Is Your Pain Coming From Your Hip or Your Back? Often people go to the doctor seeking help for hip pain. Sometimes, people try to treat it themselves. They are convinced there is something wrong with their hip and the treatments begin. However, one thing is for sure, hip pain is not always as it appears. Hip pain can be a result of a problem in the hip joint itself. However, it can also be a result of a back problem or a soft tissue problem aroun…

"A PINCHED NERVE IN THE NECK" What is it? In between the vertebrae of the neck are cervical discs. The cervical disc serves to cushion the weight of the head while allowing the vertebrae to move. When a piece of the disc escapes through a tear in its thick containment ligaments called the annulus, this is called a cervical disc herniation. Herniations occur into the spinal canal and can compress the spinal nerves or even the spinal cord. Causes M…

We often don't think about our bones particularly when we are young and healthy. However, the strength of our bones as we grow older depends on how we care for our bones even in childhood. Osteoporosis is the thinning of our bones making us susceptible to fracture. Most people think of osteoporosis as a condition of the elderly. Since bone health starts in childhood, the risk of developing osteoporosis can be a result of decisions made in those e…

Back pain has many faces and to many people, it can be distressing, disabling or even frightening. Back pain can be due to a strain, degenerative disc disease, a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, a complex spinal deformity, a fracture, or even a tumor. It is clear that back pain is not created equal and effective treatment depends on what's wrong. Almost everyone experiences low back pain at one time or another. In fact, it is o…

A natural consequence of aging is degeneration. When this degeneration occurs in the spine, it is called spondylosis (or degenerative arthritis of the spinal vertebra) . Although degeneration can affect any part of the spine and is common in adults, development of pain and disability from spondylosis is far less common. More than 60% of all adults will experience neck pain in their lifetime but only 5% will be disabled by it. Seventy percent of t…

Back pain is as common as it is enigmatic. An estimated 90% of the population will experience at least one episode of back pain with the vast majority of symptoms resolving within one month. However, for certain people, back pain can become chronic and disabling. There are multiple causes of back pain. These include the muscles of the back, ligaments, nerves and the bony architecture of the spine to name a few. Unfortunately, the normal process o…

While you may smile knowing that nice weather is here, it also means you likely have responsibilities in your yard. Whether you enjoy gardening or not, leaning over and pulling weeds is often strenuous on your back. You may notice you have pain in your back when you weed whack as well. Through these few tips, you can reduce the amount of pain you experience and help prevent worsening a pre-existing back condition. 1. TAKE BREAKS FREQUENTLY When y…

If you suffer from chronic lower back pain, you may have sought various remedies for many years. But many of those treatments fail to solve the painful issues of some patients. The good news is that modern technology is constantly updating, and today you have new options using the latest techniques. One of these treatments you may have heard about, or been recommended, is known as radio-frequency ablation. What is this procedure? How does it affe…

Stem cell therapy is among the most exciting developments in modern medicine. The science is still in its early stages, so it’s not quite time to make an appointment, but legitimate trials are beginning to show promising results. CAN STEM CELLS CURE PARALYSIS? Asterias Biotherapeutics conducted one of the largest human trials in 2016, using a sample group of six patients with varying degrees of paralysis. The trial’s results began to roll in in O…

Thank you to all those who donated their time, resources, products, and services to help this Albanian Catholic Religious Sister get her spinal deformity surgery done. Round trip air fare Albania to Phoenix - Hugues Malandain Logistical Support - Jan Revella, RN, Sonoran Spine Research Foundation Surgery Scheduling – Lori Lobell, Sonoran Spine Housing in Phoenix – Catholic Religious Sisters of the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará Ima…