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…
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…
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…
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…
One of the most common complaints we see in our clinic is the result of Sacroiliac (SI) Joint pain. There are two sacroiliac joints that connect with the pelvis and the lower part of the spine. Most joints, like the knee and hip, have a wide range of motion but the SI joint rotates and tilts…
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…
Did you know your neck is one of the most flexible segments of your spine? Even with its flexibility, however, neck pain affects 10% of the population annually! Pain can be either localized to the cervical spine {commonly known as your neck} or it may radiate down your arm, which is referred to as “radiculopathy”. Because…
Allowing your children to play sports when diagnosed with scoliosis may seem counterintuitive. Many parents worry that sports are too rough and the continuous movement will exacerbate symptoms and worsen curve progression. Exercise is actually extremely beneficial to young athletes with scoliosis and plays a large role in a successful treatment plan. It not only strengthens…
There are a number of factors that are related to the natural risk for scoliosis curve progression. Four Factors for Scoliosis Curve Progression: Age Being diagnosed with scoliosis at a younger age means there is a higher chance of curve progression. This is because the curve progresses most during the growing years in adolescence. The…
