Author Archives: Dr. No Back Pain

Cervical Spine Surgery Info from Cervical Spine Specialists

Posted on by Dr. No Back Pain

While most people who suffer from neck and upper back pain don’t need surgery to relieve the pain and correct the problem, some severe cases require cervical spine surgery.  What situations warrant surgical intervention, and what is involved in this type of surgery?

cervical spine specialists

When is surgery necessary? Most of the time, neck pain can be managed with physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, a spinal block, or narcotics; however, there are some cases when these measures are not enough.  One example would be a patient who has a herniated disc that causes so much pain that the patient cannot continue to function and other treatment methods have not been able to give any relief.  Another example would be a patient who not only experiences pain, but also has a significant loss of sensation or motor function.  In this case, the result of not relieving the pressure on the nerve in a timely manner could lead to the loss of function of the affected muscle group.

What is involved in spine surgery? The primary surgical procedure for neck, shoulder, and arm pain that comes from the compression of nerve roots is a cervical discectomy with fusion.  In this procedure, cervical spine specialists create an incision along the side of the chest wall and remove the damaged and diseased tissue, including the disc.  A bone graft is placed where the disc tissue had been and the vertebrae above and below that area are fused together.  This procedure is the best available option for treating a variety of neck and spine problems.  Often this is a day surgery procedure.

If spine surgery is necessary, talk to your doctor about the specific risks involved in your case, and the expected recovery time.

 

 

Hip and Leg Pain, Lower Back and Leg Pain Increase with Age

Posted on by Dr. No Back Pain

As people age, they often have more aches and pains than they did when they were younger, and they are especially prone to having pain in the hips and legs. There are explanations for why this is the case, and there are treatment options available.

pain in hips and legs

As the body ages, the spinal discs that provide stability and joint motion to our spine slowly but progressively degenerate.  As a disc degenerates, it can herniate into the spinal canal.  The weakest spot along the outer core of the disc is directly under the spinal nerve root.  Thus a herniation in this area puts direct pressure on the nerve, which in turn can cause sciatica with pain that radiates down the leg.  Nearly everyone experiences lower back and leg pain at some point in their life.

People experiencing back, hip, and leg pain are diagnosed most often using a combination of clinical criteria and imaging of the spine, often with an MRI.  This enables doctors to determine whether there is any disc degeneration, hernias or pressure on nerve endings.  Once a diagnosis is made, it is possible to determine which treatment options are needed.

Treatment options depend on the severity of the pain, the cause of the pain, and how long symptoms have been present.  Treatments often include watchful waiting, activity modification, physical therapy, orthotics, spinal blocks, and anti-inflammatory medications.  Most patients suffering from back, hip, and leg pain gain complete pain relief from these types of treatment, or at the very least, a significant improvement.  In rare cases these treatments don’t work and surgery is necessary.

Because pain can increase with age, it is especially important to take care of your back as you get older.  Use proper lifting techniques, stretch before exercising, and eat a well-balanced diet.

 

 

Neck and Arm Pain and Upper Back Pain Causes

Posted on by Dr. No Back Pain

If you suffer from neck and arm pain, you might wonder, exactly what it is that causes all that pain.  Where the pain comes from depends on the type of pain that you have – is it chronic pain that has gotten worse over time, or is it extreme pain that began suddenly? 

neck and arm pain

Sudden Pain: Sudden pain in the neck can be caused by a pulled neck muscle, or it could be more severe.  In many cases, the pain occurs due to the rupture or herniation of a cervical disc.  When this happens, nerve roots in the neck are often pinched and irritated, causing them to become inflamed, and in turn causing the patient to experience a lot of pain.

Chronic Pain: Pain that gets worse over time without getting better can be caused by chronic progressive arthritis with degenerative changes in the discs.  Over time, this leads to increased pressure on nerve roots. As the pressure and irritation of the nerve roots increases, so does the pain that is experienced.

To determine the upper back pain causes, your doctor will examine you and probably use a form of imaging, such as an MRI, to look at your vertebrae and discs for evidence of disc bulging, degradation, or compression on nerves.

In many cases, treatment of either type of pain consists of watchful waiting, activity modification, physical therapy, orthotics, spinal blocks, and anti-inflammatory medications.  These treatments often help resolve the pain over time.  In some cases though, these treatments are not enough. The result of not relieving the pressure on the nerve in a timely manner could result in the loss of function in particular muscle groups, making surgery necessary.

If you experience pain that is severe enough to interfere with daily activities or you have chronic pain that continues to get worse, talk to your doctor about treatment options.

 

Scoliosis Surgery: Info on Scoliosis of the Spine Surgery

Posted on by Dr. No Back Pain

Scoliosis of the spine is a complex deformity that results in a sideways curvature of the spine.  Scoliosis can be present at birth or it can develop during infancy, childhood, or adolescence.  Most often, the cause is unknown, though in some cases it is secondary to other conditions such as spina bifida or cerebral palsy.  The signs and symptoms include uneven shoulders, one shoulder blade that appears more prominent than the other or uneven waist or hips.

scoliosis surgeryTreatment is determined by the severity of the curvature, the age of onset, and the likelihood that the curvature will get significantly worse.  In most cases, treatment does not require surgery; instead noninvasive methods are used such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic therapy, and bracing.

In situations where the curves would be cosmetically unacceptable as an adult, or curves that affect other physiological functions such as breathing, surgery becomes necessary.  Scoliosis of the spine surgery is typically an extensive process.  Understanding this process can help you prepare for the experience.

There are two ways in which surgery can be done: through an incision along the side of the chest wall, or through an incision on the back.  Sometimes both procedures are needed.  The surgery may be done in one or two stages, and on average each procedure takes four to eight hours.  Spinal fusion is a core component of surgery.  Bone is grafted to the vertebrae so that when it heals, it will form one solid bone mass.  This prevents worsening of the curve.  Modern spinal systems involve a combination of rods, screws, hooks and wires fixing the spine.

In general, patients with fused spines and permanent implants tend to have normal lives with unrestricted activities.  Because these procedures are relatively new, it is unknown whether patients develop any problems due to the surgery as they reach old age.

If you are going to undergo scoliosis surgery, discuss the procedure and specific risks with your doctor.

 

Seminar on Lower Back Pain – October 29th, 2011

Posted on by Dr. No Back Pain

Seminar on Lower Back Pain – October 29th, 2011

11:00 am

The seminar is an informational talk given by MISI physicians on the topic of “Low Back Pain and Advances in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery”.  All are welcome to attend including interested patients and healthcare providers seeking alternative treatments for common spine problems.

Topics covered will include common sources of back and leg pain which include degenerative disc disease, bone spurs, bulging discs, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, foraminal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, facet arthropathy/hypertrophy, ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, arthritis and sciatica.  Each of these problems will be explained so that you will better understand your back and your symptoms.  It is often a combination of these problems that produce back and leg pain.  Some may also experience leg numbness, tingling or weakness.

The physician will discuss multiple conservative non-operative treatment strategies to improve your symptoms.  The physicians at MISI pride themselves on focusing on getting people better without surgery.  When all treatments have been exhausted and surgery is considered as an option, most problems can be addressed with advanced minimally invasive procedures.  There will be an indepth discussion and explanation of traditional spinal surgery as compared to minimally invasive spinal surgery.

Registration
*Your Name
Street Address
City
State
*Zip
Your Email
*Daytime Phone
Preferred Date
Your Message

Location

10400 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, Texas 75231
 
 
 
 

Treatments for Degenerative Disc Disease and Alternatives to Spinal Fusion

Posted on by Dr. No Back Pain

Treatment for degenerative disc disease include multiple options based on the specific details of the case, including alternatives to spinal fusion surgeries. Degenerative disc disease is diagnosed through the use of MRI, along with a physical examination.  After the diagnosis is made, recommendations can be made about what the best course of treatment might be.  One option is a discectomy with spinal fusion surgery. Though spinal fusion surgery is only done when absolutely necessary.

 

Often before any surgical technique is considered, non-surgical treatments, such as activity modification, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and orthotics are tried.  More often than not, these are successful, and surgery can be avoided altogether.

There are also a variety of experimental procedures that are emerging that could someday reduce the necessity of spinal fusion.  Many of these experimental treatment for  are in the area of disc regeneration, which is being explored by researchers in cellular and molecular biology to use gene therapy to stimulate regeneration of the vertebral disc and/or to slow or prevent degeneration of the disc.  The hope is that this technique could eventually eliminate the need for surgical intervention.

Seminar on Neck Pain – September 17th, 2011

Posted on by Dr. No Back Pain

Seminar on Neck Pain – September 17th, 2011

11:00 am

The seminar is an informational talk given by MISI physicians on the topic of “Neck and Arm Pain”.  All are welcome to attend including interested patients and healthcare providers seeking alternative treatments for common spine problems.

Topics covered will include common sources of neck and arm pain which include degenerative disc disease, bone spurs, bulging discs, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, foraminal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, facet arthropathy/hypertrophy, ligamentum flavum hypertrophy and neck arthritis.  Each of these problems will be explained so that you will better understand your neck and arm symptoms.  It is often a combination of these problems that produce neck and arm pain.  Some may also experience arm numbness, tingling, weakness, hand clumsiness, and/or imbalance.

The physician will discuss multiple conservative non-operative treatment strategies to improve your symptoms.  The physicians at MISI focus on getting people better without surgery.  When all treatments have been exhausted and surgery is considered as an option, most problems can be addressed with advanced minimally invasive procedures.  There will be an in depth discussion and explanation of traditional spinal surgery as compared to minimally invasive spinal surgery.

The aim of the seminar is two-fold – patient education on cervical spine (neck) conditions and discussion of new minimally invasive spine surgery techniques. The approximately hour-long talk will be followed by a question and answer session.

Registration
*Your Name
Street Address
City
State
*Zip
Your Email
*Daytime Phone
Preferred Date
Your Message

Location

10400 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, Texas 75231
 
 
 
 

Back Pain Surgery and Non-Surgical Options

Posted on by Dr. No Back Pain

Roughly 80% of adults will experience low back pain at some point in their lives due to intervertebral disc degeneration.  As this disc degeneration happens, your body tries to compensate in a variety of ways, such as shifting weight while sitting or walking, which ultimately results in more damage.  It’s a vicious cycle, and when the pain becomes unbearable, treatment becomes unavoidable.

back pain surgery

Patients are diagnosed based on the symptoms that they have, as well as by looking at images of the spine using MRI.  The treatment options that are available vary based on what the MRI shows.  Most often, therapy approaches are used before surgical techniques are considered.  Most of the time, patients are able to find relief through activity modification, physical therapy, orthotics, spinal blocks, and medications including anti-inflammatory drugs.   Because these methods often result in complete resolution of symptoms, or at least a significant improvement, back pain surgery is usually avoided.

In those rare cases when non-surgical approaches are not effective, surgical intervention may be necessary.  Because the most common source of the pain is the intervertebral disc, the most common surgical intervention is discectomy, with or without fusion.  Sometimes patients are good candidates for the use of artificial discs, which are designed to help maintain motion in the affected segment of the spine.

If you are suffering from low back pain, talk to your doctor about all of the possible treatment options that are available to you, and together decide what options are the best for you to try.

Seminar on Lower Back Pain – August 6th, 2011

Posted on by Dr. No Back Pain

Seminar on Lower Back Pain – August 6th, 2011

 

CANCELLED

11:00 am

The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute (MISI) will host a bi-weekly seminar series beginning May 4, 2011. The seminar is an informational talk given by MISI surgeons on a variety of spinal conditions commonly affecting patients and the minimally invasive surgical techniques used to address them. All are welcome to attend including patients and healthcare providers seeking alternative treatments for common spine problems.

The first seminar will cover the topic of sciatica. Sciatica is a condition in which radiating (also described as “shooting”) pain is experienced in the back, buttock and legs due to compression and/or irritation of one of the five spinal nerve roots that form the sciatic nerve. The term sciatica is more commonly used to describe the radiating pain associated with impingement of any lumbar or sacral nerve root resulting in lower extremity pain. Radiculopathy is a related condition when cervical (neck) nerves are affected in which the patient experiences radiating neck, shoulder and arm pain. In addition to pain, sciatica can be associated with numbness, tingling, and in severe cases, muscle weakness and difficultly bearing weight on the affected extremity.

There are numerous causes of the symptoms of sciatica. Common among these are herniated discs, bulging discs and spinal stenosis. Herniated discs occur as the intervertebral disc degenerates and a fragment of the inner part, the nucleus, protrudes through the outer layers of the disc, placing pressure on spinal nerves. The term bulging disc is also used to described herniated discs. Spinal stenosis, by contrast, is a condition in which the spinal canal narrows, thereby putting pressure on the spinal cord and spinal nerves. Narrowing of the spinal canal in spinal stenosis is due to the combination of arthritic bone spurs, thickening of ligaments, bulging discs and sometimes, spondylolisthesis. As a result, the space available for the spinal cord and spinal nerves decreases resulting in pinching and irritation of nerves.

Because many spinal conditions can cause sciatica, understanding its source is important as the nature of the underlying pathology guides surgical treatment. Therefore, the aim of the seminar is two-fold – patient education on cervical and lumbar spine degenerative conditions and discussion of new minimally invasive spine surgery techniques. The approximately hour-long talk will be followed by a question and answer session.

Registration
*Your Name
Street Address
City
State
*Zip
Your Email
*Daytime Phone
Preferred Date
Your Message

Location

10400 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, Texas 75231
 
 
 
 

Seminar on Cervical Spine (Neck Pain) – August 31st, 2011

Posted on by Dr. No Back Pain

Seminar on Cervical Spine (Neck Pain) – August 31st, 2011

6:00 pm

The cervical spine seminar will pay specific attention to the neck and the various disorders that can affect it resulting in pain.  Among the topics covered will be cervical disc herniations, stenosis, disc degeneration and the treatment of neck pain.

Cervical disc herniations are one the most common problems involving the neck.  They occur when a degenerated or worn cervical disk pinches a nerve exiting the cervical spine.  This impingement can result in significant neck, shoulder and arm pain, numbness, and in some cases, arm weakness.

Cervical stenosis occurs when there is narrowing of the cervical spine canal due to advanced degeneration of the discs resulting in pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.   As a result, patients may experience neck pain, numbness in the hands, pain in the arms, weakness and sometimes unsteadiness when walking.

Neck pain can have many other sources including degenerated discs and facet arthritis.  The aim of this seminar is to better educate patients on their condition, discuss treatment options, both surgical and non-surgical, and inform patients on the minimally invasive treatment options that exist allowing for faster recovery.

Registration
*Your Name
Street Address
City
State
*Zip
Your Email
*Daytime Phone
Preferred Date
Your Message

Location

10400 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, Texas 75231