Articles
Managing Back Pain During Your Pregnancy
Back pain can be a common complaint during pregnancy. There are a few things you can do, however, to prevent back pain or manage it once it starts. Read More
DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System Clinical Trial Underway
Spinal surgeons around the country are now enrolling candidates for a clinical trial to study the DIAM™ Spinal Stabilization System. Read More
Develop Your 'Powerhouse' With Pilates
Pilates is a physical fitness system that focuses on lengthening, strengthening and improving the flexibility of the "core" muscles responsible for the support and alignment of the spine, which may help prevent and alleviate back pain. Read More
Technology Update: CD HORIZON® LEGACY™ PEEK Rod System
For patients requiring spinal fusion surgery, the CD HORIZON® LEGACY™ PEEK Rod System offers a semi-rigid alternative to non-malleable metal fixation instrumentation, providing stability while reducing stress on spinal elements. Read More
Over Half-Million Take Back Pain Assessment To 'Find Out What's Wrong'
More than a half-million back pain sufferers have completed the Back Pain Assessment, and the results reveal an interesting snapshot of the types of back pain that many people are experiencing and how they're dealing with it! Read More
Understanding Sacroiliac Dysfunction and Piriformis Syndrome
Dr. Michael Amaral
Atlanta, GA
Sacroiliac dysfunction is a common cause of back pain, representing an estimate 33% of back problems in young people and 15-22% in people of all ages reporting low back pain. Read More
Get Back, Pain!
Almost everyone experiences acute back pain at some point in their life. Handle acute back pain with care and it won't keep you down for long. Read More
Frequently Asked Questions About The SPORT Study
Dr. Brian R. Subach
Reston, VA
Back.com talks to Dr. Brian Subach about the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) Study. Read More
The Truth about the Spine Patient Outcome Research Trial (SPORT) Study
The goal of the Spine Patient Outcome Research Trial (SPORT) study is to provide scientific evidence on the effectiveness of spinal surgery therapies versus a variety of non-operative treatments. Will this study achieve its goal? Read More
What Treatment is Right for You?
There are many types of spinal products and surgical techniques, but they aren't equally effective for everyone. That's because factors such as your individual symptoms and diagnosis play a significant role in which product is best for you. Read More
Could a Clinical Trial be Right for You?
A clinical trial is a study of a new treatment before it becomes available to the general public. If you are interested in a clinical trial, there are several factors to consider before making a decision.Read More
Minimally Invasive Options
Many patients are coming in to their surgeon's office hoping to have an "easier" surgery. But what does minimally invasive really mean? Read More
Not All Bone Grafts Are Created Equal
Most patients considering spinal fusion surgery don't think to ask what type of bone graft will be used. But not all bone grafts are created equal. Read More
Choosing Your Doctor
Your own level of comfort should be the first guide in your decision to schedule surgery or any treatment with a specific physician. How does he or she make you feel? Do they listen to your questions; attempt to answer them in a way that is easy to understand? Other patients and physicians can also be good resources for your evaluation. Read More
Choosing Your Hospital
Because of the changes in the way health care is administered, patients do not often have much of a choice when it comes to choosing who will perform their surgery and where that surgery will occur. However there are some basic evaluation tips you can use in order to make the most of what decision you have. Read More
Surgery from the Front or Back: Is There a Difference?
Dr. Thomas C. Schuler
Reston, VA
Patients that have severe back pain that does not get better with conservative treatment often become surgical candidates. There are two approaches to a spinal fusion surgery: either from the front (anterior) or the back (posterior). One of the major complications of the posterior approach is the need for autograft bone. Autograft bone is a bone graft taken traditionally from the pelvis or the iliac crest of the patient. There is now a new product, which allows us to avoid the pain associated with harvesting that bone graft. Read More
INFUSE® Bone Graft/LT-CAGE® Device: Putting an End to Some Surgical Pain
Clinical studies of INFUSE® Bone Graft have resulted in the elimination of complications and pain associated with graft harvesting in 100 percent of patients postoperatively. INFUSE® Bone Graft eliminates the need for a surgeon to take a bone graft from the hip of the patient. Some patients have shown signs of discomfort at the graft site up to two years after surgery. Read More
Chicken Noodle Soup for Low Back Pain
About 80 percent of people will experience a significant bout of low back pain at some point during their lifetime. Telling you that regular exercise has a positive effect on low back pain is a bit like providing you with "chicken soup" advice; meaning that your mother probably could have told you that maintaining a strong and healthy back would be good for you. The reality is a bit more complicated. Read More
Evolution of Spine Surgery
Dr. Donald D. Dietze Jr.
Covington, LA
The most commonly performed spinal operation in the United States is the lumbar discectomy. Lumbar discectomy is the cornerstone of surgical treatment of disc herniations. Fortunately, 80% of symptomatic disc herniations respond to non-surgical treatment. For the remaining 20%, lumbar discectomy is the treatment of choice. Read More
Exercises for the Spine
In addition to regular cardiovascular exercise, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has also recommended a series of exercises that have been specifically chosen in order to help strengthen and condition the muscles that support the spinal column. These exercises can be done at home, and they do not require any special exercise equipment. Read More
Facing Surgery? Get the Facts
If you are diagnosed with a back disorder and your physician recommends surgery, there are several things you should know and do before scheduling a procedure. Read More
Minimally Invasive Discectomy (Microsurgery)
Frequently asked questions that get to the bottom of what a minimally invasive discectomy procedure is all about. Read More
Lifting Techniques
Lifting doesn't have to be a dangerous proposition, even when it's done regularly at work or at home. As long as you make sure to know the facts about correct lifting and bending techniques, you can protect your back from unnecessary added stress and possible injury. Read More
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs)
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins or BMPs have been studied on some level for decades. The science behind BMPs has focused on whether a single protein of recombinant human BMP (rhBMP) can promote bone regeneration. Read More
Like Mother, Like Daughter
Deborah Danner
Delnor-Community Hospital, Geneva, Illinois
When Janice found out she had herniated discs in her back, all she could think about was her daughter, Jessica. "Jessica is a dancer," says Janice. "Three years ago she herniated the same two discs. She had surgery and everything went extremely well. As a matter of fact, she only missed one dance show. But she was 17; I'm…well, not that young!" Read More
The METRx® System's Use in Minimal Access Spinal Technologies
The microsurgery revolution has impacted virtually every surgical field. The potential benefits of small incisions, limited tissue disruption, enhanced visualization and illumination, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery times have been the fruit of these changes. Read More
Physical Therapists and the Treatment of Back Pain
Most doctors who treat back pain work hand in hand with a physical therapist. Physical therapists are invaluable in helping patients return to their normal activities, and they are also very good a teaching patients an exercise program to promote good spinal health. There are several different popular exercise programs that are known by different names that have been designed to reduce back pain. Read More
Preventing Back Pain at Home and at Work
First and foremost, good posture is your friend when it comes to preventing back pain. For years, your mother has told you to stand up straight and improve your posture, but did you know that poor posture can actually lead to hastened degenerative spinal disorders? Read More
Spine Exercise Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you have not been exercising regularly, then is it common to feel more pain immediately after exercising and especially the next day. This is the beginning of a long-term process. Conditioning takes time and it is very natural to experience more pain at the beginning of an exercise program. Read More
Tips on Maintaining a Healthy Bone Mass
In a healthy person bones continue to grow in strength and size until a person reaches their mid-30s, when peak bone mass is attained. In average bone regeneration, it takes about 90 days for old bone to be reabsorbed and replaced by new bone. Read More
What's a Bone Graft and Do I Have Any Options?
There are more than 200,000 spinal fusion surgeries performed each year. The most common of this type of surgery is done in the lower back. Spinal fusions involve adding bone graft to an area of the spine between two vertebrae, sometimes on multiple levels of the spine. This addition of a bone graft is the "fusion" part of the surgery. Read More
