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How do you pick a back surgeon?
You have back pain and are miserable. Your Primary Care has sent you for an MRI and recommended you see a back surgeon. On your way home you notice (because hey, you’re looking for a back surgeon) billboards all over the place “free MRI reviews”, “have your surgery in one day and go back the […]
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 […]
Common Degenerative Conditions of Low Back: Sciatica
Sciatica refers to leg pain and may also include other symptoms such as numbness, tingling, burning, and/or weakness. Classically, symptoms start in the lower back and radiate down the back of leg along the course of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and originates along the lumbosacral spine […]
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, […]
