Blog

Anybody who has ever been diagnosed with a pinched nerve knows how painful the condition can be. A pinched nerve describes any situation in which a nerve is being compressed. This can be caused by a number of different things, ranging from a repetitive stress injury, staying in a single position for too long, or…

There are many different back and neck problems, and a variety of treatments for each. Though conservative treatments are always the first approach, there are some situations for which surgery is clearly indicated. This is especially true when the discs between the spinal vertebrae have actually degenerated as a result of injury, age, or genetics.…

Anybody who has ever gone through a tough time knows how important it is to have the love and support of your friends and family. But a new report out of Rush University in Chicago is making it clear that a lack of support can do very real harm – and that is particularly the…

When back pain strikes, all you want to do is find a magical, immediate way of making it go away – and hope that it never comes back again. Unfortunately, wishing doesn’t make it so – and not doing anything to fix the problem makes it all the more likely that your pain will stick…

When you’re dealing with back pain severe enough to require surgery, the last thing you want to hear is that you need to lose weight. But the truth is that in order to make sure that you are in the best possible condition to optimize the outcome of your operation, you want to be in…

Patients who are contemplating back surgery ask a lot of questions. Though many of them are about the surgery itself (and what they should do to prepare themselves), there are even more questions about what the operation will mean for their future. How soon can I go back to work? Will my pain go away?…

Back pain can take many forms and can have many causes, but one of the most frustrating is arthritis. When people think of arthritis they tend to think of pain in the fingers or knees, but it is just as likely to impact the joints, muscles and bones in the back, and especially the lower…

When patients are living with chronic pain and other therapies have not provided relief, a spinal cord stimulator may be an option.  This medical device has been available for patients suffering from chronic pain, failed back surgery syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome and other conditions since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it in…

Have you heard of stem cell therapy?  It is one of the newest techniques being used in medicine today, and it has been extremely successful for people who need repair of tissue that is either diseased, damaged, or that has degenerated to the point of causing pain. Stem cells are a special type of cell…

If you’ve been struggling with pain and things are getting worse (or staying the same) rather than getting better, your doctor may recommend that you begin physical therapy treatments. This approach can be extremely effective for people who are suffering from both back and neck conditions, as it provides exercises and movements designed to strengthen…