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Spinal cord injury rehabilitation is crucial to seeing success when it comes to increasing the chances of positive outcomes over time. Spinal cord injury rehabilitation is paramount when it comes to reducing pain as well. Working through the ins and outs of a spinal cord injury rehabilitation process can be difficult, yet we’re here to help you navigate this sometimes difficult process with ease. We’re the experts in treating our patients with the level of care they deserve. Read on to discover more about our processes and why choosing Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants may be one of the best choices you make when it comes to successfully rehabilitating your back, neck, and spine post-injury.

Treating Your Condition with the Right Style of Care

Treating a spinal cord injury with the right level of rehabilitation is a delicate process. The spinal cord itself is a sensitive area of the body, and when it’s been injured, we need to take the right level of precautions and have the right strategy in place from the onset of the rehabilitation process. Our physical therapists have the experience and expertise you need to succeed. The team we’ve been able to build over the years is truly one of the best. There are many instances within spinal cord injury rehabilitation where you’ll want to have a team behind your success, and that is exactly what we have here at Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants.

Focusing On Results & Positive Outcomes

We’re a results-focused practice where we always want to seek out positive outcomes. When you’re with a team of rehabilitation professionals focusing on reenabling functionality within your spinal cord, you can rest assured we’re always rooting for you with the level of care we provide. This means we’re here to answer any and all questions, we’re here to be your guide through this tumultuous time, we’re here to see you through the path to success, and most importantly; we’re here to be your support system for this journey with spinal cord injury rehabilitation. We know what it takes to succeed and we’ll apply those same positive principles to you, as we’ve done for our many other patients we’ve helped rehabilitate over the years.

Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants: Your Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center

If you’re seeking out non-invasive solutions for your spinal cord injury rehabilitation, you’ll want to contact us using the form below. We’ll be sure to have you seen by one of our amazing medical professionals to have you on your way towards health and wellness once again. We look forward to hearing from you soon and we’re eager to begin the process of rehabilitating your spinal cord back to health.

DISCLAIMER: No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Yes, a Bad Hip Can Affect Your Back

A bad hip is never a good condition to be experiencing. A bad hip not only affects your pelvic region, it also affects your lower and upper half of your body. The hips are responsible for many of the stability factors within our body when we’re standing or sitting. Without a well functioning hop, you may end up developing pain in areas you wouldn’t think was possible beforehand. Read on to discover more about the benefits of establishing a healthy hip area to prevent further pain or injury in the future. 

Our Hips Provide Stability & Support for Our Back

As mentioned above, our hips maintain stability for our legs and lower back when  we take each and every step or sit down and stand up. Without a well functioning hip, you run the risk of encountering issues when you walk, run, sit, or stand. Additionally, the hip is a high load-bearing area which when injured or not functioning properly, may end up causing many other issues to arise over time. Addressing the issues within your hip region may help you avoid back, neck, and spine pain in your future years.

A Bad Hip May Cause Unnatural Walking Patterns

A bad hip may cause you to develop unnatural walking patterns which could throw off everything from your other hip, to your shoulders, to your knees, and more. At Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants we’ll be sure to help you resolve your hip problems to the best of our ability with quality physical therapy care to help you regain functionality, motion, flexibility, and stability.

Compensating for Your Bad Hip May Cause Back, Neck, & Spine Problems

Compensating for your bad hip may end up causing more harm than good. If you choose to place less pressure on the bad side of your hip while walking, you may end up causing a shift in your posture. This may in turn cause you to develop other painful issues within areas of your body.

Reach Out to Us for Help if You’re Experiencing Back, Neck, & Spine Problems Caused By a Bad Hip

If you’ve found your back, neck, or spine in pain or achey after having a hip injury; you may be experiencing the effects of compensating for said bad hip. We’ll work with you to best determine the problem areas and create a plan to restore your health back to a pain-free level. Feel free to contact us using the form below to start the process of your journey towards a healthier lifestyle with the help of an excellent physical therapy team and board-certified doctors. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

DISCLAIMER: No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Yes, Knee Injuries Can Affect Your Back

The short answer is: Yes, knee injuries can affect your back through a variety of ways. In this post, we’ll be discussing the various ways knee injuries can affect your back in a negative fashion. Read on to discover how an ignored knee injury may end up causing much more harm than good over time. We’ll also highlight the importance of addressing past and present injuries to best avoid scenarios where other injuries from your last end up causing painful conditions to arise elsewhere within your body.

Every Joint & Bone Affects Other Joints & Bones

All of the joints and bones are connected throughout our body. The way you move your knee affects the way you move your hip, and then the way you move your hip affects your lower-back, and so on and so forth. The emphasized point here is you should always try to maintain health throughout all of your joints and bones to prevent other conditions, such as a bad back, from occurring.

Your Knee Injury May Affect How You Walk

We’ve all known someone who hurt their knee and they say “it’s never the same”. While this may be true in certain injuries within certain individuals, it doesn’t have to be the case with you. Our physical therapists work with your unique condition to best resolve any abnormalities, pain, discomfort, or lack of mobility. With this benign said, your past knee injury will likely affect the way you walk, whether you realize it or not. Our physical therapists are fantastic at identifying areas where you’re compensating due to your past knee injury. Our team of physical therapists will subsequently apply the appropriate techniques to have you back on track to health and wellness once again.

Your Knee Injury May Cause You to Compensate in Other Areas

As mentioned above, compensating to avoid painful positions or movements will inevitably cause you to develop abnormalities throughout other areas of your body. The last thing you want to develop is a gait in your walk on the other side of your body due to compensating for the original knee injury you had a few years ago. At Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants, we address your knee problem from a whole body perspective. We want to ensure you’re treated with the car which will help restore movement, flexibility, and pain-free activeness once again.

Your Knee Injury May Cause an Unnatural Shift in Your Body’s Alignment

Finally, a knee injury from the past may cause your body’s natural alignment with the neck, back, and spine to become misaligned. This is not ideal and can possibly worsen over time if not properly addressed. Let us help you accomplish your healing goals and have you restored back to health once again.

Contact Us for Your Back, Neck, & Spine Care Needs

Here at Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants, we’re focused on providing the quality care you’d expect from a medical center such as ours. We’re constantly striving for patient care which exceeds expectations and goes above and beyond the status quo. Feel free to contact us using the form below to have your initial consultation scheduled with one of our amazing physical therapists and doctors. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

DISCLAIMER: No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

What is a High Risk Sport?

A high risk sport is any sport which involves high risk activity which may end up causing issues later on with your body’s wellbeing. Throughout this post, we’ll be discussing the various types of high risk sports where your back, neck, and spine may be affected. Read on to learn more about the. Various styles of sports which may affect your neck, back, and spine more than others.

Opponent Based Sports

If you’re facing off against a physical opponent in the sport of your choice, you may be subject to additional injury and pain should they attack you in an aggressive fashion. Examples of this instance may be sports such as football, hockey, and rugby. These sports have increased risks of injury due to the effects of opponents tackling, jumping, or pushing you if you participate in said sports. This process of offense versus defense creates an environment with increased risk factors where one could injure their neck, back, and spine.

Repetitive Movement Sports

Repetitive movement sports such as tennis or golf may cause injury over time to the neck, back, and spine through consistent use of the muscles, joints, and bones. Tennis itself has a condition named “tennis elbow” where one experiences an increased strain and pain within their elbow from the repetitive motion of striking the tennis ball with their racquet. A similar injury profile may occur within the sport of golf as well. Golf requires movement within the arms, hips, back, neck, spine, knees, and more. It’s basically a full body sport, whether people realize it or not. This style of sport could cause increased stress upon the neck, back, and spine over time.

High-Impact Sports

High-impact sports such as parkour, snowboarding, mountain biking, etc… May have an increased likelihood of causing injury to the neck, back, and spine. These sports involve a lot of timing, skill, and precision; all combined with high-impact landings. This could cause a situation where you injure your neck, back, or spine.

Choosing Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants for Your Neck, Back, & Spine Health Needs

If you’re experiencing neck, back, or spine pain from a past sporting injury; you’ll want to contact us to learn more about how we can help. Our physical therapy programs we have here at Neurosurgery & Spine consultants are top notch. We always view surgery as a last resort option with our patients and we’ll work with you to achieve the best results we can with non-invasive methods. Feel free to contact us using the for, below and we’ll be sure to have you seen by one of our excellent medical specialists as soon as possible.

DISCLAIMER: No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Weight gain is something several of us struggle with, but did you know weight gain may very well contribute to back pain in some individuals? Yes, this can be the case in certain individuals. The reasoning behind this issue is the fact our skeletal frame can only support so much body weight before aches and pains begin to develop. This can lead to injuries, joint pain, and back pain if the weight gain or obesity is not addressed in a timely fashion. Throughout this post, we’ll be discussing how weight gain and back pain can be correlated and what we can do to help you overcome both problems. 

Does Obesity Cause Back Pain?

Obesity causes many issues in many people. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, certain types of cancers, sleep disorders, heart disease, etc… The bottom line is: obesity is not good, especially when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle full of wellness and longevity. Obesity typically causes back pain through the sheer act of having your body carry excess weight it’s not made for. If you’re a larger person by nature (taller or wider set), you may be able to avoid aches and pains within your back, neck, and spine if you happen to put on some extra pounds. However, if you’re already a smaller framed individual and you happen to put on extra weight, or become obese, you may end up feeling the effects of your weight gain that much more. If you think of the human body and frame the same way you think of any other structure; there can only be so much weight applied to a “structure” before things start to happen. Applying this same principle to our bodies is a good way of understanding how weight gain can affect the back, neck, and spine. It all comes down to increased tension and stress on the joints, muscles, and nerves.

How Does Losing Weight Potentially Help Back Pain?

Losing weight may potentially help your back pain through the exact opposite effect of gaining weight. As your weight is reduced back to a healthy amount based on your gender, height, age, etc…; you’ll most likely begin to notice many improvements in your overall lifestyle, including your back pain possibly improving. Excess weight, or obesity, can really begin to take a toll on the human body if it’s not addressed efficiently and effectively over time.

Effective Ways to Lose Weight

Below are some ways to lose weight and begin a journey towards a healthier lifestyle where your back pain may be improved upon.

Exercise

Exercise, especially lighter forms of exercise (swimming is a great example), can be very beneficial for losing weight and building up strength and stamina once again. Starting off slow and steady can help you reach higher goals when it comes to a healthy exercise routine. Even just taking walks around the block with family or friends everyday is a great starting point to stand up and start moving.

Eliminating Added Sugars

When you consume large amounts of added sugars on a daily basis, you’re going to most likely see weight gain. Natural sugars such as those from whole fruits are much more tolerated by our bodies due to the larger amounts of fiber to help us maintain better blood-sugar levels as we eat said fruits. Now, when you consume a sugary soda beverage, you’re consuming liquified sugar; sometimes in excess of 40g of sugar per serving. This is a lot of sugar to consume every single day. This type of sugar can make you much more prone to gaining weight over time. Eliminating added sugars from your diet may help you lose weight just from modifying your diet to a healthier baseline.

Cutting Out Alcohol & Cigarettes

Alcohol and cigarettes can cause us to lose stamina, have an increased risk of cancer, and may promote an unhealthy lifestyle altogether. When you consume larger quantities of alcohol on a daily basis, you run the risk of gaining weight through improper food choices or even developing a “beer belly”. Smokers who smoke on a daily basis may find their lungs are unable to keep up with an exercise routine due to decreased capacity and stamina. This may prevent you from successfully achieving your workout goals over time and could lead to a sedentary lifestyle where you just can’t keep up with cardio-based exercises. On top of all this, alcohol and cigarettes can lead to cancers forming throughout the body. Make the right decisions today and start leading a healthier lifestyle. Your body will thank you for it later.

Eating Healthy, Whole Foods

When you choose to eat healthy, whole, real foods on a daily basis; you’re providing your body with the right nourishment it needs to be its best. We’re made to consume fresh foods from the earth. Prior to the 1900s, very little food was pre packaged and processed. The closer we can be to the original food consumption of yesteryears, the better in most cases.

Drinking Water in Place of Sugary Beverages

If you have to choose between water and a sugar-ladened beverage, you’ll want to choose water. Our bodies are made up of anywhere from 55-70% water. It only makes sense as to why if you’re chronically dehydrated from drinking sugary beverages, you’d start to experience the effects of dehydration. Additionally, sugary beverages just don’t fulfill the quotas we need to live a healthy lifestyle. Water is king when it comes to a healthy beverage. Around 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated, so please try not to fall into that statistic by maintaining a healthy hydration level. 

Benefits of Losing Weight On the Back, Neck, & Spine

The benefits of losing weight for the back, neck, and spine are typically great. As pressure eases up on these vulnerable areas, you’ll often see increased mobility, flexibility, and lesser amounts of pain and discomfort. 

Reduced Pressure On Joints

When you lose weight and become closer towards your healthy body weight, you may see reduced pressure on joints throughout your body. This can help with aches, pains, and discomfort. Our joints help us move throughout the day, so anything you can do to make their job easier will most likely result in a better system of movement for your body.

Reduced Inflammation from a Better Diet

When you consume a healthier, whole food diet; your body will typically have less inflammation. Anti-inflammatory foods help your body’s inflammation levels. Sugary, processed, artificial foods do the opposite. When you have a reduction in your body’s inflammation, you’re most likely going to experience a reduction in aches and pains.

Better Stamina When Exercising

When you’re losing weight over time thanks to a better diet and lifestyle, you’re more likely to see an improvement in your stamina while exercising. This is simply due to not having to lug around all of that excess weight and helping your body operate at a much higher performance level thanks to cutting out poor lifestyle habits (added sugars, smoking, drinking, obesity, etc…). All in all, the better you can perform when exercising, the better off you’ll be when it comes to reaching your wellness goals.

Contact Us at Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants for an Evaluation, Today!

If you’re searching for ways to help your back, neck, and spine pain; you’ll want to reach out to us here at Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants. We’re the experts in physical therapy, nutritional-based recommendations, and surgical procedures to help you overcome your pain and discomfort. We always treat surgical procedures as a last resort option and want all of our patients to experience health and wellness. If you’re interested in an initial consultation with our board-certified doctors, please feel free to fill out the form below and we’ll be sure to respond to your message as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you soon and we’re eager to begin helping you on your way to a healthier, pain-free lifestyle!

DISCLAIMER: No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Maintaining activity is one of the best things you can do to prevent stiffness, muscle aches, general fatigue, and pains; especially during the winter months. Throughout this post, we’ll be discussing the various aspects of what meeting activity looks like this winter. Enjoy!

The Importance of Maintaining Activity this Winter

As a state drive, the simple act of maintaining activity this winter could do you a lot of good. Being inside all of the time, especially if it’s cold outside, is not ideal for our human bodies. Yes, it’s nice to cozy up in front of the warm fireplace and have a hot cup of tea to wind down, but it’s also beneficial to go outside and have some fresh air, walk around, and see the sun. We all know some of us go into hibernation mode as soon as the first bout of cold weather approaches. Let’s change that up this year and apply a few of the tips below into practice.

Staying Active

Simply staying active can do a lot of good for our mind, body, and soul. Thus can be anything from participating in your favorite winter sport, jogging throughout the park, or just waltzing around town by foot. Staying active and moving around promotes better blood flow and circulation. This in turn helps prevent muscles from becoming  atrophied and weak. Weak muscles can lead to potential injuries. This is something we want it to avoid.

Simply Moving Your Body

The act of moving your body can go a long way too. Many people will not do all that much when it comes to physical activity during the winter time. We understand; it’s cold, it’s darker earlier in the day, etc… There are many reasons not to move around, but you should rise above those reasons and do more this winter. Your body will thank you for it later.

Stretching

Stretching is a great way to start the day, and end the day. Stretching can be anything from a quick five-minute stretch to promote circulation, to a full blown yoga session where you really work out all of the stiffness and feel limber afterwards. It’s ultimately up to you when it comes to stretching.

Daily Walks

Daily walks are a great way to be outside, breathe in fresh air, see the sun poke through the clouds, and exercise. It’s also a great way to socialize should you run into a friend or neighbor while walking. Invite some friends or family on your daily walks and catch up. You’d be surprised by how fast a couple miles go by when you’re having a good conversation.

Sleeping the Right Amount

Sleep is so important for healing the body as well. Without proper sleep, you’ll run the risk of not being able to fully recover from anything you may have going on health wise. In addition to the negative health effects, you run the risk of being sluggish and not at the top of your game during the winter months. This is not ideal, as we should always be striving to be the best we can be during each and every day. Without proper amounts of sleep (8 hours~), we’ll most likely be performing at a lower level than if we had a full night’s sleep.

Choosing Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants for Your Neck & Back Pain

If you’ve been experiencing neck and back pain, and you’d like our team of experts to check it out; feel free to contact us using the form below. We’ll be sure to have you seen by one of our awesome medical specialists as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

DISCLAIMER: No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Why is My Back Pain Not Going Away?

Lingering back pain is something you don’t want to have to deal with, ever. Yet, in many cases, people will try to ignore lingering back which is not resolving on its own. This is NOT the right way to go about things. If you find yourself experiencing lingering back pain, you’ll want to contact us to be seen by one of our doctors. With that being said, let’s explore some of the various reasons your back pain may be lingering longer than you’d like.

Past Injuries Which Have Not Fully Healed

If you’ve experienced a past injury which was never allowed to fully heal you may be expiring  back pain due to said injury. Past injuries have a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it. It could be due to the way you stretched, the way you sat, or even the way you tripped while walking. Anything can set off an old injury, which is why it’s so important to properly rehabilitate your injuries to avoid issues in the future.

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation can be the cause of many issues, yet inflammation has a unique way of affecting nerves more often than not. When our body is inflamed, our nerves are inflamed, and our back, neck and spine have a large amount of nerves; you may experience pain. This could be caused by an underlying condition, ;lifestyle, diet, etc… It’s best to address this issue with a series of specialists as it may be due to a few different issues.

Repetitive Motion

Repetitive motion, such as swinging a golf club all day, chopping wood, lifting heavy objects, etc… can all cause back pain to arise. If you don’t allow yourself to take a rest, you run the risk of causing permanent damage. This is not ideal and it’s yet another reason why you shouldn’t overdo it when it comes to work, sports, or activities. We all need time to recoup and recover. If you find your back pain not resolving after taking a week off, contact your doctor, or contact  us and we’ll see how we can help.

Not Resting Properly

AS state dabove, rest is very important if you’re an active person. We all need at least around 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Without proper rst, our bodies cannot heal properly. Give yourself the rest you deserve and sleep a full night. See how this makes a difference and you may be impressed.

Improper Sleeping Positions

Sleeping in awkward positions can cause you to experience neck, back, and spine pain. Try to sleep in the best position for you and see if that improves your back pain. Sometimes, objects on your bed, a new pet, or even the laundry you didn’t fold yet which is laying on your bed can cause you to experience back pain from sleeping in a strained position.

Always See Your Medical Provider if Back Pain Lasts Longer than a Week

To echo the statements at the beginning of this post: if you’re not seeing improvement in your back pain after a week, please see your doctor or contact us to see how we can help. We’re here to guide you on your journey towards health and wellness once again. Feel free to contact us using the form below and we’ll be sure to have you seen by one of our amazing medical professionals as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

DISCLAIMER: No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.