I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but as of this blog’s publishing, we’ve still got almost two months of winter left in the United States. Unfortunately, the extreme cold of the winter can give rise to back pain episodes for many Americans. There are various reasons this may be the case – the initiation of a seasonal household chore such as shoveling snow, a lack of movement as the cooler weather begs you to stay indoors, or how your body physiologically reacts (tenser muscles) to the cooler temps. Understanding the most common reasons for winter-related back pain (and tips to avoid it) can ..read more

Neel Anand, MD, MCh Orth, professor of orthopaedic surgery and director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles, was named one of the moderators and debaters at the International Meeting on Spine Techniques. The 30th International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) – powered by the Scoliosis Research Society — offers an in-person meeting experience at The Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) in Dublin, Ireland, where leading spine surgeons, innovative researchers, and the most advanced spine technologies come together in an internation ..read more

My career as a spine surgeon and researcher has spanned multiple decades, yet I continue to marvel at the progress with which this field of medicine continues to make considerable strides for our patients. From the first spine surgery in the late 1800s to the first minimally invasive lumbar disc procedure in the early 1900s and many innovations since then, mine is a field that never stops bettering itself for the patients who need us. Most of what you’ve likely heard about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (a subset of AI) is possibly relegated in your mind to a Sci-Fi realm of ..read more

The period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is often one where people throw caution to the wind when it comes to their dietary health. It is also an incredibly stressful time for many – with the hustle and bustle of decorating, shopping, and entertaining taking a toll on the body and the mind. As a not-so-surprising result, complaints of back pain tend to peak during this “most wonderful time” of the year. The truth about back pain and spine issues is that most people experience them at some point (whether it’s the holidays or at another point on the calendar), and fortunately most won ..read more

With the advent of technology and streaming services, effectively no one listens to music on compact discs (CDs) anymore. But for those who remember hearing your favorite tunes this way, especially with a beloved album that you played constantly, there was nothing worse than the terrible sound your speakers made when the disc skipped. Whether it was dirty, cracked, or scratched, it was a sad day when the disc no longer produced beautiful music. One way to envision chronic back pain is to think of it as a skipping of the disc, somewhere along the spinal column. The clinical criterial definition ..read more

When it comes to back pain, there can be some very polarizing opinions from the public and the medical community on what constitutes the “right” treatment for the pain. At one end of the spectrum, you have those quick to judge others for choosing a surgical treatment for a degenerative and painful spine condition based on their physician’s recommendations. Conversely, you have those quick to judge physicians and health care providers for prescribing what might seem like not “enough” treatment to address the pain. While I’ve written at length about the rationale for surgery in specific spine ca ..read more

Back pain can seem like life’s unrelenting and cruel boss, especially in people frequently affected by it. If your lower back is hurting, or you’re feeling pain under your shoulder blades or down your neck, you know how difficult it can be simply to sit up in the morning, let alone function adequately at work, throughout the day. As it turns out, much research indicates that back pain is a leading cause of days lost at work, with more than 1 in 4 working adults reporting that they experience back pain at any given time.  To control back pain while at work, you may have tried medications ..read more

Though the spinal anatomy is the same, men can experience back pain in unique ways from women. Regardless of gender, back pain can be one of the most frustrating medical conditions. And while it is true that back pain does not discriminate based on gender, it is sometimes necessary to point out the unique differences in how back pain presents itself in either gender. I have written extensively on back pain in women, so I thought it was fitting here to discuss back pain with specific regard to the male species.  Back pain is a significant health issue faced by many and continues to account ..read more

Lumbago and low back pain are one in the same, and affect millions in the U.S. Though it might sound like an exotic dance move, the word lumbago is just a medical term that means low back pain. If you’ve been around long enough, you’ve probably heard that low back pain is one of the most common reasons people see a doctor, miss work, or are otherwise temporarily disabled from living an otherwise healthy and active life. More than 3 million people in the United States experience lumbago each year. For some, lumbago can be a nuisance that requires minimal attention and doesn’t stop a person from ..read more

Spondylolisthesis is a spine condition caused when one vertebra slips over another. This condition’s symptoms sometimes mimic those of other back pain conditions. The complex design of the spinal column is a biological wonder. It comprises 33 bones at birth – some eventually fusing to become 24 bones in most adults – 23 discs and more than 40 muscles and ligaments. The spine is genuinely nature’s stage for the human body’s performance. And all those bones, discs, muscles and ligaments must work together perfectly for our bodies to function correctly. Sometimes, the mighty machinery of the spin ..read more