Why we have a Spine
Humans are considered a vertebrate animal. In otherwords, we have a spine. The spine serves as a scaffold by which the rest of the body attaches its ligaments, tendons and muscles, and in a coordinated fashion, allows purposeful movement. It is a marvel of engineering as it allows generation of precision maneuvers, powerful forces, and […]
Herniated Nucleus Pulposus
The intervertebral disc has the function of a ligament, a shock absorber and a spacer. It is the structure that most connects two adjacent vertebral bodies with each other. Unfortunately, it can also be the origin of extreme sciatica episodes when the inner part of the disc becomes a Herniated Nucleus Pulposus. Like many other […]
Dr. Shim’s Interview on Bay News 9
I had a very productive interview with Bay News 9‘s Dr. Randy Shuck. We had great dialogue discussing the following issues: Why do people get spine surgery? How has spine surgery changed, and why has it become a more common surgery? What are the known complications for spine surgery? How can you minimize the chance […]
Cervical Instability
What is Cervical Instability? In this x-ray series, it demonstrates movement of the vertebral body of C6 on C7. On Flexion, the posterior corners of the vertebral bodies line up. But, with extension, there is a 4.3 mm movement of the C6 body posterior (towards the back) to the C7 body. The accepted criterion for […]
The Functional Spine Unit
The spine consists of the bony vertebra, the intervertebral disc, and the associated ligaments that hold two or more vertebra together, while still allowing motion. Motion is coordinated between smooth articulations between the vertebra called the facet joints. This combination of two adjacent vertebra, intervertebral disc, facet joints, and the associated ligaments comes together to […]
Low Back Pain, and Diagnostic findings in 40 year olds
Every day, I have consultation with patients that have had lumbar MRI’s, but with mild complaints. Some primary care physicians use CT scans to identify causes of low back pain. Fortunately, while there are some findings on the studies, it is rare to find a truly emergent finding. Also, it was rare to find a truly “normal MRI” as most of my […]
Pain and Infection after Spine Surgery
It is tough to be the adult in the room. Most people only want to hear about the benefits of spine surgery. Spine surgeons chuckle about the reactions some patients have about their outcomes. If there is a good outcome, it is a miracle, a religious experience, or luck. If the outcomes are poor, […]
Do Disc Herniations Cause Pain?
Do Disk Herniations Cause Pain? The answer is maybe. There has been plenty of research on this topic, and while the exact mechanism of pain can still be debated, in general most agree the cause of pain, discomfort and radiations are secondary to three factors: 1. Chemical irritation. When a disk herniates, the soft inner […]
What is Elective Spine Surgery?
People are often confused by the term Elective Spine Surgery. The most broad definition indicates a choice to pursue surgery. So let’s try to define it in a way that everyone can understand. Naturally, there may be some nuanced differences among some stakeholders of the definition. We will try to stay within the mainstream of […]
