Back Pain

Why Fixing My Back Can Help You Fix Yours

I’ve had chronic off-and-on back issues for many years. However, recently, I got a little crazy with lifting an impossibly heavy object and needed an updated treatment. However, I discovered my new diagnosis late. That error will hopefully help you fix your low back. Let me dig in. My Bad Back History When I was…read more

RFA Is Contraindicated in Cases of Spinal Instability

RFA is a technology that destroys nerves that carry pain signals from damaged joints in the back or neck. Despite its widespread use, there’s been an ongoing controversy regarding how it impacts muscular stability in the spine. Hence, it’s reasonable to ask whether RFA should be used when spinal instability is present. Let’s dive into…read more

Could a New Hydrogel Help DDD?

Degenerative disc disease or DDD is a common problem. While lots of therapies have been discussed, there is still no reliable way to grow people a new disc. A recent small study on an injectable hydrogel was recently hyped in the media as maybe solving this issue? Let’s review that new data. What is DDD?…read more

What is the Ligamentum Flavum? Why Should You Care?

One of the more critical ligaments in your spine is generally an unknown for most patients. That’s despite being responsible for causing lots of back pain and general havoc. That structure is called the ligamentum flavum. Let’s dig in. Ligaments and the Spine If we had to hold a competition between different spinal structures like…read more

What Causes Pain Around the Ribs and Back Symptoms?

In this article: Understanding the thoracic spine Causes of pain in the ribs and back Treatment The thoracic spine and ribs are like a no man’s land for many physicians, including spine experts. While many physicians are comfortable treating and diagnosing neck and low back problems when it comes to things like pain around the…read more

How Much Does Low Back Fusion Cost?

One of the most costly and common back surgeries out there is Low Back Fusion. Today we’ll explore the question, “How much does Low Back Fusion cost?”.  The answer is that it all depends on where you live. Let’s dig in. What Is Low Back Fusion? Low Back or Lumbar Fusion is a procedure where…read more

The Fusion War

Who should control Spinal Fusion among doctors? There’s an interesting fight going on that’s worth exploring. Let’s dig in. What Is Fusion? Spinal surgeons can install hardware and make sure degenerative and painful Spine segments don’t move anymore. This is of course an issue, as it hasn’t been shown to be any better than just…read more

Antidepressants and Back Pain

One of the hot topics in treating chronic pain is that we doctors should prescribe antidepressants. Why? Well as I used to say, many doctors view patients with chronic low back pain as crazy or lazy. Let’s dig into how well antidepressants work for back pain and dig in a bit more about why your…read more