Bertolotti Syndrome is an unique cause of low back pain, particularly focused along the waistline slightly off to the side, that is often confused with sacroiliitis. Bertolotti Syndrome is a diagnosis given to someone with symptomatic pain due to a transitional vertebra that is inflamed. Although it is a very rare cause of back pain,…
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) is a buzzword often thrown around by doctors and patients seeking the best surgical option for their neck or back pain. And for good reason! MISS offers the same post-surgical benefits as traditional spine surgery, but with much less trauma. Until recently, many surgeons needed to make large incisions which required…
We’ve seen over 100,000 patients at VSI, and many of them have never stepped foot in the OR. In fact, it’s estimated that nearly 90% of our patients can be treated non-operatively with physical therapy, spinal injections, regenerative medicine, or a combination of these treatment options. So why would a patient ever need spinal surgery? We’ve compiled the…
For the few people who have a spinal problem that require surgery it can be very difficult to make the decision about which surgical option is right for them. There’s always a balance between wanting to find the smallest procedure with the least pain and the fastest return to a normal life, and making sure…
No one is exempt from aging. Many of us first become aware of our aging when we reach our thirties. There may be a new wrinkle on the skin or a gray hair showing in a dark head of hair, but these superficial characteristics are external warning signs of an aging process which affects the…
Often times our patients are scared to schedule an initial consultation with a spinal specialist because they aren’t exactly sure what the appointment will entail. There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to your health, but at VSI we’re here to remove that fear! Here are some tips we’ve compiled to make your first appointment easy…
Life is a degenerative process! This sums up the ugly reality that plagues all of us. Due to my family’s strong genetic predisposition for degenerative changes in the spine, I have experienced at a younger age than most the problems that come from a degenerating spine, and consequently the miracles of modern spinal health care. This…
The spinal cord is a thick bundle of nerves and other tissue that extends from the brain through the spinal column. As the spinal cord descends, there are spinal nerves that branch off and go to various parts of the body. It is very important to be able to evaluate the nerves when dealing with…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – OCTOBER 2016 Congratulations to our world-renowned specialists who were recently recognized as Top Doctors by Washingtonian Magazine. Dr. Christopher Good and Dr. Thomas Schuler were once again recognized as Top Doctors in their specialty of Spinal Surgery. Dr. Niteesh Bharara was recognized within the field of Pain Management. The region’s best physicians are awarded this prestigious honor through nominations…
QUESTION: WHAT CAUSES MY HANDS TO GO NUMB? Answer: Numbness in the hands is usually a result of damage, irritation, or compression of the nerves in your neck, arm, or wrist. It could be compression of one nerve or a branch of one nerve. The most common cause of hand numbness is a compression of a…
