Spine surgeon Long Beach, CA
Be a good patient? Whether you saw your primary doctor or an emergency room doctor, physicians like follow-up. This is most important if a problem does not clear up or returns. For example, if you head to the doctor with joint pain complaints and are treated with pain relievers and home therapies but the pain doesn’t resolve, you need to see your doctor again. There may be reason for additional tests or a more intense rest period, however there is no way to know that if you don’t call and inform the doctor of changes, or a lack thereof. What it comes down to is being your own advocate. Your doctor may be the medical expert, but you’re the you expert. You know you best and when something isn’t feeling right, calling the doctor to follow-up isn’t a nuisance, it’s a necessity. Sometimes doctors appointments offer little more than reassurance that the mole you’ve been stressing over for months is nothing to be afraid of, but in any case it’s a worthy use of your time.
The most common cause of back pain ? When back pain is chronic (i.e. lasts three months or more and occurs frequently), there is likely a more serious underlying issue that needs to be addressed. A disc problem is one of the most common causes of chronic lower back pain in adults and usually appears as a herniated disc in the lumbar or is caused by a degenerative disc disease. When a lumbar disc herniates, the inner portion of the disc breaks through the tough outer portion causing severe pain in the lumbar spine. The pain is caused by irritation of the nerves in the back, usually as the herniated disc creates swelling in the nerve roots. A degenerative disc disease occurs when the invertebral discs in the back begin to dehydrate over time. This causes the discs to wear down and become more susceptible to injury. Too much force on dehydrated discs can tear, weaken and become painful, often leading to a herniation.
LLIF and TLIF is to reduce or eliminate pain in Long Beach back, arm and/or leg pain sufferers caused by movement in the spine. It was created as a minimally invasive alternative to other spinal fusion surgeries. With its smaller incision there is less potential for damage of nerves, blood vessels and organs. In an LLIF, instead of using normal instruments, tubular instruments are passed through the small space using a tunnel formed by the surgeon between the patient’s abdominal organs and the spine muscles. In the TLIF, both parts of the spine are able to be worked on from one incision eliminating additional risks and a second incision site that can cause post-operative pain. Many patients prefer the lateral or transforminal approach to anterior or posterior interbody fusion procedures because they can go home the same day and recovery is shorter. Find even more details on Lumbar Fusion Long Beach.
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which the person’s spine curves sideways. This condition usually includes pain, uneven shoulders, and differing leg length. Adult scoliosis occurs when a person has reached spinal maturity. What is it scoliosis? Adult scoliosis is defined as a spinal deformity in a skeletally mature patient with a curvature of more than 10 degrees. When this curvature occurs, it can be accompanied by twisting or rotating of the spine as well, and the spine takes on the shape of an elongated “S”. Adult scoliosis can be classified into four major groups: Type 1- Primary degenerative scoliosis is caused by disc deterioration and/or facet joint arthritis. This condition causes back pain, and an asymmetrically change in the spinal column. Type 2- Idiopathic adolescent scoliosis that has progressed in adulthood. This may be the result of secondary degeneration and/or spinal imbalance, with or without a history of corrective spinal surgery. Type 3- Secondary adult curves a) resulting from a neuromuscular or joint abnormality causing a leg length discrepancy or hip pathology, or b) caused by metabolic bone disease (osteoporosis) combined with asymmetric arthritic disease and/or vertebral fractures. Patients that experience these symptoms predominantly complain of back pain, then leg pain and claudication symptoms (pain in the feet, calves, thighs, hips or buttocks with exercise) and numbness or tingling.
SI joint dysfunction isn’t always the cause of SI joint pain. Other potential causes of SI joint pain include sacral stress fracture, lumbar disk herniation, piriformis syndrome (a rare diagnosis that involves irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve) and ankylosing spondylitis (chronic, dull pain felt in the back, hip, and butt that often results in morning stiffness but subsides with exercise). If SI joint dysfunction is the cause of pain, an individualized treatment plan will be developed that includes both rest as well as modified activity. The goal is to rehabilitate the affected muscles by targeting the underlying cause of dysfunction and pain. In some cases, runners can change their approach to running to reduce or eliminate pain. A biomechanical evaluation of the runner can be done to assess whether or not this is the problem. Sometimes improper training, weak muscles or imbalanced muscles can be to blame. Overtraining can also be to blame. Manual therapy performed by a sports osteopath, chiropractor, physical therapist or athletic trainer is sometimes recommended as part of a doctor-prescribed therapy protocol.
Long Beach Spine Surgery is often sought to treat spinal conditions including deformity in children and adult scoliosis, kyphosis and flatback. Dr. Yuan never recommends surgery first and guides you to many options for pain relief and quality of life. Dr. Yuan is dedicated to serving patients using conservative treatments whenever possible. Never sign up for surgery when you don’t need it. If surgery is required, however, Dr. Yuan offers a variety of options for patients, including minimally invasive and robotic-assisted procedures. Find more details at Lumbago.