Doctor explaining spine to person holding back in pain in foreground

SI Joint Dysfunction—The Great Imitator!

It’s no surprise that there are many causes for lower back pain, but over the years the majority of medical professionals have only focused on the familiar, common causes for this pain. This includes discogenic pain, arthritic pain, nerve pain, and musculoskeletal pain. What many doctors fail to realize, however, is that there is another…

Man gripping his painful lower back with an x-ray of his spine visible

Disc Herniations Are An Unexpected Culprit For Lower Back Pain In Athletes

It’s no surprise that athletes are highly susceptible to injuries, but more commonly we think of sprains and strains as the culprit. If the ice/heat treatment doesn’t seem to be working, your lower back pain could be the result of something more serious. Disc Herniations: The Unlikely Culprit Within the general population, disc herniations are most common among older…

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Ask the Expert: What Is Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

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…

Operating room lights

Top 3 Reasons To Have Spine Surgery

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…

Back of two surgeons operating in the OR

Dr. Schuler Discusses His Personal Experience With Overcoming Neck Pain

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…

Woman gripping her elbow in pain

Arm Pain & Numbness? Cervical Disc Replacement May Be Right For You!

A cervical disc replacement can be an excellent option for many candidates, but what exactly does that mean? Often times my patients will schedule an initial consultation when they are experiencing arm pain and numbness, but their neck doesn’t necessarily hurt. This could be a sign of symptomatic nerve or spinal cord compression and may require a…