A patient saved money the other day after consulting with me for a single concern. His question pertained to the necessity of having a certain type of diagnostic test that had been recommended by another doctor he had been seeing. He wasn’t in critical condition. His low back problem responded decently to treatment but periodically…
Briefly reviewing what I had previously written HERE and HERE; the lumbar micro-discectomy he had is designed ONLY to remove disc material compressing a nerve and relieve sciatic pain. It does NOT treat low back pain. It does NOT heal or repair the damaged disc fibers. It does not improve a lumbar disc’s ability to…
There are 3 things to know about any form of treatment for back pain: Everything works for someone Nothing works for everyone We often don’t know what will work for whom or the extent to which it will work. Considering that, in most cases, a completely accurate diagnosis for the cause of back pain cannot…
The current approach in managing low back pain leaves a lot to be desired. The risk of a poor treatment outcome is higher than ever before. The incidence of chronic low back pain has risen 64% since the year 2000. BUT..the actual percentage of people experiencing “new” episodes of back pain has remained unchanged. Permanent…
There is a great paradox in spine-related care. That paradox is…… Everything works for someone. Nothing works for everyone. As clinicians, we cannot exactly predict what will “work” for whom, and the extent to which it will “work.” Referring to this as a “Supermarket of Spine Care”, Dr.’s Scott Haldeman and Simon Dagenais (1) have…
A tiny piece of meat engulfed by a massive bun caused the frail, grey haired grannie to loudly exclaim: “WHERE’S THE BEEF?” The now iconic statement first appeared over 30 years ago in a Wendy’s commercial as actress Clara Peller, portraying the hamburger-eating grannie, lamented a lack of substance to her meal. Back pain treatment…
Serious medical conditions such as infections, internal disease, tumors, fractures, and metabolic disease should always be considered in anyone suffering from low back pain. In these situations, a “definitive” diagnosis is often straight-forward and determined by paying attention to key “red flags” and performing the appropriate tests. Once these above situations have been excluded, there…