Epidural Steroid Injections ; Do They Work?
In our practice, we use Epidural Steroid Injections for both treatment as well as diagnostic purposes. The research for these injections have been significant, but the conclusions by the various authors have been very different. There continues to be controversy on the efficacy of the treatments, including the side effects versus the results. Traditionally, epidural steroid […]
A Loss of Lordosis
Is it Bad News? We see it frequently on MRI reports, especially in patients who were in car accidents, “there is a loss of lordosis in the cervical spine”. It sounds scary and is often followed by the information that this is “often caused by spasm in the neck and upper back”. Is this something […]
Menopause and Bone Health
Every now and then a patient will come in complaining of low back pain with no known injury. After an x-ray is performed, they are informed they have a fracture in their spine. It is usually a surprise, as is a diagnosis of osteoporosis, following testing. Let’s talk…. If you are a woman over 50, […]
What causes disc herniations and how can I prevent it?
What causes disc herniations and how can I prevent it? In our spine practice, I am often the first person to talk with patients about their orthopaedic and spine problems during the course of their visit. Through our educational website and during consultations, Dr. Shim has presented a wealth of information on how we manage […]
How Common are Disc Herniations?
Surprisingly, I am rarely asked questions about frequency of disc herniations. But the answer is, it is very common. The better question is, “Is the disc herniation seen on the MRI the cause of my pain?”. The answer to that question is maybe. Research has demonstrated that findings of disc protrusions, disc hernations, and disc degeneration are very […]
The Drug Addict is Not Who you Think
So many people have a picture in their heads of what a drug addict looks like, what their lives are like, and how they ended up with such a problem. A good portion of these people would be wrong. Instead of an unemployed, dirty hobo lying in an alley that most people picture, a good portion […]
