All About Back Pain Treatments

Pain Control and Surgery: Benefits and Risks

Pain management following spine surgery is explained including the benefits and risks.

Minimally Invasive and Open Surgery Procedures

Less invasive spine surgery is the trend that is currently revolutionizing procedures such as discectomy, spinal fusion, laminotomy, and laminectomy.

What is the Future of Pain Research?

Investigators are working to develop a future generation of pain medications that will take advantage of the body's pain switching center.

Spinal Fracture Repair

Because these fractures are painful and the structural integrity of the bone is at risk, surgery is often considered. Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are two procedures that can help heal such fractures.

Prescription Pain and Other Medications

Many studies have shown that when properly managed, opioid analgesic compounds are safe and rarely cause addiction.

IDET Explanation: Basic Information from a Pain Management Specialist

IDET is a relatively new pain management treatment option for discogenic pain -- pain that's specifically related to your intervertebral discs. An interventional pain management specialist explains how IDET works.

Back Pain Treatment: Spinal Injections

There are many types of spinal injections used to treat back and neck pain. Two types are highlighted in this informative article: epidural steroid injections and facet joint injections. Learn if these back pain treatment options are right for you.

Stabilization in Spine Surgery

Learn how surgeons incorporate posterior fixation, such as percutaneous pedicle screws and spinous process plates, during spine surgery to help keep your spine stable. Also, learn why spinal instrumentation and spinal fusion go hand-in-hand.

Chiropractic Research Shows Positive Benefits

It's smart to do your own research on back pain or neck pain treatment options. Article reviews research on chiropractic, and it's a good place to start when you're trying to figure out if chiropractic care is right for you.

Botox for Chronic Back and Neck Pain

Botox is FDA-approved for cervical dystonia, but it isn't approved for back pain or neck pain. Read up on if you can use Botox to treat your chronic pain. Article includes insight from a pain management specialist.

SpineCath Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy

SpineCATH IDET therapy is a minimally invasive treatment in which the physician applies controlled levels of thermal energy to a broad section of the affected disc wall.

Symptomatic Disc Bulges and Herniations Without Nerve Root Impingement and Compromise

A review of studies on symptomatic disc bulges and herniations without nerve root impingement and compromise.

Cervical Plates: Provide Neck Stability Using Spinal Instrumentation

A cervical plate is a medically designed implant used to provide neck stability. Cervical plates enhance the rate of fusion and, in some cases, may reduce the need for external bracing following surgery.

What Treatments Do Chiropractors Provide?

Although spinal manipulation or adjustment of subluxations is a mainstay of chiropractic care, these specialists also provide many other therapies.

Selecting a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Practitioner

Suggestions to take when selecting a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner.

X STOP

X STOP is a non-fusion surgical implant for use in treating lumbar spinal stenosis. It's a minimally invasive spine surgery procedure. Learn the benefits and results, and see if it's right for you.

Medical Errors: Prescriptions and Procedures

Proactive patients ask questions about their care including keeping track of medications to help prevent medical errors.

Pedicle Screws

Pedicle screws can be used in spine surgery to correct spinal deformity. This article explains what they are and how they can be used by your surgeon. This article also contains excellent pictures and diagrams of pedicle screws.

Your Weight May Affect Your Spine Surgery Success

A recent study explores whether obesity affects the outcome of lumbar spine surgery used as a treatment for spinal stenosis.

Therapeutic Spinal Traction

Therapeutic spinal traction uses manually or mechanically created forces to stretch and mobilize the spine.

What Can Physical Therapy Do for Me?

Learn about physical therapy treatments and tips on how to improve your posture and body mechanics.

Medical Errors and How to Avoid Them

Patients have a role in preventing medical errors. There are a number of ways you can help prevent medical errors from happening.

Conserving Energy during Recovery

Information on how to conserve energy while recovering while managing to complete household chores.

How to Select a Physical Therapist

Your primary care doctor will most likely refer you to a physical therapist if you need one. However, if you are selecting a physical therapist on your own, there are things you should take into consideration to ensure that you make the best decision.

Spinal Instrumentation and Fusion

Spinal instrumentation is a generic term for surgical procedures that incorporate the use of screws, rods, cages, plates, and/or cylinders.

Interventional Pain Medicine: Options for Chronic Pain

If your primary care physician cannot pinpoint the source of your pain, it may be best to seek the care of a pain specialist such as an interventional pain medicine physician.

Alternative Treatment for Spinal and Back Pain

Highly skilled medical acupuncturists use locations to treat nerve roots in the cervical and lumbar spine in a manner similar to an epidural injection.

Artificial Disc Replacement: Randomized Clinical Trial Update

The potential benefits of artificial discs allows earlier participation in post-operative rehabilitation and activities and reduces stress to adjacent joints.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM): Practices and Treatments Defined

Complementary and alternative medicine, CAM is popular and includes such therapies as acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathic and naturopathic medicine and many others, which are discussed here.

Immediately After Surgery

Post-operative nurses will attend to the patient's every need following surgery. This includes monitoring vital signs and providing pain management.

Recovering from Surgery

An occupational therapist will work with you and address any concerns of how to perform bathing, dressing, toileting, cooking, or light chores safely and independently at home.

Discharge Instructions After Spine Surgery

Post-operative discharge instructions, listed by type of procedure, for patients who have had spine surgery.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM): How to Select a Practitioner

Locating a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner that is right for you can be difficult. Included are logical questions to ask a prospective health care provider to help you make an informed choice.

Painkillers and the Kidneys: Analgesic Nephropathy

Analgesic nephropathy is a type of kidney damage resulting from taking painkillers every day for several years.

Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF): Surgical Techniques

Pedicle screws may be used in conjunction with a posterior lumbar interbody fusion surgery to complete correction of a spondylolisthesis.

Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF): Advantages and Indications

The advantages and indications of a posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) procedure are outlined.

Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF): Spinal Stabilization

Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) is useful in the correction of degenerative lumbar deformity such as spondylolisthesis or scoliosis.

Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF): Clinical Results and References

As minimal access techniques and fusion biotechnology continue to develop, clinical outcomes will continue to improve.

Low Back Artificial Disc Device Approved! PRODISC-L

This is a brief overview of information related to United States Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval to market this product, the PRODISC®-L artificial disc.

Massage Therapy for Health and Fitness

The key to a healthy body is good circulation, and massage is a direct way to improve the flow of blood and lymph. These fluids carry nutrients and oxygen and carry away wastes and toxins.

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Glossary

From bone graft to fluoroscopy to spinal fusion, this easy-to-read glossary of common spinal terms explains everything you need to know about minimally invasive spine surgery.

Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy: A Surgical Technique to Reduce Pain

A posterior cervical foraminotomy is a minimally-invasive procedure performed to enlarge the space through which spinal nerves exit the spinal canal. It is meant to relieve neck pain. Read more about this minimally invasive spine surgery technique.

Can You Make Spine Surgery a Positive Experience? I Did!

Thousands of patients face spine fusion surgery every year to treat back pain. This patient shares her experiences and successful surgical outcome.

Appendix I: Research on Theories and Beliefs on How Magnets Might Relieve Pain

The first Appendix supporting the article "Questions and Answers About Using Magnets to Treat Pain."

Appendix II: General and Systemic Reviews on CAM Magnetic Therapy for Pain Published from August 1999 to August 2003

The second Appendix supporting the article "Questions and Answers About Using Magnets to Treat Pain."

Appendix III: Reports on Randomized Clinical Trials of Magnetic Therapy for Pain from January 1997 to March 2004

The third Appendix supporting the article "Questions and Answers About Using Magnets to Treat Pain."

Artificial Disc Placement for Spondylotic Cervical Myelopathy

Follow the case and surgery of a 45-year-old man with spondylotic cervical myelopathy. Prior to surgery, he had increased difficulty walking and using his hands, hand numbness, and occasionally had electric shock-like symptoms through his whole body.

Lumbar Disc Disease and Artificial Disc Replacement

Artificial disc replacement is a significant advance in the treatment of disc degeneration and will provide an alternative surgical option in the spine armamentarium.