Blog Archive

BACK AND NECK INJURIES AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT According to the National Safety Council, 4.6 million people were seriously injured in car accidents in 2016. While some injuries can be minor and heal relatively quickly, other injuries, even following minor auto accidents, can cause severe injuries. Injuries can occur from...

Keeping Your Back Healthy During Summer Activities Summer sizzles! As temperature heat up, and outdoor activities increase, so does the potential for back injuries. One of the most important--and often overlooked-- preventive measures is: Stay Hydrated. We all know, our bodies are mostly water. Water is vital to every function,...

WHAT IS YOUR BACK PAIN TELLING YOU You need to move more throughout the day The typical person sits for over 8 hours per day. On top of this, many people rarely take a break from sitting during the day—getting up only to attend meetings or eat lunch. You may...

HABITS THAT CAN CAUSE BACK PAIN Lifting things that are too heavy and lifting incorrectly. Often back injuries happen when we try to lift something that’s too heavy and lift them incorrectly. Bending your knees and use the power of your legs, keeping the weight close to the body; keep your...

Around the spinal cord and brain, a watery substance called cerebrospinal fluid flows regularly to transport nutrients and remove waste. When this fluid abnormally collects and develops inside your spinal cord to form a cyst, it’s called a syrinx. With time, it may grow and damage the spinal cord and...

Sacroiliac Joint Pain Fact Sheet About Lower Back Pain  Up to 85% of all people have lower back pain at some point in life.1 Low back pain is second only to upper respiratory problems as a reason for visits to a physician,2 generating 15 million office visits annually.3 It is the fifth-ranking cause...

LASER SPINE SURGERY: Your back hurts! And you're looking for a treatment that will make the pain stop. You’ve read about Laser Spine Surgery, and you're interested in how it may help relieve your back pain. There's been lots of press about Laser Spine Surgery. And, while it can help some...

Along with specific back exercises, aerobic exercise that increases the heart rate for a sustained period is very beneficial for helping back problems. Aerobic exercise increases the flow of blood and nutrients to back structures which supports healing, and can decrease the stiffness in the back and joints that lead...

Synovial cysts are fluid-filled sacs that are benign and develop in the facet joints of the spine. They are somewhat uncommon and usually occur because of degeneration of the spine. If the sacs get large enough, spinal stenosis may develop. It is most common to see these types of cysts...

A pain pump is a way to deliver medication directly to your spinal cord. It is a small metal device that surgically fixed under the skin in your abdominal area and has a catheter that gives regulated doses of medication to your spinal cord. When the device’s reservoir is empty,...

Epidural fibrosis is a condition that develops when scar tissue forms around the nerve root. It is common to see people develop this condition after back surgery. What are the symptoms? www.medrounds.org

Congential fusion happens when two or more vertebrae of the spine are fused together permanently, usually while in the womb. This condition often puts the patient living with this condition at an increased risk for spinal cord injury. www.medrounds.org

Klippel-Feil Syndrome is a rare disease that is present at birth, but sometimes can be diagnosed later in life when symptoms first become more apparent. The syndrome causes two or more spinal bones in the neck to fuse or join together, which means the person living with the disorder will...

For individuals living with chronic back pain, spinal cord stimulation is a procedure that can help. It uses an electrical current that sends pulses to the spinal cord, which react with nerve impulses in the spine that allow you to feel pain. This treatment plan is often used for individuals...

Even after back surgery is complete, you may have persistent pain. This often depends on type of pain you had before surgery, what type of surgery you had done, and if you have had multiple operations in the same area. www.medrounds.org

The spine is a very complex part of the body and when it comes to operating on it, it takes great skill and attention to detail. If your doctor has told you that you may need revision spine surgery, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there was a mistake in a...

For some people, back surgery is not as a successful as they or their doctors had hoped for. Many times results aren’t what are expected, even with the most experienced surgeon and a perfect surgical operation. This is when failed back syndrome occurs. Failed back syndrome is actually an inaccurate...

Radiculitis causes pain that radiates along the nerve, due to irritation of the root of the nerve that connects to the spine. Radiculitis that happens in the thoracic spine will likely cause pain in the chest area. The area that is inflamed is very painful and can even cause a...

Extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF) is a newer, minimally invasive procedure that allows doctors to get to the spine with little disruption to surrounding connective tissues. It fuses the front section of the spine with the side. Traditional fusion surgeries are more invasive, have greater risk of blood loss, and...

A dural tear occurs when the sac of tissue that covers the spinal cord and spinal nerves tears during spine surgery. If this tear isn’t recognized it may not heal and can leak spinal tissue which can cause a spinal headache and can increase your risk of infection of the...

Posterior lumbar fusion is a common type of surgery used to mend two or more spine bones in the lower back. When the bones are joined together during surgery using a bone graft, they will eventually heal and form into one solid bone. www.medrounds.org

This is a very common procedure (also known as open discectomy) that is used to treat ruptured or herniated discs in the spine. The surgeon will make a small incision (about 1 inch) and will remove the muscle tissue from the bone and retractors are used to hold the muscle...

Cervical radiculopathy is a condition that is caused by damage, irritation or compression of the nerve roots near the cervical vertebrae. This type of damage can happen from issues such as degenerative arthritis, or other injuries that can affect the nerve roots. The symptoms of cervical radiculopathy are pain that...

Lumbar laminectomy surgery (also known as a decompression surgery) is used mainly to ease pain and alleviate pressure on the spinal nerves that is caused and associated with spinal stenosis. During the surgery, the physician removes the lamina, which is the back part of the vertebrae that covers the spinal...

This is a surgical procedure on the back (first performed in the 1950s) that removes a portion of a herniated or degenerative disc from the back and replaced with an implant. The surgery is completed through an incision in the abdomen and removes the affected disc. When the disc is...

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion is a surgical procedure that removes a herniated disc in the neck. Discectomy means, literally, to cut out the disc, and anterior means that the doctor will reach the herniated disc through the front of the neck, through the throat area. The reason for this...

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (also known as Forestier's Disease) is a type of degenerative arthritis that usually affects the vertebrae of the spine (but sometimes other portions of the body such as heels, elbows, or knees). The disease causes the ligaments that connect to the spine to harden or calcify,...

Ankylosing spondylitis is a long term type of arthritis of the spine. It causes swelling of the vertebrae and many times these vertebrae can fuse together making the spine more immobile and an awkward, hunched-like posture. This condition is more common in men and to date, there is no cure...

Sacroilittis is a painful condition that means the sacroliliac joint (either one or both of them) is inflamed. These joints connect the lower part of the spine to the pelvis. The pain felt with this condition is very severe and is commonly felt in the buttocks, groin, thighs, or lower...

Millions of Americans live with chronic back pain. It can be painful and for many, debilitating. It becomes something they simply live with and get used to. But for some patients, radiofrequency ablation might be the answer to help relieve their pain. www.medrounds.org

Sacroiliac joint injections are used to both diagnose and/or treat pain in the lower back. Many times, these injections are used to treat people living with sciatica. What are sacroiliac joints? www.medrounds.org

Facet injections are used for patients that experience low back pain and leg pain due to inflammation or issues with joints. Patients that receive this type of treatment have usually undergone other types of treatment that haven’t work such as physical therapy, use of anti-inflammatory medicines, or bed rest. They...

These types of injections can be used in the neck, mid and upper back, and lumbar and lower regions of the back. Nerve roots are at the base of the spinal cord and help with movement of the arms chest, and legs and oftentimes these roots become inflamed or painful....

SPECT bone scans can help find hidden bone fractures and can also diagnose and monitor the growth of cancer in the bones. These types of scans are generally safe, however some patients experience adverse reactions to the radioactive dye they receive, which can cause pain or swelling where the needle...

Intraoperative neuromonitoring is a technique that uses electrophysiological methods to keep close watch on the specific neurological parts of the body during surgery, such as the brain, spine, and nerves. In other words, it gives your doctor a better view of your nervous system when you’re undergoing surgery. Intraoperative neuromonitoring...

Nerve conduction studies measure how fast the nerves send electrical signals and an electromyogram (EMG) measures the electrical activity of the nerves while resting as well as while contracting. Muscles are controlled by the nerves sending electrical signals (otherwise known as impulses). These signals give the muscles direction on which...

A CT scan (also known as a CAT scan) stands for a Computed Tomography scan. It is a type of x-ray method that combines many x-ray images with assistance from a computer to generate cross dimensional views of organs and other internal parts of the body. It is far more...

You’ve just been in for a visit to your doctor and he’s ordered an MRI. It’s likely that you have heard of MRIs before, but you might have questions as to what is involved. Will it hurt? How much radiation will I be exposed to? A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)...

Radiographs (such as x-rays) of low back pain are used to assess back pain more fully and determine the cause of pain and discomfort. Usually, your doctor will order an AP (anteroposterior) or lateral view x-ray for low back pain. The AP view will give the doctor a front-to-back picture...

If you’ve been told you have a spinal tumor, you’re likely distressed, scared, or worried about what exactly that means and how it will affect your daily living. While your feelings of distress are normal, there are a variety of treatment options and the outcomes are better than they ever...

A thoracic fracture or dislocation is one that occurs in the middle of the back. These types of injuries are usually the result of high energy accidents, such as falling from high up, motor vehicle accidents, or high-impact sports accidents, or violence, such as a gunshot. These types of injuries...

The muscles that surround the back and abdomen have been named the “core” as they are the basis for all other muscles to work upon to start movement. These muscles help control movements, transfer energy, and shift body weight evenly. Core stabilization exercises help develop your abdominal, spine, and lower...

A spinal cord injury is extremely severe and in many cases, life-altering or life-threatening. Taking preventative measures in order to avoid injuring your spine can be done. Following these simple safety tips can help reduce your risk of spinal injury. www.medrounds.org

Post-operative rehabilitation is the period of recovery after surgery. Depending on the extent of the injury or severity of the surgery, the rehabilitation process may need to be tailored accordingly. Post-operative rehabilitation is important to long-term recovery and better health in the long run and when completed correctly, can help...

Who would have thought that one day, a person could have surgery on their spine and the same day, go home to recover? With advances in technology and surgical procedures, this is now possible. For example, endoscopic spine surgery can now be performed on a patient suffering from herniated discs,...

If you’ve lived with or experienced low back pain, you know how painful and truly miserable it can make you feel. Unfortunately, lower back pain is very common and the second most-common reason why people visit a doctor. The lower back is made up of an intricate number of tendons,...

Living with a herniated disc is no fun. The irritation to the nerves in the spine can many times lead to very serious back and/or leg pain, weakness, or numbness. What exactly does the term herniated disc (also called bulging disc, ruptured disc, or slipped disc) mean? This condition occurs...

Sciatica is a common, yet painful nerve condition. It refers to the sciatica nerve and usually only affects one side of the lower body, and in many cases through the thigh and into the foot. It’s caused by irritation of the root(s) of the lower lumbar part of the spine...

Spinal stenosis puts pressure on your spinal cord or spinal nerves and can cause pain and numbness in the legs, buttocks, feet, back, neck, arms, hands or shoulders. Other symptoms might include lack of coordination and weakness in the limbs as well as loss of sensation in lower extremities, as...

Degenerative disc disease is one of the most frequent causes of lower back pain. If you’ve been diagnosed with this, you might be wondering what it means for you. Do you need to limit your activities? Will it get worse with age? Will it cause permanent damage? These are all...

Spondylolysis is a stress fracture in one of the vertebrae that make up the spinal column. Spondylolisthesis refers to forward slippage of one spine bone onto another. Many times, these diseases are seen in combination with each other and treatments are oftentimes the same. www.medrounds.org

Injuries to the spinal cord are very serious and should be treated with the utmost of attentive care. It’s possible to have a spinal cord injury but not have a broken neck or back if a person’s neck or back vertebrae is broken but the spinal cord around these bones...

Radiculopathy is a condition that refers to symptoms experienced from the irritation of a nerve in the spine. This often causes pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness along the nerve in the spine. This injury is also often called a pinched nerve. It can happen in any part of the back,...

Cervical spine fractures and dislocations are very serious, yet are quite common. On a yearly basis, thousands of people fracture or dislocate parts of their necks. www.medrounds.org

If you’ve lived with or experienced low back pain, you know how painful and truly miserable it can make you feel. Unfortunately, lower back pain is very common and the second most-common reason why people visit a doctor. The lower back is made up of an intricate number of tendons,...

Scoliosis is a rare spinal condition that means that the spine rotates and curves from side to side. It can be present at birth, but most often develops in childhood and adolescence. It can be present in both boys and girls, but young girls have more incidences of scoliosis. Children...

We’re all told that healthy living starts with eating right and exercising. Many people enjoy participating in sports and it helps them keep motivated to live an active, healthy lifestyle. However, sports activity comes with the responsibility to be attentive to your body and the strain it can potentially put...

Spinal tumors can generally be divided into those that have initially developed in the spinal bone itself or those that have started in the spinal canal and involve the cord and nerves of the spine. Spinal tumors can be either metastatic or benign, and can have a lot of symptoms...

Fracturing your spine is a very serious injury and one that will need close attention. A thoracolumbar spine fracture simply means that there is a broken bone in the middle or lower part of the spine. These types of high energy fractures are more common in men, while the low...

Odds are that if you’ve been told that you need surgery, you’re a little nervous. Surgery is a big deal and surgery on your spine is a very big deal. However, with the advances in minimally invasive spine surgery, these types of surgical procedures are better and safer than they...

Just like regular visits to your dentist to help promote good oral health and prevent health issues, regular visits to your chiropractor can help maintain a healthy spine and help treat and prevent spinal issues or injuries. Many people think that chiropractic care is just a quick fix – they...

Chronic and severe back pain can many times, be treated with spinal injections. This procedure can help alleviate a patient’s back pain by helping reduce swelling and inflammation along the spine. www.medrounds.org