Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction: An Overlooked Source of Back & Hip Pain
Pinpointing the Source of Back & Hip Pain
Struggling with back and hip pain affects how you live your life. In fact, the pain can keep you from enjoying your favorite activities or spending time with family. Back pain can have many causes, like muscle strain, arthritis, bulging discs, or skeletal irregularities. An experienced doctor can pinpoint the source of your pain and help you find…
Pre-Surgery Tips to Maximize Your Spine Surgery Recovery
Optimize Your Spine Surgery Recovery Process
When it comes to maximizing your spine surgery recovery, the name of the game is often planning. (And believe us when we say, there’s a lot to think about!) To give yourself a leg up over what can be a lengthy healing process, you’ll want go into spine surgery as your most healthy self. You’ll also want to consider all the hidden in’s and out’s of the…
Recognize the Warning Signs of a Back Pain Emergency
What is a Back Pain Emergency?
Back pain emergencies are rare… but they do happen. And, it can be tricky to distinguish the truly “insidious” from the “benign.” That’s because back pain—usually a guiding light in these matters—is an unreliable indicator of critical status when it comes to back pain emergencies. In fact, sometimes the least serious conditions, like a torn muscle, are the most…
What are the Symptoms of a Lumbar Herniated Disc?
What is a Lumbar Herniated Disc?
A lumbar herniated disc occurs when a spinal disc in the lower back ruptures, or “herniates.”
Herniated discs can also occur in the mid-back (thoracic) or neck (cervical) regions of the spine. However, in patients between the ages of 25 - 55, 95% of all herniated discs affect the lumbar spine. And, in particular, the spinal discs between the L4/L5 and L5/S1…
Managing Sciatica with Physical Therapy
Managing Sciatica with Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy (PT) is one of the leading forms of treatment for sciatica. But, before we can discuss how PT relieves pressure on the sciatic nerve, we need to define what sciatica is and why it can occur.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve that supplies sensation to your lower body becomes pinched. The longest nerve in your body,…
A Patient’s Guide to Scoliosis Surgery
A Patient's Guide to Scoliosis Surgery
If you have severe scoliosis (>50 degrees), then your doctor may suggest surgery to fix your condition. This is especially true if you are an adult who has reached spinal maturity. As we age, degenerative changes in our spine become more common. Unfortunately, this also means that your scoliosis will only continue to worsen.
If your child has severe…
Pinpointing the Benefits of Acupuncture for Back Pain
Pinpointing the Benefits of Acupuncture for Back Pain
A staple of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acupuncture or “needling” has been used to treat back pain for over 2000 years.
Needless to say, 2000 years ago, our concept of biology was in its earliest stages. The ancients had yet to invent technologies, like microscopes, that would enable them to study diseases. But, they understood that…
Beat Tech Neck & Cervical Kyphosis
Beat Tech Neck & Cervical Kyphosis
Tech Neck. The modern epidemic that is plaguing the world with cervical neck pain, shoulder discomfort, abnormal curvature, and chronic headaches. These days, we spend hours, upon hours, upon hours of our time on computers, tablets, and smartphones. And, while in the throes of the latest Facebook post, work email, or e-book, we crane our necks into an…
How Does Multiple Sclerosis Affect Spine Health?
How Does Multiple Sclerosis Affect Spine Health?
An Autoimmune Disorder of Another Nature
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) occurs when—for inexplicable reasons—the body’s immune system attacks our Central Nervous System (CNS). Although traditionally thought of as an autoimmune disease, doctors are now rethinking this concept. But… why? Because autoimmune diseases usually have an identifiable, triggering…
Pain Management Techniques for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Pain Management Techniques for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
An extremely common condition, lumbar spinal stenosis can occur naturally with the aging process. As we age, most of the structures in our body—and our spine in particular—undergo some form of degeneration. Our hair turns gray; our skin begins to wrinkle; and our metabolism tends to slow. And, as many of us have also experienced, the aging…