Think Twice Before Taking Gabapentin for Back Pain

Think Twice Before Taking Gabapentin for Back Pain Chronic back pain is one of the most common disabilities people face on a daily basis. While “back pain” is a general term, there are thirty known causes. Some of the more common ones include: Herniated disc Facetogenic pain Sacroilitis Piriformis Pain Over time, trauma and inflammation […]

8 Reasons Nurses Avoid Spinal Fusion Surgery

For individuals suffering from chronic back and neck pain, spine surgery can represent a path toward relief. While surgeons lead the procedure, a highly skilled team works in unison to ensure patient safety. Central to this team are nurses, both in the operating room and medical floors, all experts who play a critical role during […]

8 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR SPINE SURGEON

If you have been recommended for spinal surgery you are not alone — it is estimated that over 1.5M were performed in 2024. That’s a huge amount of invasive spine surgeries with a 64% infection rate. As a patient advocate for my entire career, that is an alarming number indicating the possibility of a large […]

SPINAL FUSION SURGERY: MYTH vs. REALITY

If you’re dealing with severe back or neck pain, your surgeon will most likely recommend spinal fusion surgery. With over 1.5 million procedures expected by the end of 2025, it’s a common treatment path. However, it’s a highly invasive, major operation with significant implications that deserve careful consideration. This article will walk you through the […]

Options to Spinal Fusion Surgery – How Safe Are They?

Introduction Back pain affects every aspect of your life. When conservative treatments fail, many patients are told that spinal fusion is their only option. This highly invasive, major surgery involves permanently connecting two or more vertebrae in your spine to eliminate motion between them. It has numerous surgical risks and many long-term complications. Advances in […]

The Danger of Infections After Spinal Fusion Surgery

Spinal surgery is generally considered an invasive procedure; however, even minimally invasive (MIS) spine procedures carry the same risk of postoperative infection. Why? Regardless of the level of invasiveness, bacteria and fungi consistently remain the primary causes of surgical site infection(SSI). Spinal fusion surgeries have a higher risk of SSI because they involve spinal hardware […]

Laminectomy: Decompression Through Destruction

The primary purpose of a laminectomy, also known as decompression surgery, is to alleviate pressure on the spinal cord or the nerves that branch out from it by creating space with the removal of a portion of a vertebra called the lamina. This pressure, often referred to as compression, can cause pain, numbness, or weakness […]

ACCF: Fusion Is the Risk

Anterior Cervical Corpectomy with Fusion (ACCF): Fusion Is The Risk Anterior Cervical Corpectomy with Fusion, often abbreviated as ACCF, is a complex, invasive surgical technique that addresses serious problems in the cervical spine—the part of your spine that makes up your neck. This article provides a concise overview of ACCF, explaining what it is, the […]

Key Risks of TLIF Spine Surgery

Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF): Potential Complications And Occurrence Rates Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) is a surgical procedure used to fuse or join two or more vertebrae in the lumbar (lower) spine. As a type of spinal fusion, its primary goal is to stabilize the spinal vertebrae and reduce pressure on spinal nerves. The […]

The 7 Risks of XLIF Spine Surgery

Deciding on spinal surgery is a major step toward improving your quality of life. If you and your surgeon are considering Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF), you probably have many questions. While this minimally invasive procedure offers advantages like a quicker recovery, it’s essential to have an honest and clear discussion about the possible risks. […]