When you first seek care for your back or neck pain, the first doctor you will see is usually your primary physician. Your doctor may then tell you that you require care from a spine surgeon. While you may be limited to spine surgeons within your managed care network, there are some things to look for when you are in the process of choosing the best one to manage your condition.
Almost 80 percent of adults regularly suffer from some type of back pain. If you have ever experienced lower back pain, you know how it can have a negative impact on your life. You may be fearful to participate in physical activities because you are afraid of making the pain worse or injuring yourself more. Lack of activity may actually worsen your pain and affect your overall well-being.
Lasers have been a trendy marketing tool in the spine industry for years and this “cutting-edge” technology has been used by many institutes to reel in unsuspecting patients with neck and back pain. Although they use the word laser in the name of their company or procedure, a laser is rarely used in the actual procedure itself. These institutes and practices are only confusing the patient and ultimately hurting the facilities that, in fact, employ a laser to repair herniated discs. Particularly in the spine industry, the best minimally invasive surgical techniques are used in conjunction with a laser. Is it the laser, the surgeon or the minimally invasive technique that actually benefits the patient? The answer is Yes, Yes and Yes or all three.
Buddy Hield intercepts the ball from the left just as Jackson infringes on his right. He pivots to cut the blocker from interrupting his drive to the basket. First to the left, then to the right; he ducks, and plunges down the court only seconds away from another victory. With 3 seconds remaining on the clock, he braces himself for the vital shot. He jumps, shoots, and hears the tranquil “swoosh” as the ball falls through the basket. As his feet land hard on the court surface the force of his descent sends a shock through his body. His lower limbs and spine bear the burden of the descending weight increased by the gravity from his jump. The impact is only minimally reduced by the Dr. Scholl’s shock absorbing inserts Coach prompted the team to employ this season. This constant twisting, extending, and leaping in addition to routine weight training and limited recovery time is gradually setting Buddy up for an injury to the discs within his spine.
Recently the Florida Medical Association (FMA) president, Ralph Nobo, M.D. addressed one of the biggest issues facing Florida physicians today: Insurance companies. Physicians are constantly asking themselves if a patient’s insurance company will let the patient have the care that is best for them and ultimately pursue the course of action laid out by the physician. Insurance companies are focused more on reducing their own costs than improving care. As a direct result, they are creating barriers to quality care and much higher out-of-pocket costs for patients.
I am sure you have seen it before…at the grocery store an elderly woman hunched over her shopping cart? Have you ever wondered what causes this? Is it old age? Is it a congenital problem? Is it caused by an injury?
As the weather gets colder, you may start to notice a common ache in your neck, lower back or perhaps another part of your spine. Pain from previous injuries may even reoccur as the temperatures drop, leaving patients to wonder if they will suffer from pain all winter long. Understanding the correlation between cold weather and the discomfort in your back muscles and joints is important to help alleviate your pain.
The continuum of care model is a concept involving a system that guides and tracks patients over time through a comprehensive array of health services spanning all levels and intensity of care. This multidisciplinary approach is both beneficial to the patient and the physician. There are so many potential solutions out there it is difficult for any one individual physician to know them all. For example, this is especially true for the chronic back and leg pain (CBLP) patient. Instead of making decisions independently, it is important to involve other specialties to be well informed on all the potential treatment options and make the best decision for the patient. The Continuum of care is not a new concept to healthcare; however, in recent years we have seen more and more healthcare providers shift to this model. Below are the top 4 ways Deuk Spine Institute demonstrates the continuum of care concept:
