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Jan Revella, RN.

Stressss-ed?

When I first realized that everybody has something big going on, it was a real eye opener. It helps me put things into perspective everyday whether I'm at work, in traffic, dealing with others and while I play. Everyone deals with stress, but there are strategies that can help to deal with stress and enjoy life more even when we are doing things that are uncomfortable and undesirable. Let me share with you some of my favorite ways to break up, re…
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Spine Wellness Without Surgery

Most spine problems can be improved and even resolved without surgery. Only a small percentage of patients need surgery. Prevention through diet and exercise, ergonomics and proper body mechanics can help you live pain-free from a spine problem. However, once you have a spinal condition, there are many treatments that can get you back on track to an active lifestyle. Our website is still growing and more conservative management articles will be a…
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Solutions for Back Pain

If you have never experienced back pain, odds are one day you will. The big question is, HOW ACTIVE DO YOU WANT TO BE? What if your back pain stays roughly the same, where do you see yourself ten years from now? For most people, a completely sedentary lifestyle spent sitting on the couch with a remote control in hand is not a reasonable alternative. For motivated patients wanting to get their life back again, there are several pathways to achievi…
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Bracing for Low Back Pain

Key Points Proper orthotics prescription requires knowledge of the biomechanics of the Thoraco-lumbar spine and general principles of bracing, including their indications and limitations. Spinal orthoses utilize the principle of three-point pressure control. The corrective component is typically and ideally located midway between the opposing forces. Spinal orthoses may be used as an adjunctive treatment for various conditions that can cause low …
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Farhad Mosallaie, DO, PhD

A Review of Conservative Spine Treatments

Often we hear, "I don't want to have spine surgery!" The good news is ninety percent of people who experience back pain will never need spine surgery since most problems resolve with conservative care. Conservative treatments for back or neck pain include a wide spectrum of treatment options ranging from common medications to more uncommon methodologies such as acupuncture or biofeedback. Many strategies can be used together, although some are mo…
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Osteoporosis Fracture Treated With Kyphoplasty

PROMISING TREATMENT RELIEVES PAIN Osteoporosis and Spine Fractures Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder in which bones become fragile and are more likely to break. If not prevented or treated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, called fractures, are most likely to occur in the hip, spine or wrist. Possible causes include hormonal imbalances, pregnancy, metabolic diseases, cancer, or in otherwise healthy p…
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Dennis Crandall, MD.

Life After Spine Surgery: Do people really return to work?

People with back and neck problems want to get well, get their lives back, and get back to work. Physicians and other spine care providers focus on decreasing pain in an effort to get these people back into their full speed lives again. Usually, appropriate exercise and conservative care is all that is required. Occasionally, surgery may be required to reestablish full function. Years ago, spine surgery developed a well deserved reputation for ca…
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Kyphoplasty vs. Vertebroplasty

What's the Difference? One of the biggest problems with osteoporosis (soft bones) is the development of bone fractures of the spine, hip, and wrist. Of these, spinal compression fractures are the most common, affecting 700,000 Americans each year. These fractures occur when the bone strength is diminished to the point that even minor trauma causes the vertebra to crush. Compression fractures can cause spinal deformity, severe back pain and loss o…
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A Woman's Back Pain: Is it Spondylolisthesis?

Of the many causes for low back pain, one of the most common is a "slipped vertebra", or spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis refers to the inability of the spine to maintain normal vertebra alignment, and a shifting forward of one vertebra on the vertebra below is the net result. Women have this condition more often than men. The most common symptoms from spondylolisthesis include low backache, aching which is worse with activity, posterior thig…
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Women and Neck Pain

Neck pain is reported by the National Institute of Health to be the second most common type of chronic pain next to back pain. Women report suffering from neck pain more frequently than men. Various causes of neck pain include arthritis, muscle strain, degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, stress, poor posture, smoking, tumor, and trauma. One of the most common causes of neck pain in women ages 20-40 is muscle tension and stress. This is go…
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