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by Dr. Shim
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Patient Satisfaction Scores Will Cause Discrimination

As healthcare delivery continues to evolve in the US,  we are seeing efforts by governmental agencies to use patient satisfaction scores to determine compensation.  I think this will become a source of  DISCRIMINATION  AGAINST FUTURE PATIENTS. Currently hospitals and physicians are being rated by patients for communication,  caring,  empathy,  etc.  Uniform government developed surveys are […]

by Dr. Shim
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Back Pain Again?

We do not have time for Back Pain. But,  unfortunately,  there is a good chance we will all experience back pain sometime in our lives.  The good news is that most episodes of back pain are not serious and resolve over time. But,  physicians are always on the lookout for more serious causes of back […]

by Dr. Shim
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Lumbar Discectomy yes, Lumbar Fusion, maybe.

You are in significant pain,  and the Doctors determined that your back and leg pain is caused by a Lumbar Disc Herniation.  Despite all the non surgical treatments such as medications,  therapy,  activity restrictions,  and injections,  you are not getting better and now want a surgical solution.   If your Surgeon recommends a surgery,  you should […]

by Dr. Shim
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Events related to Lumbar Disk Herniations

As logical creatures,  humans usually want to associate an event with a cause.  In our current culture,  we want a reason for many of our own medical conditions.  Regarding spine problems,  Physicians know that being over weight,  smoking,  and  genetics have bearing on the incidence of disk problems.  People,  however,  want to associate a disk […]

by Dr. Shim
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“That was the Worst X-Ray I have ever seen!”

As a Spine Surgeon and Specialist,  I have had the honor of treating many people.  It sounds cliche, but I enjoy the personal interaction, and my goal is to educate people to understand their condition.  While many are in significant pain during some of the evaluations,  it is important for me to communicate the nature of […]

by Dr. Shim
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Epidural Steroid Injections And Compression Fractures

Epidural Steroid Injections have been used to treat patients with both herniated disks as well as for patients with spinal stenosis.  In addition,  the same steroid compounds have been used by physicians to treat arthritic conditions of the spine, via the so called facet joint injection. Most prudent practitioners have always cautioned the patients that […]