Brace Yourself

We see it all the time. The patient comes in to the office and peels off an old worn back brace. When asked why they are wearing it, they will have one of three reasons: they have a job with heavy lifting so they started wearing the brace at work and got into the habit […]

Are you being taken for an unhealthy ride?

Recently this article was produced on PBS News Hour and upset a lot of people (read comments). It also received some positive reviews, mostly from medical practitioners. After reading it, I have to say there is a general agreement among the physicians I have spoken to that much of this article is right on target. […]

Why You Need to Trust Your Doctor

When you have pain, or when you have medical concerns, you need to trust your doctor. If you do not,   I suggest you find a doctor you do trust. That trusting relationship should provide security,  hope, and cost savings. As a Spine Specialist,  I know that a majority of the patients with  pains will improve over […]

Minimally Invasive Discectomy vs Micro/Open Discectomy

We’ve all heard of “Minimally Invasive Discectomy” as it is used as a marketing ploy almost everywhere. Everyone has a different description of what minimally invasive actually is. Some consider MIS as surgery being done through small incisions, with less dissection, and therefore less pain, and faster recovery.   With that criteria, many of the spine […]

Great Expectations- But Let’s be Realistic

We see so many patients who have already had surgery somewhere else and are disappointed in the outcome. They have unresolved numbness, pain or weakness after extensive surgery and feel they should be doing much better. Their expectations have not been met. Let’s talk…. For most of us, if we are recommending surgery to a […]

What Is Happening in the Operating Room?

So, you have decided to have surgery. You have been to your pre-op appointment and had the whole procedure explained. You explain it to your family by saying “they said it would only take an hour” so the day of surgery your family is freaking out because you’ve been in there two hours. Let’s talk…… […]