Healthcare News

What does cervical laminoplasty involve?

Source:Medical News Today

A laminoplasty is a surgical procedure that helps relieve pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. It involves opening a section of the lamina, a bony structure that sits on top of the spinal canal.

Upper Back Pain: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Source:HealthDay

If you suffer from upper back pain, it's time to reclaim your comfort and regain control of your daily life. Relief from this debilitating condition is within reach.

Understanding the Critical Role of SI Joint Health in Lower Back Pain

Source:National Spine Health Foundation

The Sacroiliac (SI) joint often plays a critical yet under-recognized role in lower back pain, a crucial point emphasized during the National Spine Health Foundation’s Spine-Talk “Is My Back Pain Actually Hip Pain? What You Need to Know About the SI Joint” by Dr. Rita Roy and spine expert Dr. David Polly.

Hot and Cold Therapy: When to Use Each for Neck Pain

Source:healthline

Experts recommend using ice after an injury, for sudden onset pain, or for inflammation. Heat is ideal for chronic pain or for injuries that are no longer swollen.

Which doctor should you see for lower back pain?

Source:Medical News Today

Primary care doctors, rheumatologists, pain management specialists, and psychiatrists may be involved in helping individuals manage lower back pain.

Burning Back Pain: Causes and Relief

Source:Verywell Health

Sharp, burning back pain can interfere with many different aspects of your daily life, from work and exercise to being able to rest comfortably at night. It’s important not to ignore back pain, as it may be a sign of an underlying condition.

When should someone contact a doctor about back pain after a fall?

Source:Medical News Today

Someone should contact a doctor about back pain after a fall if the pain is severe, persists despite rest, or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as vision loss, difficulty breathing, or loss of consciousness.

Predicting brace adherence could change the game in scoliosis treatment

Source:Medical Xpress

With the addition of built-in sensors that indicate how many hours a brace was worn, two things became clear. One: Despite improvements in brace design, many patients wore their braces far less than they thought or said they did. Two: Patients who wore their braces more had better outcomes.

Back Pain Explained

Source:The Scientist

Not all degenerated intervertebral discs are painful; a new study identified a subset of disc cells that triggers a pathway to pain.

Leading Causes of Sciatica and Sciatic Nerve Pain

Source:HealthCentral

Sciatica is the name of the pain from when something—usually a herniated disc, but other causes are possible, too—compresses, irritates, or inflames the sciatic nerve or one of the nerve roots that eventually link up with the sciatic nerve. Translation: pain up and down your leg—you might feel it anywhere from your buttocks to your ankle.

Right side of neck pain causes and treatments

Source:Medical News Today

There are various possible causes of pain on the right side of the neck, including joint degradation, injury, and stress. Treatment depends on the cause but can include pain relievers, physical therapy, and surgery in severe cases.

Hip-focused physical therapy reduces chronic low back pain for older adults, finds clinical trial

Source:Medical Xpress

The study, called the Manual Therapy and Strengthening the Hip (MASH) Trial, is believed by the research team to be the first clinical trial to assess the efficacy of a tailored physical therapy intervention matched to an at-risk subgroup of older adults with chronic low back pain and coexisting hip pain and muscle weakness.

How to prevent spinal stenosis

Source:Medical News Today

People can make lifestyle modifications to help prevent spinal stenosis. These may include maintaining a moderate weight, quitting smoking, and practicing appropriate posture.

Seated back pain stretches for seniors

Source:Medical News Today

A variety of factors including injury, inflammation, and activity can cause back pain in seniors. Seated stretching is one strategy that may help seniors prevent or manage their back pain.

The Best Exercises to Prevent Neck Pain

Source:The New York Times

Neck pain is common, but working on your posture and strengthening your spine can help.

What can cause lower back pain?

Source:Medical News Today

Lower back pain is very common. It usually develops due to overuse or a minor injury, but sometimes there may be no obvious cause. Lower back pain can also be a symptom of an underlying medical condition.

Why Does My Back Hurt When I Breathe?

Source:Verywell Health

There are several different causes of back pain, many of which can worsen with breathing. Back pain can be due to an injury to the bones or muscles in your back, or result from a medical condition affecting internal organs such as the heart or lungs.

Find Relief From Upper Back Pain

Source:HealthCentral

Maybe you’ve just finished a few hours of work at the computer and now there’s a stabbing sensation between your shoulder blades. Or you have an ongoing, continuous ache that extends from the base of your neck down to the bottom of your ribs. What’s going on? And more importantly, how can you find some relief?

What to know about back decompression for back pain

Source:Medical News Today

Back or spinal decompression refers to a group of treatments used to relieve pressure on spinal discs. A healthcare professional may recommend surgical and nonsurgical therapies for decompression.

How Muscle Relaxers Work for Back and Neck Pain

Source:HealthCentral

A weekend spent gardening. A raucous game of pickleball. Bending over to pick up a dropped pen. Suddenly your neck or back seizes up and it’s hard to catch your breath. Muscle spasms, where the muscle involuntarily contracts—and stays that way—for a few seconds, minutes, or longer, are painful and impossible to predict.

Want a stronger core? Skip the sit-ups

Source:Harvard Health Publishing

Sit-ups once ruled as the way to tighter abs and a slimmer waistline. While "planks" were merely flooring. Now plank exercises, in which you assume a position and hold it, are the gold standard for working your core. While classic sit-ups and crunches have fallen out of favor.

Best Sleeping Positions for Pain

Source:Cleveland Clinic healthessentials

Awkward sleeping positions can put stress and strain on your body as you’re catching ZZZs, leading to pain when you should be rising and shining. But you can rest easier with a few modifications.

Intra-op liposomal bupivacaine found to be beneficial after spinal fusion in scoliosis

Source:Medical Xpress

For adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF), intraoperative liposomal bupivacaine (LB) infiltration is associated with lower total opioid consumption and shorter length of stay (LOS), according to a study published online May 1 in Spine.

Your thoughts can harm your neck and back during lifting tasks

Source:Medical Xpress

The mental distress of cognitive dissonance—encountering information that conflicts with how we act or what we believe—can lead to added pressure on the neck and low back during lifting and lowering tasks, new research suggests.

12 Tips to Relieve Back Pain When Driving

Source:healthline

Your time in the driver’s seat can cause your lower back pain to flare up. Steps you can take to reduce irritation and relieve pain include adjusting your seat settings, using lumbar support, and applying topical ointments.

New research sheds light on symptoms of understudied spine disease

Source:Medical Xpress

Prior studies suggest DISH affects up to a third of men over the age of 50. This non-inflammatory type of arthritis is characterized by the progressive calcification of spinal tissues that eventually leads to the fusion of the vertebrae within the spine. However, whether this calcification causes pain, especially in the early stages of the disease, isn't well understood or well documented.

Want a stronger core? Skip the sit-ups

Source:Harvard Health Publishing

Sit-ups once ruled as the way to tighter abs and a slimmer waistline. While "planks" were merely flooring. Now plank exercises, in which you assume a position and hold it, are the gold standard for working your core. While classic sit-ups and crunches have fallen out of favor.

Best Sleeping Positions for Pain

Source:healthessentials

Awkward sleeping positions can put stress and strain on your body as you’re catching ZZZs, leading to pain when you should be rising and shining. But you can rest easier with a few modifications.

Dowager’s Hump: What It Is and How To Get Rid of It

Source:Cleveland Clinic healthessentials

The hump at the base of your neck may be caused by osteoporosis or poor posture.

The best and worst sitting positions for lower back pain

Source:Medical News Today

Keeping hips and knees at a 90-degree angle and using back support may help alleviate lower back pain. It is best to avoid slumped positions and sitting cross-legged for long periods.

Why is my sciatica not going away?

Source:Medical News Today

Sciatica is a type of nerve pain that radiates down the back into the hip and leg. It often goes away in a few weeks, but for some people, the condition is chronic.

Q&A: Cervical disk replacement

Source:Medical Xpress

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved cervical disk replacement surgery as an alternative to spinal fusion. Like a knee replacement surgery, the artificial disk allows for full or nearly full range of motion after the surgery.

What to know about uncovertebral joint hypertrophy

Source:Medical News Today

Uncovertebral joints are joints in the neck that stabilize and allow for movement. In some cases, these joints can swell or become enlarged, causing stiffness and pain.

What to know about ankylosing spondylitis

Source:Medical News Today

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine, lower back, and sacroiliac joints.

What to know about cervical stenosis in the spine

Source:Medical News Today

Cervical stenosis (CS) is the medical term for the narrowing of the spinal canal in the cervical or “neck” region of the spine. In CS, the upper part of the spinal canal becomes narrowed, compressing the spinal cord and nerve roots in this area.

What does arthritis in the spine look and feel like?

Source:Medical News Today

Spinal arthritis includes a range of degenerative conditions affecting the joints in the spine. The condition may cause swelling and pain. Imaging scans may also show changes to the bone structure.

Stretches and exercises to relieve SI joint pain

Source:Medical News Today

The sacroiliac (SI) joint connects the spine to the pelvis. People who have injured this joint may experience pain in the lower back, buttocks, and down the back of the thigh. Simple stretches and exercises may ease the pain and help people move around more comfortably.

What Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Is and How It Works

Source:Healthline

Minimally invasive spine surgery is a type of spine surgery that requires smaller incisions and does less damage to muscles and tissue. Spine surgeries that require less cutting and moving have become more common thanks to advanced tools and robotics.

Why Back Pain Is More Common as You Age, and What to Do About It

Source:Livestrong

It's not your imagination: Your back has definitely gotten achier and more injury-prone as you've aged. But what's behind the growing discomfort, and is there anything you can do to make it go away?

What Causes Pain Between The Shoulders And How To Fix It

Source:Forbes Health

Pain between the shoulders is common: As many as one in 10 men and one in five women experience upper back pain, according to a 2015 journal article in Occupational Medicine[1]. Often, upper back pain between the shoulders is caused by a muscle strain due to overuse, injury or poor posture, and although the resulting discomfort can range from mildly uncomfortable to severe and debilitating, the root cause can often be corrected with a combination of rest, stretching and exercise.

Other Conditions and Complications of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Source:healthline

AS is a chronic, debilitating disease. This means it can get progressively worse. Serious complications can arise, especially if the disease is left untreated.

How to strengthen the lower back

Source:Medical News Today

Strengthening exercises for the lower back can help stabilize the lower spine and support the upper body. They may also help alleviate and prevent lower back pain.

Ankylosing spondylitis and spinal stenosis

Source:Medical News Today

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a form of arthritis that typically affects the spine, lower back, and sacroiliac joints. People with the condition have an increased risk of developing other spinal problems, such as spinal stenosis.

What are the most likely causes of upper back pain?

Source:Medical News Today

Pain in the upper back is usually the result of poor posture, muscle overuse, or injury. Treatment may include home remedies, such as rest and gentle exercises, or possibly seeing a physical therapist.

Smoke break: New study strengthens link between smoking and increased fracture risk in men

Source:Medical Xpress

It's no secret that puffing cigarettes is the culprit behind a whole host of ailments, including respiratory diseases and cancers of the lungs and throat. But a new University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) study has revealed that male smokers—who, demographically, are more likely than women to light up—are also placing themselves at a significantly increased risk of osteoporosis, bone fractures, and early death.

Q&A: Osteoporosis and exercise

Source:Medical Xpress

Recently, she was diagnosed with osteoporosis and is worried about maintaining her active lifestyle for fear of injury. Can she continue to exercise? If so, which types of exercises will be best for her?

A Guide to Healthy Sleep Positions

Source:News Medical Life Sciences

A good sleeping position along with a good quality of sleep throughout the night relaxes the spine and muscles. Sleep is needed not just for relaxation but also for mental and physical recovery.

Your Guide to Cervical Spinal Stenosis

Source:healthline

Cervical spinal stenosis is a type of spinal stenosis, a condition that occurs when your spinal canal narrows. The narrowing can put pressure on the spinal cord, which can lead to myelopathy, which is damage to the spinal cord.

What to know about reversing osteoporosis

Source:Medical News Today

A person with osteoporosis has weakened bones that are more likely to break. Although the condition is not reversible, people can prevent further bone loss and rebuild bones with medication, a nutrient-dense diet, and weight bearing exercise.

Greater odds of overall satisfaction three months after lumbar fusion when surgery is minimally invasive

Source:Medical Xpress

The researchers found that MIS procedures were associated with significantly greater odds of patient satisfaction 3 months postoperatively but not 12 months postoperatively. MIS was also associated with less disability and pain at both time points.

Aquatic exercise cuts pain, disability from chronic low back pain

Source:Medical Xpress

Therapeutic aquatic exercise leads to greater pain alleviation in patients with chronic low back pain compared with physical therapy, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in JAMA Network Open.

Osteoporosis Fractures: Treatment & Prevention

Source:Verywell Health

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that causes decreased bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, which increases the risk of fractures. It is considered a silent disease, meaning there are no other symptoms until a fracture occurs. The increased risk of fractures with osteoporosis can make you more susceptible to chronic pain and disability.

Is Walking Good for Sciatica?

Source:healthline

Whether you should walk and how much you should walk are questions to discuss with your doctor or physical therapist. The general view now is that movement and activity are a good thing for people with sciatica, as long as you walk correctly and are not increasing pain.

More than half of americans plagued by back, leg pain

Source:Medical Xpress

More than half of U.S. adults suffer from pain, with backs and legs the most common sources, according to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

Best exercises for sciatica

Source:Medical News Today

People with sciatica may find that certain exercises and stretches help bring relief from pain and tightness in the sciatic nerve and the surrounding area. Although sciatica generally resolves in time, these exercises may speed the healing process.

How to recognize and treat a pinched nerve in the neck

Source:Medical News Today

How to recognize and treat a pinched nerve in the neck

Working from home? Here's how to preserve your posture

Source:Medical Xpress

If you're working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, you need to have a work space that's doesn't cause pain or discomfort in your back, neck or legs, a spine specialist says.

How should you sleep if you have lower back pain?

Source:Medical News Today

Lower back pain can affect a person’s sleep as well as their daily activities, and sleeping in certain positions can cause or worsen the issue.

8 Myths About Your Back - Busted

Source:healthessentials

Misinformation about back problems abounds. How many times have you heard that exercise can hurt your back? Or that if you consult a spine surgeon about pain, you’re sure to wind up in surgery? If you have back pain, it’s important to get the facts straight from the experts.

Ten Tips For Looking After Your Back While You're Sitting Down

Source:MedicalXpress

Working from home is challenging. Apart from reduced social interaction and the domestic juggling involved, homes are not usually designed to replicate a workplace environment when it comes to employees' health.

Pseudoarthrosis In The Cervical And Lumbar Spine

Source:Verywell Health

Pseudoarthrosis is a term used to describe what happens when a spinal fusion is unsuccessful. Spinal fusion is a type of back surgery given for a variety of problems including but not limited to scoliosis curve correction, disc problems, and/or instability in the spine (which can be due to an infection or tumor)

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Facet Joint Disorders

Source:Spine-health

Lumbar facet joint disorders most commonly cause lower back pain that is characterized by a localized ache with some degree of stiffness. This pain is usually worse in the morning or after periods of inactivity. In case of spinal nerve root impingement, radicular leg pain (sciatica) may occur.

Exercises for Neck Pain Relief

Source:US News

You're not alone if you’re looking for neck exercises to relieve neck pain. The aching, throbbing discomfort is a common complaint. And it’s no wonder: The neck has a challenging job.

Causes and treatment of a pinched nerve in the back

Source:Medical News Today

An injury, a herniated disc, or an underlying medical condition can cause a pinched nerve in the back — resulting in pain, numbness, or tingling sensations.