Most Sacroiliac Joints do not Hurt
As a Spine Surgeon, I am constantly asked to find a surgical solution for various back complaints. People come into the office with various test results including MRI’s, CAT scans, nerve tests and x-rays. A certain percentage have already had surgery, including lumbar spinal fusion, and remain frustrated by the continued pain. Lately, I have […]
Time to Get off the Couch!
You all know that excess weight does lead to more spine complaints. At the same time, it takes more than weight control to keep your spine strong and functional. It takes EXERCISE. In the December 15, 2015 Spine Journal, a paper by Physical Therapist, Ulrika Aasa, et al (Physical Activity Might be a Greater Importance of […]
Weather and Back Pain
Winter is just around the corner, and the cold weather is definitely here. My patients all complain that they have more pain with the cooler temperatures. While everyone believes cold weather, and stormy weather contributes to worsening arthritis pain, the scientific data can be conflicting at times. In relationship to work activities, some population studies have […]
Why we have Disk Herniations
Today, I saw a very rare patient. Why? Because he is 40 years old, and his MRI report read “Normal Lumbar Spine.” After looking at his MRI, I came to the same conclusion. There was no evidence of any disk narrowing, disk dehydration, or bone spur development. But he had back pain, from a […]
Still having Pain after Spine Surgery?
Statistically, most people do improve with spine surgery. Unfortunately, some people do not improve, and a few are worsened. As a Spine Surgeon, I know many patients want a guarantee of improvement after surgery. The truth is, THERE CAN NEVER BE A GUARANTEE. Surgeons can only give chances of success. As I tell my […]
WHAT IS THE BEST MATTRESS FOR MY SPINE?
In our spine practice, one of the most common questions that we are asked from patients is “what is the best mattress”. If you think about it, we spend approximately 33% of our life in bed! We know that a lack of sleep can affect our general overall health and cause multiple problems. Sleeping on […]
