Did you know that sitting up straight and maintaining correct posture can help keep your back healthy and prevent chronic pain from developing throughout your life? Bad posture is a major contributing factor towards the creation of an abnormal spine alignment which can lead to many other problems later down the line. 

Neck and back pain are two of the most common types of chronic pain that affect millions of Americans each year. No matter what your background is, there is a good chance you will experience some type of neck or back pain at some point in your life. Knowing some of the most common causes can help you better prepare and possibly even prevent these issues from arising.

Choosing to undergo spine surgery under the advice of our Doctors can be a monumental step towards reducing or completely eliminating your neck or back pain. After you have made the decision to go through with the procedure, you may have some questions about financing, insurance, or about the surgery itself. Our team is standing by to answer any of these questions for you over the phone (1-800-349-6922) or in person, and to help make this process as easy as possible, we’ve put together a list of 6 creative ways you can use to help pay for your spine surgery or other procedure.

Playing golf can put a lot of strain on your spine. However, if you have an existing back or neck condition, the pain can often become unbearable and prevent you from playing the game you love. Pro golfer Tiger Woods is living proof that outpatient spinal fusion can stop your pain and allow you to keep playing.

Back pain affects people from all walks of life and does not discriminate based on age, race, gender, religion or political affiliation. According to recent research by the Mayo Clinic, approximately 80% of all Americans will have low back pain at least once in their lives and is the second most common cause of disability worldwide. Back pain is also one of the most common reasons for missed work and the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, behind only upper-respiratory infections. Americans spend at least $50 Billion each year on back pain alone. In order to understand and treat back pain, we must be able to pinpoint the causes. Here are six culprits for most back and neck pain and they are more common than you may think.

“It’s just a strain. I’ll be fine.” How many times do we hear those words when someone winces in pain from picking up something heavy or instinctively grabs their lower back while crouching after a work related or athletic mishap? It’s a fairly common sentiment to a fairly common condition. However, sometimes it’s not just a strain. It could be a herniated disc, which a little more serious. This begs the question, “What’s the difference, and how do I treat my symptoms appropriately?”

Tennis anyone? How about golf, racquetball, or even bowling if the weather’s bad? As we age, most of us make the gradual transition into one of these activities from more rigorous ones like football, basketball, or hockey because they take less of a physical toll on the body, while still providing some of the many health benefits associated with recreational activity.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of adults in the United States suffer from obesity. Being overweight puts you at a greater risk for many health issues including back pain. If you have back problems and are overweight or obese, your doctor will usually recommend reducing your weight as part of your individualized treatment plan.