Spine Conditions
Spine conditions encompass a wide range of disorders affecting the spinal column, including degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, and scoliosis. These conditions can result in pain, numbness, and functional limitations, requiring medical evaluation and treatment to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life.
Subscribe to the BlogSitting and Sciatica Pain: How I Solved It With a Walk
On this page: What is sciatica? How are sitting and sciatica pain related? How does walking help sciatica pain? I’ve been at a medical conference lecturing all week, basically a sit fest. Despite trying to exercise every day and get up and move as much as feasible, my intermittent sciatica was singing last night at…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 What Is a Flexion-Extension X-Ray?
On this page: What is spinal instability? Can instability be seen on an x-ray or MRI? What is a flexion-extension x-ray? The problem with flexion-extension x-rays How to make sure your test is worthwhile Back and neck pain patients and doctors are often confused by the idea of instability in the spine. From the patient’s…read more
The Multifidus Muscle and Spine Pain – Cause and Effect
The multifidus muscle is the most important stabilizer of your spine, but one that most patients and physicians have never studied. There are now hundreds of research studies confirming that when this little muscle goes south, all heck breaks loose in the neck and back. The multifidis is easy to spot on the average MRI…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 Did the Mesoblast Degenerative Disc Disease Trial Succeed or Fail?
This past week Mesoblast, a company pursuing the business model of selling someone else’s mass produced stem cells in a vial, launched a major PR campaign to announce their phase III FDA disc degeneration trial. From reading the press releases, you would think that the phase 2 trial showed pure magic. I had reviewed the results…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 What is a Disc High Intensity Zone on MRI?
You have low back pain and get an MRI performed and on the report it says you have a “high intensity zone” in one of your low back discs. What does a high intensity zone on MRI mean? Is it a big deal and is it causing your pain? The low back discs have an…read more 
