Chiropractor or Physical Therapist? Understanding the Differences
Today, I want to talk about a question patients ask me all the time: should I see a chiropractor or a physical therapist? Both professions treat spinal and musculoskeletal pain, but they come from different educational traditions, philosophies of care, and practice models. Understanding these differences can help you choose the right provider, or the […]
Returning to Work After a Spine Injury: Where Medicine and Law Intersect
DISCLAIMER: This blog is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal or medical advice and presents no bias toward plaintiffs or defendants. Today, I want to talk about a question I hear constantly from patients, employers, and attorneys alike: when and how does someone return to work after a spinal injury? The […]
Hydration and Your Spinal Discs: Why Water Matters for Your Back
Today, I want to talk about something simple that most of my patients never connect to their back pain: water. Here in the Tampa Bay area, July heat is no joke. We sweat, we lose fluid, and many of us do not replace it. What you may not realize is that your spinal discs depend […]
Why a More Optimistic Surgeon Can Face Greater Risk Than an Aggressive One
It may seem counterintuitive, but the spine surgeon who tells you “you probably don’t need surgery” can actually be taking on more professional risk than the surgeon who recommends operating right away. After more than 30 years practicing orthopaedic spine surgery in the Tampa Bay area, this is a pattern I have seen consistently, and […]
The First 30 Days: Medical and Legal Timelines After a Spine Injury Car Accident
Today, I want to talk about something that comes up constantly in my practice: what actually happens, medically and legally, in the first month after a car accident causes a spine injury. Patients and attorneys alike often focus on the eventual claim or lawsuit, but the early weeks set the foundation for everything that follows. […]
Getting a Spine MRI Can Increase Your Chances of Future Surgery, Even After Your Pain Is Gone
A closer look at an underappreciated consequence of early imaging — and what it means for your long-term spine health. What Most Patients Are Never Told About Spine MRIs Every year, millions of patients with back or neck pain undergo MRI studies. For many, the pain resolves on its own within weeks or months. It […]
Why an Evaluation for Pain After a Minor Auto Accident May Differ From an Evaluation for Everyday Pain
Today, I want to talk about something that comes up often in my practice: why a medical evaluation for back or neck pain after a car accident can look and feel different from an evaluation for pain that develops from everyday life, like gardening, lifting at work, or simply waking up stiff. The underlying spine […]
Steroid Injections for Spine Pain: What’s Rarely Discussed About the Risks
Do you know the risks of an injection?
Engineered for Survival: How 60 Years of Vehicle Safety Advances Changed Spine Injuries After Rear-End Crashes
Today, I want to talk about something that comes up often in my practice: how dramatically the nature of spine injuries from rear-end car crashes has changed since I started practicing in the early 1990s, and how much further back the real transformation began. When people picture a “whiplash injury,” they often imagine the same […]
A Normal Lumbar MRI Is a Rare Finding for Anyone Older Than 40
By John H. Shim, MD, FAAOS | Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon | ShimSpine.com If you are over the age of 40 and your lumbar MRI comes back showing degenerative changes, disc bulges, or mild arthritis — welcome to the club. You are, statistically speaking, perfectly normal. In fact, a completely “clean” lumbar MRI in a middle-aged […]
