Spine Talk

One of the objectives of a recent trip into space was to determine the long-range effect on “the mind, body and spirit” of the travelers into this last frontier. The agency which supervises all government-sponsored trips into space – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently announced the safe return of astronaut Scott Kelly who had spent the last year living in the Space Station. This is longer than anyone else had previously done. The ramification of this trip – a medical experiment, in fact – is fascinating for the scientists at NASA and the spine specialists at Texas Back Institute. Why? According to news reports, including this one from NBC, Scott Kelley’s body changed while he was living in outer space. In addition to other possible effects of the weightlessness of outer space (yet to be determined), Kelly appears to have grown about 2-inches during this period. This fact is corroborated by a comparison with Scott’s brother, Mark, who is an identical twin and thus has the exac

This is the time of year when the bats are swinging, the baseballs are flying and the boys and girls of summer are at least thinking of the words to the world’s best baseball song… “Put me in coach. I’m ready to play. Today” As the official spine surgeons for the Frisco RoughRiders, a minor league affiliate of The Texas Rangers, the specialists at Texas Back Institute examine many of these young players when back injuries strike. Often, these injuries are exacerbated when young players – middle school, high school, collegiate and professional - try to “play through the pain.” A recent article in the Wall Street Journal noted overuse injuries are a serious problem, particularly for younger boys and girls. These are caused by the repetitive stress of the muscles and skeletal system without giving them enough rest. According to the article, more than 50 percent of the pediatric sports injuries occur due to a focus on a single sport by a young athlete. Teams, of all skill levels, are trying to combat these in

Why Air Travel Can be Hazardous to Your Health Anyone who spends a lot of time on an airplane has a clear understanding of the concept of misery. Except for those lucky travelers who are in “first class,” the other 200 or so people spend the duration of the flight cramped, with little leg room, closely seated next to other passengers who are often grouchy due to their own lack of space! Dr. Michael Hisey http://texasback.com/doctors-profiles/doctor-hisey is a spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute and his work in the field makes him a highly-sought-after speaker for medical conventions all over the world. Because of this, Dr. Hisey has become somewhat of a “road warrior” and as such, is the ideal source for offering tips on avoiding the back pain which can result from hours and hours on an airplane. He has also had some quirky experiences that can only happen to a doctor on a plane. “Recently, I’ve had some long trips to Uganda and China,” he said. “I’ve also got a trip coming up to Singapore. See more at www

Can plunging one’s entire body into a freezing chamber reduce muscle pain? For the professional athletes and celebrities who have made cryotherapy so popular, the answer is yes. If the media coverage is any indication, extreme cold is very hot. Many athletes, movie stars and other opinion leaders have publically extolled the benefits of Whole Body Cryotherapy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryotherapy for losing weight, reducing pain, improving athletic performance, slowing aging and improving sleep. However, this relatively new treatment has not been vetted by any reputable medical organization and has had some tragic consequences for at least one young lady. According to an article in Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2015/11/23/the-cold-hard-facts-on-cryotherapy/#1d8c1a691334 magazine, “the recent death of 24-year old Chelsea Patricia Ake-Salvacion during a cryotherapy treatment has brought some increased scrutiny on a practice that has been growing in use worldwide.” To find out just how effecti

Beginning on April 28th and running through April 30, 2016, the owners of the teams of the National Football League (NFL) will decide which eligible players they think will help take them to a championship. The NFL Draft has become one of the most-anticipated events of the sport’s off-season with fans quoting arcane statistics like a player’s bench-press best, his “vertical leap” or his 40-yard dash times in justifying the choice of one player over another. However, these physical and psychological tests and measurements seldom tell the whole story about these young men. The discipline necessary succeed in this highly competitive situation is one of those factors which even the most experienced coaches find hard to quantify. Plus, existing and potential physical weaknesses, which can lead to future injuries, make it difficult to determine which players are likely to make it through the entire, grueling NFL season. Since back injuries have become a major cause of players missing time on the field, Dr. Shawn He

It has been noted by more than a few armchair philosophers that “it’s the little things that add up to big problems.” This aphorism applies to many things including back pain. Whether it is poor posture, improper lifting techniques or any number of other bad habits, when they are continued for years, these little things can add up to big pain. Back pain can be the unintended consequence of everyday activities. In some extreme cases, long term damage to the muscles of the back and even the spine can occur. Correcting or avoiding these activities might save a trip to Texas Back Institute. Common Causes for Back Pain “There are certainly many culprits around the house,” noted Dr. Stephen Tolhurst, a spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute. “The most common problems involve lifting improperly. Failing to bend at the knees to lift a heavy object and putting extreme stress on back muscles can wreak havoc on the back.” “Another common cause for back pain involves staying in one position for a long time with your lowe

Text Neck is More than a Cute Term. It’s Seriously Painful People, of all ages, staring down at a small screen for hours every day could have a real problem. As was noted in a previous blog post (http://texasback.com/about-us/blog/text-neck-its-nothing-to-lol-about/), this has resulted in the rise of a non-medical, but extremely descriptive term: Text Neck. It has also resulted in patients showing up in the Texas Back Institute waiting room, complaining of sore necks. More on this later. Dr. Rey Bosita, a spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute notes, “This is a pain in the back of a person’s neck, caused by poor back posture while looking down at smartphones, tablets or other electronic devices.” “The cause of text neck is the same for both kids and adults,” he said. “People have a tendency to hold a mobile device down in the lap or down on a low surface, while keeping the neck flexed. When that happens, the muscles in the back of the neck get fatigued. When users finally get distracted from dealing with “

In the history of medicine, there are very few diagnostic procedures which have had the impact of magnetic resonance imaging, more commonly known as MRI. The MRI scanners use magnetic fields, radio waves and field gradients to form images of the anatomy and they are capable of revealing the physiological properties of the body, including disease and injuries. The MRI process was patented and introduced to physicians in the mid 1970’s, and one of the early adopters of this technology was Texas Back Institute. Recently, one of the three founders of Texas Back Institute, Dr. Richard Guyer, shared his insights about the value of the MRI scans for spine diagnosis. A New MRI Technology Texas Back Institute has a rich history of pioneering new medical technology and the organization has one of the first MRI’s designed for spine diagnostics. Dr. Guyer explains how this new machine differs from the traditional MRI. “First of all, it’s a more compact MRI scan,” he noted. “Plus, it is much cheaper than the traditional

Dr. Ralph Rashbaum, co-founder and Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Texas Back Institute talks about SI Joint disfunction, the symptoms, and treatment options for it. Si Joint disfunction is often misdiagnosed, and goes untreated for many patients. For more information visit: www.texasback.com

Dr. Stephen Hochschuler, Co-Founder and Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Texas Back Institute talks about the history and philosophy of the multi-disciplinary spine practice. Texas Back Institute has been caring for patients with neck pain and back pain for over 35 year, and built a strong reputation in the spine care community. Texas Back Institute is dedicated to research in new technologies and procedures. Dr. Hochschuler discusses some of these technologies and fun stories from the early years. For more information about Texas Back Institute visit: www.texasback.com

The world-class spine surgery skills of Dr. Theodore Belanger will be evident for the world to observe this week when the Texas Back Institute surgeon performs two, extremely challenging surgical procedures on two young people who have been transported from Ethiopia. The two patients, who have allowed us to share their names and medical histories, arrived in the Dallas area on October 22, 2015, and will undergo their respective surgeries the following week. Because of the generosity of The Medical Center of Plano and Texas Back Institute, these very complicated and costly procedures along with the 3-month recuperation will be completed at no charge to the two patients. In a recent interview, Dr. Belanger, shared his reason for taking on these operations. “I had some friends and colleagues working with patients in Ethiopia and I had always wanted to give back to patients who do not have the kind of access to the expertise and facilities that we take for granted in America,” he said. “Through these friends, I

Getting the Gain and Avoiding the Pain What is it about the mechanics of rowing that causes back pain and injuries? Dr. John Peloza, a spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute, had some insights during a recent interview. Peloza in Clinic “First, there are different kinds of rowing,” he said. “Rowing in a skull is a different type of rowing than that of rowing in a kayak. There is a repetitive torsional (twisting) and flexion motion in this activity and it can be very damaging to the spine. In order to support one’s spine when doing this activity, it is important for the participant to have core strength and use the proper mechanics. The rower should try to maintain a neutral position and when this is accomplished, this will go a long way toward protecting the lower back.” How does a paddle sports enthusiast get in this “neutral position?” “Basically, this involves keeping the spine straight,” Dr. Peloza noted. “You then should do most of the Flexion/Extention through your hips with less flexion through you

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal featured research from The British Journal of Sports Medicine and Cornell University which warned of the dangers of sitting at one’s desk all day. The article identified at least 35 chronic diseases, including diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer, which were statistically more likely to occur among men and women whose workday was spent in a sedentary position. The piece also offered suggestions for overcoming this health hazard. Dr. Alan Hedge, a professor of ergonomics at Cornell noted that for every half-hour working in an office, “people should sit for 20 minutes, stand for eight minutes and then move around and stretch for two minutes. While the article did not deal with the ramifications of a full day of sitting for spine and back health, Texas Back Institute physician, Dr. Jason Marchetti was enlisted to offer his professional opinion on this subject. Why Does Constant Sitting Cause Back Pain Dr Marchetti “Studies have shown that the pressure on the spinal d

Blog Audio - Dr. Samuel Bederman Talks About the Genetic Link in Scoliosis by Texas Back Institute