Stop Pushing Through Pain: Overview When It’s Time to Reassess: If your fitness goals keep getting derailed by pain, the answer usually isn’t more grit, it’s a better plan. In this episode, Dr. Niteesh Bharara and physical therapist Greg Morris explain why pain is information, not something to ignore, and why “waiting to get better…
Key Differences: Disc Replacement vs. Fusion Surgery Disc Replacement vs. Fusion Surgery Goal: Both surgeries aim to relieve neck or back pain, but they do it differently. Disc replacement treats the painful disc while preserving motion, while fusion surgery treats pain by stabilizing the segment and eliminating motion at that level. How They’re Different: Artificial…
Northern Virginia Magazine Top Doctors: Quick Facts Who are the Top Doctors in Virginia? We are honored that Northern Virginia Magazine recognized VSI physicians as 2026 Top Doctors. This year’s honorees include Dr. Ella Akkerman, Dr. Niteesh Bharara, Dr. Christopher Good, Dr. Colin Haines, Dr. Ehsan Jazini, Dr. Yash Mehta, and Dr. Thomas Nguyen. Each…
Winter Back Pain and Snow Shoveling: Quick Facts Cold weather can make back pain and stiffness more noticeable because muscles tighten in lower temperatures and many people move less during the winter. As circulation and flexibility drop, your spine and supporting muscles may not respond as well to everyday demands, especially sudden tasks like shoveling…
Motion-Preservation Spine Surgery: Quick Facts Motion Preservation Surgery Goal: The main goal of any spine surgery is to relieve pain. Whenever we can, we also preserve motion in the spine with minimally invasive techniques and disc replacement surgeries. Benefits of Motion Preservation Surgery, such as disc replacement surgery: Motion Preservation Surgery Candidate: Disc replacement surgery and…
Excellence in spine surgery and sports medicine requires more than technical skill—it demands innovation, peer respect, and an unwavering commitment to patient outcomes. That’s why we’re thrilled to share that Dr. Niteesh Bharara, Dr. Christopher Good, and Dr. Colin Haines have once again earned Castle Connolly Top Doctor honors for 2026. This achievement places them…
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…
The stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s can be joyful, but it is also uniquely demanding on the body. Routines change, sleep becomes inconsistent, stress rises, and holiday favorites often mean more sugar and alcohol than usual. For many people, that combination creates a perfect storm that shows up as headaches, fatigue, brain fog, muscle…
Spinal Stenosis: Endoscopic Treatment Overview Revolutionizing Spinal Stenosis Treatment with Endoscopic Spine Surgery Spinal stenosis is a common spinal condition that debilitates millions of people, often leading to chronic neck or back pain, numbness extending down the arms or legs, and can lead to challenges with daily activities. For many, the thought of invasive surgery or long-term…
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…
