Degenerative Conditions

Spondylolysis Treatment Options: Healing the Spine with an Injection Rather than Surgery

What happens when a precise stem cell injection is used instead of surgery to treat spondylolysis? This is the story of NH, an Ivy League wrestler whose career was stopped in its tracks by a traumatic fracture of the spine called spondylolysis. His parents knew that fusing this young man’s spine at his young age…read more

New England Journal of Medicine: R.I.P. Back and Neck Fusion Surgery

There has been an explosion in low back and neck fusion surgeries in the past two decades. However, I often tell my patients that “fusion is a dog with big fleas.” After they have a spinal fusion and are seen in the office and have more pain somewhere else, I tell them that they’re now…read more

Hip Labrum Surgery Complications: Making the Hip Unstable…

This week while practicing down in Grand Cayman I evaluated a professional ballerina from Germany who regrettably is having issues with recovery due to hip labrum surgery complications. In her case, she was diagnosed with CAM and pincer impingement and since having these bone spurs removed has never been able to get back to high level…read more

Hip Impingement Causes: Is Instability the Culprit?

What is Hip FAI?  Are there Hip Impingement causes that I can address, or is FAI inevitable? These are common questions patients ask themselves. The answer may be that your hip has been unstable for many years and those bone spurs that your surgeon wants to whack out may be all that’s protecting your hip joint!…read more

Laser Back Surgery vs. Traditional Spine Surgery

Is LASER surgery a back surgery alternative? The picture above of Dr. Evil is arguably the world’s most famous air quote. He does this as he describes the laser he has placed on the moon to disintegrate the earth. I feel a little like making this air quote as I speak to some patients about “LASER” Spine…read more

Back Fusion Outcome: Fusion Leads to Dead Multifidus

Decisions in Medicine like most things are based on risk vs. benefit.  There are life saving procedures and surgeries where the answer is clear, but in non emergency situations, are we doing greater good than harm?  A new study looks at the potential damage done to the multifidus in the common surgery, back fusion. So what is…read more

Spinal Stenosis Injections: Never Trust a Back MRI!

Patients considering spinal stenosis injections often come into the office with back pain with thier MRI CDs, believing that this shiny data disc holds the key to their salvation. This makes sense, as many are desperate at that point, their low back having betrayed them by leaving them unable to do what they need to…read more

Squat Injuries-You Mean Lifting Large Amounts of Weight with your Spine is a Bad Idea?

Squat injuries? We frequently see low back pain patients who injure themselves performing a squat lift, where the weight lifting bar is held by the shoulders and neck and a squat-type movement is performed. Squats and dead lifts  (where the athlete bends forward and lifts a barbell to a standing position), are the most common weight lifting…read more