Advanced Spine Surgery · Indianapolis
Motion-Preserving. Minimally Invasive. Precision Spine Care.
Erik Gerlach, M.D. is a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon with Indiana Spine Group, caring for patients at the Carmel and Greenwood offices.
Cervical · Thoracic · Lumbar | Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM
Care Philosophy
Surgery is one tool — not the starting point.
Dr. Gerlach’s stated approach is non-operative management whenever appropriate. Many spine problems improve without an operation, and the first job of a spine specialist is to find out whether yours is one of them — starting with an accurate diagnosis rather than a scheduled surgery.
When surgery is the right answer, the decision gets made together. You should understand what is causing your pain, what the alternatives are, and what an operation can and cannot fix before anything is scheduled. Orthopaedic residency at Northwestern and spine fellowship training at the University of Utah shape how that conversation goes.
- Diagnosis firstFind the cause before choosing a treatment
- Non-surgical care firstWhenever it is appropriate
- Decided togetherYou understand the options before anything is scheduled
Indiana Spine Hospital · Carmel
Indiana Spine Group
Find Your Path
Tell us what’s going on — we’ll point you to the right page.
Two quick questions. This points you to reading, not a diagnosis.
Emergency symptoms? New bowel or bladder changes, saddle-area numbness, or rapidly progressive weakness mean the emergency department — now.
Conditions Treated
Conditions of the neck and back.
Cervical, thoracic, and lumbar — from nerve pain that radiates into an arm or leg to complex structural problems of the spinal column.
Herniated Disc
Disc material pressing on a nerve root, often causing pain down an arm or leg.
Spinal Stenosis
Narrowing of the spinal canal that crowds the nerves and limits how far you can walk.
Cervical Myelopathy
Spinal cord compression in the neck that can affect balance and hand function.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Wear in the discs that can leave the neck or low back persistently painful.
Scoliosis & Spinal Deformity
Curvature and alignment problems of the growing or aging spine.
Spine Tumors
Growths in or around the spinal column that need coordinated, careful planning.
Spine Trauma
Fractures and injuries to the spinal column after a fall, collision, or accident.
Sciatica
Radiating leg pain from an irritated or compressed lumbar nerve root.
Signature Treatments
When surgery is the right answer.
Dr. Gerlach’s surgical practice spans the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine — including motion-preserving disc replacement, minimally invasive approaches, revision procedures, and complex deformity correction.
Cervical Disc Replacement
Replacing a worn disc with an implant designed to keep the treated level moving, instead of fusing it solid.
Learn moreMinimally Invasive Surgery
Smaller, targeted approaches that work through the tissue rather than across it, with the goal of a faster return to normal life.
Learn moreRevision Spine Surgery
A fresh diagnosis and a new plan when a previous spine operation did not deliver the relief it was supposed to.
Learn moreComplex Deformity Correction
Restoring alignment and balance in scoliosis and complex adult spinal deformity, staged around what you need to be able to do.
Learn moreResearch & Publications
A surgeon who writes the evidence — not just reads it.
50+
Peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, across the spine and orthopaedic literature.
His academic work asks the questions that shape day-to-day spine care: how patients actually recover, how care is delivered and accessed, and which operation fits which patient.
Training & academic roles
Presented nationally
His work has been presented to neurosurgery, spine, and sports-medicine societies.
- AANS American Association of Neurological Surgeons Visit society (opens in a new tab)
- NASS North American Spine Society Visit society (opens in a new tab)
- ISAKOS International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Visit society (opens in a new tab)
- LSRS Lumbar Spine Research Society Visit society (opens in a new tab)
Your Visit
What to expect, step by step.
The path from first appointment to recovery is deliberate — and it does not assume an operation at the end of it.
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01
Consultation & imaging review
Your history, a focused physical exam, and a careful read of your MRI, CT, or X-rays to identify what is actually generating your symptoms.
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02
Non-surgical options first
Non-operative care is considered whenever it is appropriate — and for many patients that is where the plan begins and ends.
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03
Surgery only when it’s right
If the problem is structural, you get a plain-language walkthrough of the specific operation, the alternatives, and what it can and cannot fix — then you decide together.
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04
Recovery & follow-up
You leave with a recovery plan, and follow-up visits track your progress and adjust it as you heal.
Interactive · Patient Education
Your MRI report was written for doctors. These are written for you.
Click any labeled structure on a real MRI to learn what it is, what it does, and why it matters — or take a full radiology report apart line by line.
Axial view · L4–L5Looking down through one slice of the low back
LOW BACK
Understand Your Lumbar MRI
Discs, nerve roots, facet joints, and the fluid sac — labeled on axial and side views.
Explore the scan →NECK
Understand Your Cervical MRI
The spinal cord, its cushion of fluid, and the structures that can crowd them.
Explore the scan →FULL REPORT
Decode a Full MRI Report
“Broad-based posterior disc bulge…” — what the radiology language actually means.
Decode it →Educational images and sample reports — not a diagnosis. Bring your own scan and Dr. Gerlach will walk through it with you, or send your imaging to the office ahead of your visit.
Patient Reviews · via Google
In their words.
What patients say about Dr. Gerlach’s care, from being heard and understanding their options to getting back to work.
ReviewsEvery review quoted here is a five-star Google review.
He listens.
After several doctors told me nothing could be done for my neck and nerve pain, I was losing hope—until I met Dr. Gerlach. He was kind, thorough, and took the time to really listen.
He explained things in a way that was easy to understand, answered all of my questions, and never rushed through the visit. I felt supported and informed the entire time.
He explains.
He took the time to carefully review my X-Rays and current spinal condition, then took me through the MRI and showed exactly what was causing the pain.
Dr Gerlach is patient and very thorough in explaining my diagnosis and answering my concerns.
The outcome.
The sciatica pain has been GONE since waking up from the surgery.
Most importantly, he gave me hope when no one else could. After surgery, my pain is gone and I’m back to work.
Selected excerpts from public Google reviews, reproduced as written. Names shortened for privacy.
Treated by Dr. Gerlach? Share your story
Locations
Two offices, north and south of Indianapolis.
Carmel
13219 N. Meridian St.
Carmel, IN
Greenwood
747 E. County Line Rd, Suite L
Greenwood, IN
- Phone
- (317) 893-1250
- Hours
- Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM
- Affiliations
- Indiana Spine Hospital · North Meridian Surgery Center
Get a clear answer about your spine.
Request an appointment at the Carmel or Greenwood office, or call and speak with the team.