Reno / Tahoe is a Winter Wonderland For most living in the Reno/Tahoe region, the highlight of winter is the ski and snowboard season. The Reno/Tahoe region is the prime place to live for winter sport enthusiasts with ample space and opportunity to ski and snowboard. With the vast array of mountain lodges in close […]
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First the Good News! The good news is 85% of all people who experience back pain will have a resolution of the pain within the first 3 months. What causes your neck pain or back pain? This is a much more difficult question to answer. The vast majority of cases are considered “nonspecific” meaning we
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Hand Numbness A common complaint patients share is occasional numbness in one or both hands. The most serious causes of numbness in the arm or hand would typically be associated with other symptoms such as chest pain, sweating, shortness of breath, severe headache, visual changes, confusion or changes in speech. These could indicate heart attack
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If You Needed Another Reason to Stop Smoking, Here It Is… In medical research over the last few years, it has been proven conclusively that not only do smokers have a higher incidence of back pain; but when they do undergo surgery for back problems, they have a 15% higher failure rate. This appears to
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An Often Missed Source Of Back Pain Low back pain is very common and affects approximately 70% of people in their lifetime (1). For anyone who has experienced low back pain, it can be very disabling. But sometimes low back pain is not “spine pain.” The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) often can be the pain generator
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Low back Pain: Q & A Basics By JayDee Vykoukal, DPT Who is affected by Low back pain? Low back pain (LBP) is a health issue that all of us will deal with in some form over our lifetime. It can happen anytime in a person’s lifespan, but is particularly relevant in the 40 to
Reduce or Eliminate Back and Neck Pain Good Posture, Exercise and Overall Fitness Can Help By Lettie Anderson, MSPT Many People Suffer from Back Pain and Neck Pain Do you find yourself slumped over your steering wheel at red lights? Do you hover over your computer on a daily basis? If so, then you may
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Article written for “We’ve Got Your Back Magazine” Listening to Your Body When was the last time you took 20 minutes, or even 5 minutes, to sit/lay down in a quiet setting, free from distractions and actually listen to your body. All of us occasionally feel aches and pains, muscle tension, stiffness, etc. But how
Using x-ray guidance, two 2.5-cm incisions are made on either side of the lower back. The muscles are gradually dilated and tubular retractors inserted to allow access to the affected area of the lumbar spine.
The lamina is removed to allow visualization of the nerve roots. The disc material is removed from the spine and replaced with a bone graft and structural support from a cage made of bone, titanium, carbon-fiber, or a polymer, followed by rod and screw placement.
The tubular retractors are removed, allowing the dilated muscles to come back together, and the incisions are closed. This procedure typically takes about 3 to 3 1/2 hours to perform.
