Back Surgery May Backfire Leaving Patients In More Pain

A study in the journal Spine shows that in many cases surgery can backfire, leaving patients in more pain. “Researchers reviewed records from 1,450 patients in the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation database who had diagnoses of disc degeneration, disc herniation or radiculopathy, a nerve condition that causes tingling and weakness of the limbs. Half [...]

Failed Back Surgery, Neuropathy, Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Treated with Medical Marijuana

Chronic pain related to conditions such as degenerative disc disease (DDD), failed back surgery, neuropathy, and thoracic outlet syndrome are among those which the  medical marijuana industry lists as using medical marijuana to treat. The list of potentially treatable conditions is fairly extensive: Acute Gastritis Alzheimer’s Amyloidosis Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Anaphylactic or Reaction Anorexia [...]

Spinal Fusions Face an Unknown Future

Spinal Fusions Face an Uncertain Future Written by  Laura Miller| January 19, 2011 In December, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina announced beginning Jan. 1, the company would no longer cover lumbar fusions for patients with degenerative disc disease. This announcement hit a nerve with many spine surgeons who have been performing successful lumbar [...]

Bea had degenerative disc disease and was afraid of lumbar fusion surgery

Bea had suffered for sixteen years with back and leg pain and was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), was having difficulty sitting for any length of time in her graduate classes at the University of Washington.  She had received dozens of injections. Multiple course of physical therapy were so painful for Bea that she was advised to [...]