The abuse of prescription painkillers is on the rise. Yet, there is no solid evidence that opioids, or narcotics, work better than surgery in relieving chronic pain from a degenerative spine condition. Opioids are a class of pain medications including morphine, codeine, oxycodone, methadone, hydrocodone, Percocet, Oxycontin and Vicodin that work by interfering with the [...]
The below study was published in the December 16, 2008 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Back pain affects more than 80% of people in the U.S. at a cost of more than $100 billion a year. A recent study conducted at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago suggests that for patients with spinal stenosis, a laminectomy, [...]
https://youtu.be/Aavpxx_WAv8 Andy's sciatic, hip and leg pain started what seemed like overnight. Two different orthopaedic surgeons recommended he have a hip replacement, but this decision did not sit right with him. Though his pain was focused in his hip area, Andy decided to send his MRI to the Bonati Spine Institute for review by one [...]
Ankylosing Spondylitis is a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine. It is characterized by early sacroiliac joint pain followed by hardening of the outer wall of the spinal disc and surrounding connective tissue along with arthritic changes in the facet joints. The most recent data available shows that about 2.7 million Americans may [...]
This article is excepted from Spine-health.com's original article A Simple Guide to Sleeping with Lower Back Pain written by Kevin Ju, MD on July 27, 2017. Lower back pain makes it hard to fall asleep, and it can startle you awake at any hour of the night. To help you reclaim your sleep schedule, here is [...]
Lately there has been a considerable amount of debate about artificial spinal discs. Having an artificial spinal disc implanted is a major surgical procedure, and surgical treatment with an artificial disc is not without risk. A variety of complications may occur, either alone or in combination. Potential complications associated with spine surgery and artificial discs [...]
Lumbar spinal stenosis is the most common reason for musculoskeletal surgery in the United States. Currently, it is estimated that as many as 1.2 million Americans may already be suffering from the symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis results from the gradual degeneration of the bones, discs, muscles, and ligaments that make up the [...]
https://youtu.be/QIRgGHUsTIg Bob had degenerative neck and spine pain. It began affecting his everyday life. Whether he was at work or at play, he was suffering. Finally, he had MRI's done at the Bonati Spine Institute and began a treatment plan to get back to life. Watch Bob's story above and if you too are looking [...]
We mention often at the Bonati Spine Institute that fusions fail over 50% of the time. Because of this we recommend avoiding fusions if at all possible. Below is an example of one study explaining why a patient may want to think twice when considering a fusion procedure. The study was published in the European Spine [...]
Exercise and stretching are some of the first things people do for pain associated with a bulging disc in the spine. However, for some, bulging disc symptoms can be painful and interfere with everyday living. Left untreated, a bulging disc can lead to further spinal issues including nerve root or spinal cord compression. A bulging disc occurs [...]
