Back pain is an unfortunately universal experience, affecting millions of Americans regardless of background. But for minority populations in the United States, back pain can be present as more than just physical discomfort – it can be a complex issue intertwined with cultural norms, social determinants of health, and wide variations in access to high-quality medical information and care. Studies show that while all races experience back pain, prevalence rates can differ. Data from the CDC suggests that non-Hispanic white adults report back pain at a slightly higher rate than Hispanics and Afr ..read more

Many articles about back pain today involve long-discussed spine irritants such as carrying excess weight, recreational and sports injuries, and commonplace “accidents” such as lifting an object the wrong way or not standing up frequently enough while attending to a chore. But many episodes of back pain, even pain that can become chronic, severe, and long-lasting, occur because of everyday habits we may not even be aware of. Knowing the daily habits we engage in that can put us at an increased risk for back pain or long-term spine damage is the first step in helping to reduce the risk. Uneven ..read more

It’s no surprise that neck pain and back pain are a universal struggle. The experience of spinal pain is nearly guaranteed at some point in life and so severe in some cases that the people experiencing it are desperate for relief. Unfortunately, today’s online marketplace is flooded with “miracle” cures promising instant relief, all while preying on vulnerable people. To illustrate, a quick internet search of “neck and back pain tools” yields more than 80 million results in under one minute.  To be sure, not all the back pain and neck pain tools available today are dangerous. But how is ..read more

While back pain is a health concern that will impact just about everyone at some point in life, it’s also a condition that can have people desperately searching for relief – sometimes in the wrong places. A quick Internet search of “fast back pain treatment” can yield accurate information for some and perhaps inaccurate information for others – depending on the search algorithms of the individual looking for relief. The question is – how can one tell what advice is “good” when it comes to spine health and what advice is “bad,” or perhaps more accurately – “not right for me?” To answer these qu ..read more

Over the years, I’ve written extensively on how people can avoid spine surgery for various conditions that cause back pain and, when they can’t, how surgery can often be performed using a minimally invasive approach. Most of those articles have an asterisk disclaimer that comes with them because traumatic spine injuries are an “exception to the rule.” In cases where the spine has been acutely injured in such a way that only surgery can fix it, the option for minimally invasive repair isn’t always available. Sometimes, a trauma surgeon must make immediate life-or-death decisions, and they canno ..read more

The decision to undergo spine surgery is a deeply personal one. Having performed procedures now numbering in the thousands, I can state with genuine humility that all cases are unique. While the patients’ anatomy may be similar, each decides to undergo surgery from a unique set of circumstances, backgrounds, and life goals. However, if you are experiencing persistent back pain, and have been told that artificial disc replacement surgery might be right for you, below are four factors that may indicate the procedure’s potential benefits.  Radiating Back Pain: Does the back pain you’re ..read more

No matter your gender, back pain can be one of the most frustrating medical conditions around. And though we often talk about how it affects people in general, it’s necessary sometimes to point out the differences in how back pain presents itself, sometimes uniquely, in men and women. With June as Men’s Health Month, this is a great time to discuss some things you might not know about back pain’s effect on men and, more importantly, how men, and those who love them, can help outsmart old Father Time and stop back pain before it starts. Although back pain is among the most common causes of pain ..read more

Of the more than 100 different types of arthritis known to the world, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common and affects millions of people around the globe. Often, people think osteoarthritis affects the hands, knees, and sometimes the feet of older people. However, the degenerative bone condition also impacts the spines of many humans worldwide, some of which are only in their 40s. OA is characterized by the breakdown of the cartilage that cushions the bones of a joint from painfully rubbing against each other as they move within the body. In the case of the spine specifically, OA results wh ..read more

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