Be the perfect patient? This is an important step to making the most of your doctor’s visit as being face to face with your doctor is often the best time to ask medical questions. Your questions may be related to your diagnosis, treatment or personal preferences. Be proactive and don’t limit your questions to the reason that sent you to the doctor initially (however don’t bombard your doctor with questions either). Seeing a doctor is about continued health, not just curing the ailment at hand. A good practice is to ask your doctor what health-related items you could work on before your next visit. It could be a simple diet change, a challenge to exercise more or a more general piece of advice, such as stress less. Either way, when you’re face-to-face with a medical professional that has access to your personal health history, what better question could you ask about continued health?

The most common cause of back pain ? There are three common types of nerve root issues that lead to back pain: spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and osteoarthritis. In all three conditions, the nerve root is affected causing often-severe back pain. In spinal stenosis the pain results from narrowing of the spinal canal near the nerve roots. It can appear in one area, or several areas, of the back. In spondylolisthesis, a vertebrae slips over another vertebrae and creates a painful, unstable back. Spondylolisthesis most commonly occurs with joint issues, typically after a fracture or a degenerative joint disease, or as the result of a defect to the joints. Lastly, osteoarthritis occurs when both discs and joints begin to wear down. This ailment becomes more common as people age and leads to pain, swelling, instability and stenosis in one or several areas of the spine.

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. Find additional details on Si Joint Surgery Options.

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.

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 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. Philip Yuan is a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon and fellowship trained spinal surgeon who emphasizes non-surgical treatment first and only recommends surgical procedures when absolutely necessary to better a patient’s quality of life. Explore additional info on Back pain treatment.