Did you know that nearly four out of five people will suffer from a debilitating back pain episode at some point in their lives and that it can result in sciatica? “Sciatica” is a term used to describe searing pain, burning, or numbness that runs from your back and down your leg, often below yourRead More…
Category: Surgery
6 Reasons Your Back Surgery Failed
Back surgery, often viewed as a last resort for those suffering from debilitating back pain, has become increasingly common in the last 15 years A quick Google search reveals that an estimated 1.5 million spinal fusions are performed annually in the United States alone. When you consider that 70-80% of all back pain is consideredRead More…
Three Science-backed Reasons not to rely on Imaging for Orthopedic Surgery
Approximately 7 million people undergo an orthopedic surgery each year in the United States. Topping this list are elective procedures (meaning they are not life threatening or urgent) such as ACL reconstruction, total hip and knee replacements, arthroscopic surgery (meniscus repairs, shoulder decompression, etc), and spinal fusions. Now, what if I told you that of theRead More…
Why Cortisone Shots Often Fail in the Knee
When you’ve got nagging, persistent knee pain, it’s common for doctors to recommend a cortisone shot. Cortisone shots, also known as corticosteroid injections, or “steroid shots”, work by reducing inflammation in your knee joint in an effort to alleviate pain. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well… not so fast. Assuming your knee pain is truly due to inflammation,Read More…
3 Things to Consider Before Knee Replacement Surgery
After my email went out Sunday – I got a lot of questions about total knee replacements. So I thought I’d address some of those concerns here… Total knee replacement (TKR) surgery has been around for decades, and generally speaking, results are very good. The most common reason for a knee replacement is to resolveRead More…
How Mary Avoided Unwanted Knee Replacement Surgery
Knee replacement surgery is a very good and successful option for those suffering from debilitating osteoarthritis in their knee. I’m not here to tell you that it isn’t. I’m here to tell you to proceed with caution – and do your research first. Not everyone’s knee pain is caused by debilitating osteoarthritis – even if your X-rayRead More…
5 Tips to Treat Back Pain on your Own and Avoid Surgery
Back pain impacts approximately 31 Million Americans at any given time, and our health care system spends $50 Billion per year on low back pain treatment. It’s the single leading cause of disability keeping people out of work, and it’s the second most common reason for doctor’s visits. Back Pain is a Big Problem inRead More…
Arthroscopic Knee Surgery – Does It Even Work?
You might be aware of this already – but I have a weekly column in the Nextdoor Magazine- and while researching for my latest article – I came across an interesting study titled: “Arthroscopy for degenerative knees – a difficult habit to break”. Don’t worry… anything I write for the magazine I share with you hereRead More…
Research Shows MRI’s Not Reliable For Back Pain
One of the most popular questions and concerns I get from clients is whether or not they need an MRI for their back or neck problem. When you have persistent pain that won’t go away, or shooting pain or numbness down your arm or leg, it’s scary. It makes sense to get a look insideRead More…
New Year New You… right?
If you’re thinking that knee, back, shoulder or neck surgery is the way to kick off your new year so that you can finally tackle that chronic pain or “arthritis” you’ve been dealing with…. THINK AGAIN… Please… I urge you!! Only a very small number of people will actually benefit from the common orthopedic surgeries/arthroscopicRead More…