Spine surgeon Long Beach, California

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.

Those who enter into a SI joint rehabilitation program can usually return to running with minor modifications. The more severe the case is, the more modifications will have to be made and longer rest period a physician may recommend. Many runners can return to running immediately by making modifications, but others with more severe pain may need to rest and rehabilitate for a while. In the latter case, it’s important that athletes take time to recover so they aren’t doing permanent damage to their body. Usually, a rehabilitation protocol and possible intervention to treat underlying cause (biomechanics, physical attributes, muscle problems) will result in complete recovery and zero residual pain. Surgical intervention offers similar results for more severe cases. With minimally-invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion procedures, doctors have reported less post-surgical bleeding and bruising as well as a shorter operating time. Discover a few more details at Si Joint Surgery Long Beach.

Up to 90% of patients experience pain relief with Long Beach Lumbar Spinal Fusion. Pain is significantly reduced after this procedure. A Long Beach lumbar spinal fusion is a type of back surgery that can be done as an open, minimally invasive or mini-open procedure. The procedure combines two or more vertebrae through a welding-like process in order to reduce pain and increase stability in the spine. It is used to treat chronic neck and back pain that may radiate to the arms and legs. People who suffer conditions such as degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, fractures and spinal tumors in Long Beach typically make good candidates for the procedures. When possible, some spinal fusion surgeries can be done as outpatient procedures with minimal cutting and operating time—they are called minimally invasive spinal fusions. Depending on which vertebrae are causing pain and where potentially diseased discs are located, a fusion can be done on the thoracic (upper back) or lumbar spine (lower back). Long Beach spinal fusions prevent pain associated with movement by fusing together two or more vertebrae in the spine to prevent painful movement. The pieces are welded together using a bone graft, made from either a cadaver bone or taken from the patient. These grafts are commonly referred to as cages.

The SI joint absorbs stress experienced in the legs during running and transfers it to the spine. If the muscles are weak or not working optimally, the SI joint takes the brunt of the load. Tightened ligaments often due to arthritis or hormone changes commonly caused by pregnancy can put the SI joint at greater risk of dysfunction. To properly diagnose SI joint dysfunction, your doctor will have to do an examination. Symptoms are usually described as increased pain after running, standing from a seated position, walking up stairs or using other exercise equipment that stretches the muscles connected to the SI joint. Diagnoses often includes several types of imaging including x-ray, CT, a special type of CT called a SPECT and MRI, as well as fluoroscopically guided injections and sometimes lab work.

Long Beach Spine Surgeon, Dr. Yuan, uses surgical and non-surgical treatments to relieve chronic pain in the neck and back. Learn more about the top 5 causes of back pain. 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. Read even more info at Spine surgeon Long Beach.