Category: General Questions

So in simple terms, sciatica is pain running down the back of the leg, and it results from a pinched nerve, usually from a lumbar herniated disc

The difference between normal soreness and a warning sign can be difficult to distinguish. Obviously, things like severity, pose a more ominous concern if something’s terribly severe. And, duration, if some type of pain lasts for a longer period of time, that’s a little more worrisome.

And when in doubt, patients should check in with their physician.

This would not be clearly laid out in our literature, but there’s some common sense things that kind of everybody knows but not everybody does for protecting their spine long term. And that’s exercise, although excessive weightlifting can be problematic, avoiding smoking, cigarette smoking has been associated with some bad effects on the spine.

And avoiding obesity, which can put added stress on the spine. But probably the single most underrated thing people can do for their spine is to stay fit and be active and not sit on the couch.

Back and neck pain for active adults over 50 is very common. Usually, not much intervention is needed other than supportive care, such as over-the-counter medications and physical therapy. Occasionally, it’s more than that, and if it’s more than that, an MRI comes into play to find out exactly what’s going on.

One of the things I’ve found that I think I probably do better than most surgeons in addressing complex cases is having a forward-looking view of treating the patient as they come to me with the situation they’re in. I haven’t found that there’s much value in looking back and second-guessing what should have been done previously, but rather working with how they are today and trying to get them better from that point.