| FAQ | I'm thinking about having surgery to relieve my back pain from spinal stenosis. Besides the usual risk of infection and blood clots from any surgery, is there any reason NOT to have this operation? | Matt | 266 |
| FAQ | I've always had friends and family members with back pain but I prided myself in never having that problem. Well, guess what? I'm 55-years-old, newly retired, and down with a bad back. What's the best way to get back to normal? | Matt | 266 |
| FAQ | I've been having some back pain the doctor thinks is disc related. I was told to keep active and exercise. Nothing I do seems to hurt until much later. How can I figure out what makes it worse and avoid those exercises? | Matt | 266 |
| FAQ | My ability to brake reflexively is different since having a selective nerve root block done a week ago. When should I notice improvement? | Matt | 266 |
| FAQ | I've just finished a six-week rehab program for chronic back pain. I'm back to work and feeling good. Do I need to do anything else to keep this good result? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | My doctor has given me a choice between a lumbar fusion and the new lumbar disc
replacement. Is there any one reason to choose one over the other? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | I've heard that recent studies show most low back pain is really the result of psychosocial stresses. If this is true, then why do they fuse the spine? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | I'm going in for my third lumbar fusion operation. I know it's hopeless for me but will future generations have a better treatment than fusion? I've lost all motion in my low back. | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | I've been looking into the new artificial discs for low back pain. I tend to have allergies to dyes, foods, and metals. Would I have a problem with an artificial disc? Are they made of metal? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | I'm scheduled to have a procedure called radiofrequency neurotomy for chronic low
back pain. The doctor explained the nerve is going to be heated up until it's damaged and can no longer send pain messages to the brain. Won't it be painful to heat a nerve that high? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | The last three mornings I have woken up with sharp back and buttock pain on one side. What could be causing this? Should I see a doctor or a chiropractor? What's best for something like this? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | My daughter-in-law and I are having a debate about cold versus heat. I prefer a heating pad for my back pain. She's a nurse and insists I use a cold pack. Cold just puts me in spasm. She says that's because I've made up my mind against cold. What do the experts advise? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | My doctor told me having an MRI isn't always the best idea for back pain. She says there's a low positive predictive value in imaging studies of the spine. I wrote it down so I could ask: what does that mean? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | My doctor keeps telling me to exercise but I'm afraid it will just increase my low back pain. How should I get started? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | I'm going to have a discectomy at L34 in two days. As part of the postop instructions I was told to get back to work and daily activities as soon as possible. The handout says to follow my doctor's advice. What do most doctors tell their patients? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | I've just come back from a consultation with a neurosurgeon about my chronic back pain. She is suggesting I try a spinal cord stimulator in my spine to put an end to my pain. I've never heard of this. Is it fairly new? I don't really want to try something that isn't well-tested. | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | My physical therapist thinks traction is the best treatment for the kind of back pain I'm having. What if this doesn't work? Then what? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | My 22-year old nephew just had surgery for a disc problem. He doesn't even have a job lifting or carrying heavy objects. How can he have a herniated disc at his age? | Matt | 267 |
| FAQ | I went to see a physical therapist for chronic low back pain. There were several tests I had never done before. For example, the therapist asked me to count backwards by threes while she lifted my leg off the table. Then she tested my knee and ankle reflexes in two different positions. What are these tests for? | Matt | 268 |
| FAQ | The MRIs of my spine and my symptoms tell the doctor I have a herniated disc with cauda equina syndrome. I've been advised to have surgery right away. Do you agree with this idea? | Matt | 268 |
