Articles on the spine: back and neck pain, disc problems, sciatica and when surgery is considered. Loss of bladder or bowel control, or sudden leg weakness, is an emergency.
Herniated disc surgery, usually a discectomy, most reliably relieves the shooting leg pain caused by a nerve root under pressure; many people notice that…
In spinal stenosis surgery, most often a laminectomy, a surgeon makes an incision over the affected part of the spine, moves the muscles aside,…
A laminectomy removes bone and ligament pressing on spinal nerves; fusion is added only when the spine at that level is judged unstable or…
Preparing for scoliosis surgery usually involves four strands: fresh spinal imaging so the surgeon can plan exactly which vertebrae to fuse; blood tests that…
Disc surgery is usually considered when a damaged disc presses on a nerve and causes progressive weakness, worsening numbness, or leg or arm pain…
Living with a scoliosis brace means wearing a rigid, custom-molded shell for a set number of hours each day while the spine is still…
Herniated disc surgery, usually a lumbar microdiscectomy, is done under general anesthesia through a small incision in the back. The surgeon confirms the exact…
Spinal stenosis surgery, usually a decompression that widens the narrowed canal, is most reliable at easing leg symptoms caused by pinched nerves: the aching,…
Nucleoplasty recovery usually involves going home the same day, a brief rise in back pain over the first days as the needle path and…
After herniated disc surgery, most surgical teams ask patients to avoid lifting anything heavier than a light grocery bag, roughly 5 to 10 pounds,…
A failed spinal fusion, called pseudarthrosis or nonunion, means the bone graft placed between vertebrae did not grow into one solid piece within the…
The typical artificial disc replacement candidate has neck or low back pain traced to a single worn disc, with facet joints and surrounding bone…
The Schroth method for adults uses the same three-dimensional posture, breathing and strengthening principles taught to teenagers, but the goal shifts. In a growing…
Preparing for ACDF surgery usually means three tasks: giving your surgical team a complete list of every prescription, over-the-counter medicine and supplement you take;…
An artificial disc is a small mobile implant placed between two vertebrae after a worn or herniated disc is removed. Two metal endplates anchor…
A discectomy removes the fragment of a herniated disc that is pressing on a nerve and leaves the rest of the disc in place;…
Kyphoplasty complications are uncommon but real. Bone cement can leak outside the vertebra into the disc, veins or spinal canal; most leaks cause no…
Pain after ACDF surgery is common and usually has more than one source: the front-of-neck incision, a sore throat from retraction, muscle soreness across…
Choose which cookies you allow. Essential cookies are always on because the site cannot work without them.
