Chronic pain
Chronic pain persists for extended periods, usually over three to six months, beyond the normal healing time. It can stem from various conditions and affects physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain may persist long after initial injuries have healed, impacting daily life and functioning.
Subscribe to the BlogNeck Pain And Dizziness: The Inner Ear Is Only Part Of The Picture
Did you know that your neck can make you dizzy? Most patients don’t know that dizziness also known as cervical vertigo and neck pain can be connected, and many physicians miss this diagnosis.[1] Why? Both patients and doctors think inner ear or brain when dizziness occurs. However, when the neck component of our balance system…read more
Toe Joint Fusion Recovery: One Patient’s Story
On this page: Big toe arthritis and hallux rigidus Problems with toe joint fusion A patient’s story This week I met a patient who had a toe joint fusion. However, this was a disaster of sorts. The good news was that her toe felt better, but the bad news was that her ankle felt worse.…read more
What Is Craniocervical Instability (CCI)?
On this page: Causes of craniocervical instability CCI symptoms Diagnosing craniocervical instability Treatments for CCI Cervical refers to the neck and instability that a joint or spinal segment moves around too much (1). When a person suffers from craniocervical instability or CCI, the strong ligaments that hold their head to their upper neck are lax…read more Pain in the Back of The Heel?
As a physician who practices interventional orthopedics, I see many patients each month with pain in the back of the heel. What are the common causes of this problem? How can it be fixed? Let’s dig in. What’s in The Back of the Heel that Could Cause Pain? Calcaneus The bone at the back of…read more Upper Back Stomach Pain: Saving a Life
In treating patients in pain all day every day, every once in a while, you can save a life. So today’s patient story is about just that, a patient with a pinched nerve in his upper back who had “upper back stomach pain” that was so severe that he was contemplating suicide. I just saw…read more Is Weed All You Need for Chronic Pain?
I live and practice in Colorado, which is arguably the weed capital of the earth right now given that we were one of the first states to approve medical, and then recreational, marijuana. Hence, I have seen both the good and bad behind legalized pot. For example, you can now buy CBD laced chocolate bars…read more Can Obesity Turn Your Spine Ligaments Into Inflexible Bone?
We know that being overweight places us at all sorts of enhanced risks for various serious diseases. We also know that it adversely impacts your spine and joints not only because of the extra forces but also because of chemical influences. New research has a new risk for the spine: your ligaments may turn to…read more Is Scoliosis Surgery Worth It?
Several years ago, one of our employees had severe scoliosis and was in severe pain. Given that this was a structural problem, I wasn’t sure we could help, but I developed a procedure called a percutaneous scolioplasty that did eventually make a difference. Let me review another patient today whose nonsurgical treatment results surprised me.…read more 
