Be a good patient? When an appointment is not available and you cannot wait for a later one, ask about your options. There are often urgent care centers or emergency rooms open that can serve you. The staff at the doctor’s office may be able to tell you which type of office to visit, as well as nearby options that accept your insurance. If you’ve followed step one then you have already been tracking symptoms. Writing this information down is a good way to ensure you do not forget. It also allows you to show your doctor your symptoms versus telling them. When presenting symptoms, think about the words you’ll use and try to be accurate. Announcing that you had a fever for two days can be misleading if you don’t provide additional details. For example, most physicians don’t consider a rise in temperature a fever until it reaches 100.4 degrees F. That’s because slight variations in temperature are normal and most thermometers have a small range allotted for error. Using information such as “low grade” or “high grade” when discussing fever is a good example of presenting your symptoms accurately. The same rule applies to all symptoms, and the more information you provide, the less follow-up questions your physician will need to ask.
The most common cause of back pain ? There are three common types of nerve root issues that lead to back pain: spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and osteoarthritis. In all three conditions, the nerve root is affected causing often-severe back pain. In spinal stenosis the pain results from narrowing of the spinal canal near the nerve roots. It can appear in one area, or several areas, of the back. In spondylolisthesis, a vertebrae slips over another vertebrae and creates a painful, unstable back. Spondylolisthesis most commonly occurs with joint issues, typically after a fracture or a degenerative joint disease, or as the result of a defect to the joints. Lastly, osteoarthritis occurs when both discs and joints begin to wear down. This ailment becomes more common as people age and leads to pain, swelling, instability and stenosis in one or several areas of the spine.
MIS Surgery, also known as MISS, is back surgery that relies on smaller skin incisions to reduce blood loss and reduce the risk of muscle damage since there is less cutting of the muscle required. As compared open back surgery, patients report faster post-surgery recovery and a shortened time frame for rehabilitation, as well as a reduced dependence on pain medication during post-op healing. The goal of minimally invasive spine surgery is to re-stabilize the back, especially the vertebral bones and spinal joints while skillfully relieving pressure on the spinal nerves. People suffering from back pain related to spinal instability, bone spurs, herniated discs and scoliosis benefit most from MIS procedures and can often avoid surgery by scheduling a consultation with Dr. Yuan to assess their particular condition, as MISS is not always necessary with expert supervision. As one of the top minimally invasive spine surgeons, Dr. Yuan of Long Beach, CA has more than 15 years of successfully treating neck, back and lower back conditions and returning patients to health with and without surgery. Find additional info on Spine Surgery Long Beach.
Many complain of low back and buttock pain. While there are several reasons this could occur, sacroiliac joint pain and dysfunction is one cause, and it often requires some level of medical intervention. SI joint pain and dysfunction is an ailment that commonly affects runners and other athletes as well as some people who do not identify as either. The two SI joints are in a person’s pelvis, part of the stable ring structure that also includes the symphysis pubis. Several muscles including the hamstrings, abdominals, hip flexors and gluteal muscles attach to the SI joints. This joint is different from other joints because it only allows for about two degrees of rotation and less than one millimeter of movement backward and forward, but it is a joint nonetheless. The SI joint connects a part of the spine called the sacrum to the pelvis, and as a result it absorbs a lot of stress between these two bones, which can lead to pain, especially if there is an underlying problem.
In some cases, surgery can be performed to reduce or eliminate SI joint pain. The two most common surgical approaches are SI joint stabilization and joint fusion, both of which are typically done after other therapies have failed. For the latter, minimally invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion systems has shown positive results in treating SI joint dysfunction. Individualized rehabilitation programs aim to treat the underlying cause of SI joint pain. By treating the underlying cause, the pain should subside and the runner can return to their routine with little modification. Sometimes bracing will be needed while a person heals. In cases where pain is severe, pain medication or steroid injections may be recommended to keep pain under control while the person rehabilitates, and when the dysfunction is very severe, surgical intervention may be required to eliminate pain and treat dysfunction and its underlying causes.
Dr. Yuan is trained in robotics and offers minimally invasive surgical procedures, including spinal cord stimulation, to help patients achieve pain relief, recover faster and face less surgical risk. Dr. Yuan is a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon and fellowship trained spinal surgeon. He specializes in the treatment of all spinal disorders including issues with the neck and back. He treats conditions that affect the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine utilizing both surgical and non-surgical interventions. Dr. Yuan emphasizes non-surgical treatment first and only recommends surgical procedures when absolutely necessary to better a patient’s quality of life. Read even more info at Long Beach spine surgery.