Key Facts Spondylosis, spondylolysis, and spondylolisthesis sound nearly identical, but they describe three distinct spinal conditions. In simple terms: spondylosis is arthritis of the spine, spondylolysis is a stress fracture in the vertebra, and spondylolisthesis is when one vertebra slips forward over another. The conditions can also be related, since untreated spondylolysis can progress into…
Gardening Back Pain Prevention: Key Takeaways Cause of Low Back Pain After Gardening Spring is blooming, and we all have the urge to get back to our regularly scheduled outdoor activities as soon as possible. And what better way to spend time outdoors than to spruce up your home with flowers, trees, and shrubs? Over…
Key Takeaways A love of basketball runs deep. Once you’ve played the game, it’s hard to give it up. That’s why so many adults are part of recreational basketball leagues – long after they’ve stopped competing as student athletes. But beware! Americans are more likely to injure themselves playing basketball than any other sport. For…
Now that you’ve shoveled your car out from two feet of snow {and then did it again after the snow plow came through}, let’s take a moment to assess the damage. Did you wake up this morning with sore arms and legs from lifting the heavy snow and ice? What about your lower back –…
What does chronic back pain really cost? For Rachel, a 35-year-old teacher and mother of two from Maryland, the price was 20 years of her life spent watching from the sidelines. Twenty years of declining invitations, making excuses, and slowly shrinking her world to fit around constant pain. Her symptoms began as a teenager and…
One of the most common conditions we see when diagnosing patients at VSI is lumbar spinal stenosis. This common condition can cause people to suffer with constant back pain, or with pain and weakness that radiates from the lower back down the legs. Many of my patients’ first question when being told they have lumbar…
What is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis? The spinal canal is the hollow passage formed by the spine, through which the spinal cord travels. Lumbar spinal stenosis refers to the portion of the spinal cord in the lower spine (lumbar region) being pinched in the canal (stenosis). What Are the Symptoms of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis? When lumbar spinal stenosis…
Up to 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. While occasional soreness after a long day or tough workout can be normal, certain symptoms mean it is time to see a spine specialist. Recognizing these red flags early can help you protect your long-term spine health and avoid serious…
Disc Replacement: Quick Facts When It’s Considered: Disc replacement is considered after a careful evaluation and a solid trial of conservative care such as physical therapy, medications, and regenerative options when neck, arm, or back pain still limits daily life and imaging confirms the source. The goal is to replace the painful cervical disc to…
Quick Facts: Symptoms of pain or tingling in the shoulder, arm, and/or hand are very common in many of the patients we care for at VSI. There may be several reasons for these symptoms. 4 Common Reasons for Arm Pain or Tingling Accurately diagnosing the cause of your arm pain is the first step to finding…
