Be the perfect patient? To help a doctor properly diagnose you, it’s important to be thorough in the description of your symptoms. The more details, usually the better. A good practice to adopt is to write symptoms down along with information about when they started. Then, when you are at your appointment, you’ll be able to provide detailed, accurate information. Any and all symptoms should be recorded. Sometimes what may seem insignificant to you could be the information that leads your doctor to make a diagnosis. However, there is a difference between being a good patient and attempting to do your doctor’s job for them. While recording and properly identifying your symptoms is good practice, attempting to diagnose yourself is not. Record and monitor symptoms but do not begin jumping to conclusions about your condition. You can share concerns, fears or opinions with your doctor, but showing up with WebMD results does not a good patient make.
The most common cause of back pain ? There are three common types of nerve root issues that lead to back pain: spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and osteoarthritis. In all three conditions, the nerve root is affected causing often-severe back pain. In spinal stenosis the pain results from narrowing of the spinal canal near the nerve roots. It can appear in one area, or several areas, of the back. In spondylolisthesis, a vertebrae slips over another vertebrae and creates a painful, unstable back. Spondylolisthesis most commonly occurs with joint issues, typically after a fracture or a degenerative joint disease, or as the result of a defect to the joints. Lastly, osteoarthritis occurs when both discs and joints begin to wear down. This ailment becomes more common as people age and leads to pain, swelling, instability and stenosis in one or several areas of the spine.
LLIF and TLIF is to reduce or eliminate pain in Long Beach back, arm and/or leg pain sufferers caused by movement in the spine. It was created as a minimally invasive alternative to other spinal fusion surgeries. With its smaller incision there is less potential for damage of nerves, blood vessels and organs. In an LLIF, instead of using normal instruments, tubular instruments are passed through the small space using a tunnel formed by the surgeon between the patient’s abdominal organs and the spine muscles. In the TLIF, both parts of the spine are able to be worked on from one incision eliminating additional risks and a second incision site that can cause post-operative pain. Many patients prefer the lateral or transforminal approach to anterior or posterior interbody fusion procedures because they can go home the same day and recovery is shorter. See a few extra details on Lumbar Fusion Long Beach.
Southern California neck pain sufferers — Eliminate neck pain with Anterior Cervical Discectomy Fusion surgery! The cervical spine is made up of seven bones or vertebrae stacked one on top of another forming the neck. In between the vertebrae are cushions called disks. These act as shock absorbers so when they deteriorate with age, the neck can become painful and hard to move. Loss of mobility with cervical disk degeneration is common. Because the upper part of the spinal cord passes through the cervical spine, the vertebrae or cervical disk can press on it when the opening becomes too narrow. Sometimes, the body reacts to a disrupted disk by forming bone spurs, which can also put pressure on the spinal nerves, causing pain. Pushing against the spinal nerves leads to pain, numbness and sometimes weakness in the neck and extremities. When nonsurgical treatments do not provide relief, surgery is often recommended. Anterior Cervical Disectomy Fusion, or ACDF, treats nerve root or spinal cord compression through spinal cord and nerve root decompression for those who suffer from back pain in Southern California. The goal is to stabilize the surrounding vertebrae where the disk has deteriorated. In most cases, a nerve root becomes inflamed because the disk has herniated allowing the jelly-like center of the disc to bulge through and put pressure on the nerve root or because the disc has degenerated and the cushion is no longer there to protect it.
The SI joint absorbs stress experienced in the legs during running and transfers it to the spine. If the muscles are weak or not working optimally, the SI joint takes the brunt of the load. Tightened ligaments often due to arthritis or hormone changes commonly caused by pregnancy can put the SI joint at greater risk of dysfunction. To properly diagnose SI joint dysfunction, your doctor will have to do an examination. Symptoms are usually described as increased pain after running, standing from a seated position, walking up stairs or using other exercise equipment that stretches the muscles connected to the SI joint. Diagnoses often includes several types of imaging including x-ray, CT, a special type of CT called a SPECT and MRI, as well as fluoroscopically guided injections and sometimes lab work.
Dr. Yuan treats a range of spinal disorders in patients of all ages including herniated discs and stenosis in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. Dr. Yuan never recommends surgery first and is a thought leader in managing degenerative spinal stenosis. Dr. Philip Yuan is a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon and fellowship trained spinal surgeon who emphasizes non-surgical treatment first and only recommends surgical procedures when absolutely necessary to better a patient’s quality of life. Explore additional details at Spine surgery.