—there’s not much in the spine world I haven’t seen.”

Although her time at Harborview was invaluable, it isn’t the only clinical setting that shaped her approach to personalized patient care. She also spent time working in the Peace Corps in Nepal, where she learned the importance of really understanding patients on a cultural level, and how that can affect their priorities and values. 

“No matter where you work, you're always going to come across people that come from different areas, different backgrounds, and different cultural beliefs,” she says. “And I think it's important to try and listen and tailor your plans as best you can to make it work for that particular patient.”

These experiences have directly translated into how she shows up for her patients at Spine Colorado, where taking the time to listen and truly understand patient needs is her very first step. 

Whether she’s working with someone who has experienced a traumatic injury or someone dealing with long-term degenerative changes, understanding their perspective and being empathetic always comes first.

“Just learning how to communicate with folks from different backgrounds is really important,” she says.

Treating common spine conditions

Although she does treat patients with spine injuries, many of the patients Cameron sees at Durango’s Spine Colorado office are there for some form of degenerative spine disease.

“As we get older, everyone will go through some degree of degenerative changes, like discs flattening or bulging,” she says. “Not all of those changes cause symptoms, but when they do, that’s when people come to us.”

A few of the common degenerative conditions she treats for at Spine Colorado include degenerative disc disease, spondylosis, and stenosis. While these conditions are typically gradual, Cameron also treats traumatic injuries, especially in younger, more active patients.

“We always try to utilize our non-surgical treatment methods first, which can include working diligently with physical therapy or receiving injections for pain relief,” she says. “A lot of people who are committed to doing physical therapy often see fantastic results. But there are still times that surgery is necessary to stabilize certain patients.”

A patient-centered approach

One of the most important parts of Andrea’s work is helping patients navigate the often-complicated decision-making process when it comes to treatment options. After starting with a thorough history and physical exam, she will often order imaging X-rays, or in some cases, even an MRI or CT scan. The next step involves sitting down with patients to review the results and determine the best path forward. 

“I really try to understand what the patient is hoping for,” she says. “Some people walk in and are desperate to avoid surgery, while others are hoping surgery will fix everything. My job is to meet them where they are, explain their options, and figure out what makes the most sense.”

Cameron emphasizes that most patients benefit from conservative, non-surgical treatments, like physical therapy, medication, or even spinal injections.

“But if someone is developing weakness or some sort of neurological deficit, that's when we start talking about surgical intervention more seriously,” she says.

Helping people get their lives back

For Cameron, the most rewarding part of her job is helping people return to the activities that bring them joy. 

“We see people who used to mountain bike and hike, and now they can’t even walk around the grocery store,” she says. “When we can intervene, whether surgically or not, and help them get that independence back, it’s incredibly rewarding.”

Especially since focusing on activities that bring joy is one of her key philosophies to good spinal health and longevity. She emphasizes that you don’t need to do a specific activity, diet, or routine, but should instead focus on regularly doing the activities that you love.

“Whatever brings you joy, I think, is what you're going to continue doing for the rest of your life, and that's what's going to keep you moving in the long run,” she says.

Inspired by the outdoors

As an avid mountaineer and snowboarder, Cameron’s interest in outdoor sports has also helped shape her clinical perspective: Getting outdoors isn’t just a hobby; it’s a way of life that deeply influences how she approaches spine health.

“I get it— I love to climb mountains and snowboard and do all these things that you feel really free when you're out doing.”

Her personal experiences and clinical insights into things like recovery and the natural aging process also give her a unique empathy for patients. She doesn’t just see their symptoms on paper— she also sees their goals, frustrations, and the lifestyle they’re trying to preserve.

“We all start to feel those little creaks and twinges,” she says. “I’ve been there. But over time, I’ve seen that imaging doesn’t tell the whole story. I see patients with significant degenerative changes on their imaging who are still super active, and then others who don’t spend as much time being active, and even if their images look good, they’re really struggling.”

Cameron emphasizes that long-term mobility often has more to do with personal habits and conditioning than it does with imaging results. 

“It's a real motivation for me to keep active and healthy and to encourage my patients to do the same.”

Focusing on prevention

Andrea is a strong believer in prevention as a form of long-term wellness. When asked what advice she’d give a friend who’s active but wants to protect their spine health, she keeps it simple.

“Listen to your body, and stay active.”

Before becoming a PA, she did undergrad at Colorado State University in nutrition and worked as a dietitian for several years. Her approach to spine care is very similar to the way she worked with patients as a dietitian—by focusing on developing healthy habits that preserve long-term health and wellness. And since much of nutrition focuses on preventative medicine and whole body wellness, she likes to incorporate these values into her spine care treatments as well. 

“There's not a specific diet plan or anything for good spine health, but overall, general nutrition and spine health kind of all go together.” 

Building a life in Durango

Though she’s relatively new to the region, Andrea says she already feels connected to the Four Corners community.

“I’ve moved around a lot, but something about Durango feels different. The people are incredibly friendly and open. I drive to work and think, ‘I can’t believe I get to live here.’”

She’s still finding her niche but hopes to make Durango a long-term home.

“I'm excited to finally be in one spot, doing work that I feel passionate about and that I'm good at.”