Epidemic of Unnecessary Surgeries
I have blogged several times before about the epidemic of unnecessary spine and joint surgeries performed in our country. Spine surgery is the single most costly surgery for Medicare. The rate of spine and joint surgeries in the USA is 2-3 times higher than in any other industrialized country, with incredibly large regional variations. The widespread use of MRI scans, […]
Alternative to Rotator Cuff Surgery
This week we saw two patients in our clinic that demonstrate the usefulness of precisely placed regenerative injections with stem cells as an alternative to shoulder surgery. Both patients were seen 6 months after their procedure and both were doing very well. Charles P is 71 year old male who became paraplegic about 40 years ago as a result of […]
The Failed Promises of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
First, what exactly is minimally invasive spine surgery? You would think that this term means surgery involving minimal manipulation of, and minimal damage to the tissues of the spine and around the spine. But, in reality that is not necessarily the case. The definition of minimally invasive spine surgery is not based on the amount of tissue removed or manipulated, […]
Can Meditation Help Patients with Chronic Pain?
A regular program of meditation can improve your general health. A growing number of scientific studies have shown that meditation may help patients with a variety of conditions like: depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, and sleep difficulties. It has been suggested that meditation achieves these positive outcomes by reducing stress and anxiety. Since meditation is an easy and […]
Surgery for Spinal Stenosis No Better Than Conservative Care
Many patients come to our office asking if stem cell therapy will help their spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis refers to a condition of narrowing of the spaces in the spine where our spinal cord and spinal nerves travel. Narrowing of those spaces can be a congenital condition, but most frequently it is the result of arthritis and degeneration of the […]