Back health

Back pain affects people of all ages and genders. Although back pain is more common in women than in men, it also affects a significant portion of the male population: In 2018, 28% of men and 31.6% of women experienced lower back pain in the last 3 months, according to a CDC survey. Given that back pain can lead to diminished mobility and a decreased quality of life, it should be given prompt medical attention. 

While lower back pain is a universal health concern, it’s been proven to affect women more often than men: In the results of a CDC survey, 31.6% of women experienced lower back pain in the last 3 months, compared to 28% of men. Although conditions like sprains, strains, and spinal conditions affect both men and women, menstruation, menopause, pregnancy, and gynecological conditions contribute to the higher prevalence of lower back pain in females. 

Whether to treat a slipped disc from age-related spinal degeneration or a traumatic spinal cord injury, spinal surgery is never taken lightly. When lower back surgery is selected as the preferred treatment option, it indicates that the condition being treated is severe.

Back pain slows down millions of Americans each year, with symptoms ranging from nuisance soreness to back pain so severe and debilitating that a visit to the emergency room becomes the first step on a path leading to a spinal surgeon’s care. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, back pain is the second most common reason that adults see a doctor.

All patients undergoing back surgery should actively ensure that the healing process goes as smoothly as possible. In doing so, you can attain the best possible results from the procedure while avoiding complications that could compromise your health. 

Back pain is one of the most complex and confounding conditions in medicine. There are several types of back pain, typically classified by their cause. These forms of back pain may originate in the back muscles, ligaments, and spinal structures, or even as a result of problems in other parts of the body.

Ancient medical experts believed that back pain was brought on by a fluid imbalance. Therefore, many patients with back pain were treated with bloodletting.

Spinal stenosis is a prevalent spinal disorder in the U.S. and across the globe. In fact, the condition affects an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 U.S. residents. 

Lower back pain is among the most common medical problems affecting the human population. One reason this problem is so common is that back pain can have many different causes. So, if you’re wondering if there’s a cure for your lower back pain, the answer depends on what is causing it.

The last several years have seen great strides in developing advanced surgical solutions for spinal problems. Many of these advances involve minimally invasive procedures that leave surrounding tissue undisturbed, allowing faster recovery times and eliminating many of the complications associated with invasive back surgery operations. 

Spinal stenosis that develops in the spinal canal is known as central canal stenosis. If it progresses, this form of the condition can affect the spinal cord, potentially leading to severe complications. 

Many different procedures fall under the umbrella of spinal decompression surgery. Designed to ease compression on the spinal cord and nerves, spinal decompression is widely used to treat spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, slipped discs, and related conditions. 

Claudication is a possible cause of muscular pain, most commonly in the legs. This symptom can be considered either vascular or neurogenic. Understanding the differences between vascular and neurogenic claudication is an important step toward achieving pain relief. 

In certain types of spinal surgery, pedicle screws are an essential tool for strength and stability. Traditionally used in spinal fusion, these screws can prevent motion in the injured vertebrae as they heal. 

Extreme lateral interbody fusion, or XLIF, is an approach to lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Unlike traditional spinal fusion, which involves a large incision and requires slicing through the back muscles, the XLIF procedure is minimally-invasive. 

Chronic lower back pain is an extremely common medical issue across the world. In a study conducted to determine the global prevalence of this health concern, approximately 19.6% of individuals aged 20 to 59 were found to experience chronic low back pain. 

Any surgery is a serious stress for the body. Therefore, even if the surgeon who performed the operation is a true genius of medicine and everything went well, postoperative rehabilitation is necessary to restore the body's strength and functions fully.

Spinal surgery has made significant advances in both its safety and efficiency in correcting many back problems, from traumatic spinal cord injury to degenerative diseases like spinal stenosis, spondylosis, and slipped disc. Many of these advances in spinal surgery have come in recent years due to minimally invasive microsurgical tools and techniques. Nonetheless, back surgery is a severe operation, and surgical candidates need to be aware of all facets of the procedure they’re considering – not only the benefits of the surgery but also the potential risks. One of the risks of spinal surgery is that of developing blood clots.

Whether a patient is having open back surgery for a spinal cord injury or a minimally invasive procedure for a condition such as a slipped disc or spinal stenosis, the operation itself is only the first part of a successful outcome.…

Are some spinal surgeries more successful than others? The short answer is yes, but that doesn’t tell the entire story. Any spinal surgeon will tell you that every patient’s case is unique, and that post-operative recoveries and long-term outcomes also vary from…

Not all advances in treating spinal disorders are necessarily new. Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years, and researchers and medical experts have now established that this ancient healing art can relieve chronic back pain. One recent study funded…

Though the majority of spinal problems appear between the ages of 35 and 55, wrought by natural processes associated with aging, you don’t have to be an adult to have back problems. Back pain can also affect adolescents and even children.

Thanks to breakthroughs in spinal medicine, patients today can benefit from treatment regimens and procedures tailored to their individual needs and specific conditions. Among these recent advances on the surgical front is eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion, or XLIF.

It’s a fact that some spine surgeonshave higher success rates for the operations they perform than their colleagues. What accounts for these differences in surgical outcomes of spinal procedures? A number of factors influence surgical success rates and should be considered…

Choosing a spinal surgeon is among the most important medical decisions a patient can make. A spinal surgeon does more than perform an operation. A spinal surgeon consults with you, explains options and answers questions, and plans your treatment and…

Can you really travel to a foreign destination for a vacation and receive high-quality medical care at the same time? That’s the question many people raise when the subject of medical tourism comes up. Many people are skeptical of medical…

Near the top of the list of questions from almost every spinal surgery, the patients indicate how long they will have to wait for the following surgery before resuming their everyday activities. When it includes athletics – golf and tennis, bowling and the like, pastimes that put tremendous strain on the back – the answer becomes more complex. The factors influencing the time before patients can get back in the game include their physical condition and health. Just because one engages in strenuous physical activity doesn’t mean they are in good physical condition or health. Recovery times are faster for surgery patients in good physical shape because their bodies heal more quickly. Of course, the operation itself will play a significant role in deciding when you’ll be back on the tennis courts, golf course, taking a job, or engaging in a simple walk. The postoperative physical therapy program also plays a significant role. But the type of back surgery is the primary factor affecting the time required to get back into sports activities.

Spinal surgery is stressful on the body. Anyone who is having spine surgery needs to prepare his or her body for the surgery and recovery period by getting in shape, getting the proper amount of rest, and following other healthy…

You have a pinched nerve, slipped disc, a spinal cord injury, or other back problem that has not responded to conservative treatments, and you have reached the decision to have spinal surgery. You and your back surgeon will discuss many aspects…

This is the big day, the day your spinal surgery will be performed and your back condition – be it facet arthrosis or lumbar radiculopathy – gets effective treatment. You’ve had your pre-operative appointment a day or so ago, and had your…

With advanced procedures performed by highly trained and experienced surgeons, spinal surgery today boasts highly successful outcomes. Yet, complications can (and do) occur during the post-surgery recovery process.

Its name sounds complex, but the condition is very basic: Claudication is a pain, typically in the legs, caused by too little blood flow through the blood vessels during exercise. Claudication can affect the arms as well as the legs.…

You had spinal surgery two days ago – perhaps it was for a simple but persistent pinched nerve, or maybe it was a treatment for a spinal cord injury. Yesterday was your first post-operative day. You were groggy and uncomfortable, but you…

Recently, we addressed the topic of claudication. Claudication refers to pain typically felt in the legs as a result of vascular (blood vessel) problems or back problems (such as spinal stenosis) that can cause pinched nerves in the lower back.

Your lower back is more susceptible to injury than the other regions of the spine. So, it’s unsurprising that a pinched nerve in the lower back is among the most common spinal injuries. Though a pinched lumbar nerve can often clear up on its own, some patients may need medical attention to resolve their symptoms. 

Have you heard of radiculopathy? This condition results from nerve irritation and, if it progresses, can induce debilitating symptoms. If you’ve already been diagnosed with radiculopathy, you know that it can alter your ability to complete day-to-day motions and activities. 

The human body contains an extensive system of nerves that facilitate communication between the cells. Nerves send and receive messages throughout the body. Without them, we wouldn’t have basic human functions, like movement, balance, and sleep, or sensations, like touch. …

Though you may not realize it, spinal decompression is an important topic for many people suffering from debilitating back pain. Spinal decompression refers to the process of relieving pressure on one or more pinched (or impinged) nerves in the spinal…

Lower back pain has long been a prevalent health concern around the world. In 2017, the prevalence of lower back pain was estimated to be approximately 7.5% of the world’s population. This totals about 577 million people. There are numerous…

Epidural injections of steroids have often been the treatment of choice for patients with a pinched nerve in the back whose symptoms did not respond to simple exercise, physical therapy, or other more conservative approaches. Steroid injections have also been offered to…

  Spinal stenosis, an unnatural narrowing (or stenosis) of the spinal canal, is an all too common cause of back pain and restricted mobility, which results from pressure the narrowing column places on spinal nerves. For those who don’t respond…

Sleep provides important healing and rejuvenation to your back. When you’re suffering from back pain, it can be difficult to get a solid and healthy good night’s sleep. Lying down can be painful, and sleep simply doesn’t come. One of the…

Though it’s commonly played down, a back strain can be an extremely painful and demobilizing injury. Hearing “It’s just a back strain” may not be very comforting when you’re experiencing severe back pain, and while back strain may sound like a minimal back injury, it can cause a great deal of discomfort.

Back pain affects an estimated eight out of 10 people over the course of their lives. So, it’s no surprise that this widespread medical condition sparks many questions among patients.  One of the most prevalent questions that spine specialists receive…

There are several different types of back surgery proving successful at resolving patients’ back pain issues, each involving the highest level of surgical technology available today, as well as the skill of a board-certified spinal surgeon. If your spinal specialist…

Back pain is a prevalent health concern in the United States and around the world. In fact, almost 65 million Americans have had a recent episode of back pain.  Thankfully, most back pain episodes can be successfully resolved with at-home…