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Expert insights on spine health, minimally invasive procedures, and patient recovery from the Deuk Spine Institute team.

Doctor explains spine model to patient, with text about pain management and chronic back pain.
Pain Management
Do Pain Management Doctors Really Help Chronic Back Pain?

By Dr. Ara J. Deukmedjian, MD Board Certified Neurosurgeon Updated: Sep 29, 2026 Medical disclaimer: This content is for educational…

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Lower back showing spine surgery scars with close-up views of healing incisions after lumbar spinal surgery.
Spine Surgery
Spine Surgery Scars: What Fusion and Laminectomy Incisions Look Like

A spinal fusion surgery scar is usually a straight vertical line down the middle of the back or neck, and…

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Diagram of the human spine with labeled sections: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccyx.
Spine Health
Spine Anatomy: A Complete Guide to the Parts, Sections, and Functions of Your Spine

Most people never think about spine anatomy until something starts to hurt. Or until a report lands in their hands…

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Person with back pain illustration and medical information about lumbar laminectomy by Deuk Spine Institute.
Spine Surgery
Why Lumbar Laminectomy Often Falls Short for Back Pain

By Dr. Ara J. Deukmedjian, MD Board Certified Neurosurgeon updated: Sep 24, 2026 Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for…

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Woman in a hospital bed, contemplative, with scales of justice and Capitol building in the background.
Back Pain
Chronic Pain and the Assisted-Dying Debate

By Dr. Ara Deukmedjian, MDBoard Certified Neurosurgeon Medically reviewed on: September 22, 2026  Medical Disclaimer: This article is for general…

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Man with back pain sitting next to a doctor, with text about surgery information.
Back Pain
Back Pain Surgery: What Your Surgeon Isn’t Telling You

By Dr. Ara Deukmedjian, MD Board Certified Neurosurgeon  Medically reviewed on: September 17, 2026 Medical Disclaimer: This article is for…

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Patient experiencing lower back pain with an X-ray showing broken spinal fusion rods and screws, illustrating spinal fusion hardware failure.
Spinal Fusion
Spinal Fusion Hardware Failure: Loose Screws, Broken Rods, and What Comes Next

Spinal fusion hardware failure happens when the screws, rods, plates, or cages placed during surgery loosen, break, or shift, most…

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Spinal fusion model showing rods and screws attached to the lumbar spine, with an X-ray displaying spinal fusion hardware.
Spinal Fusion
Spinal Fusion With Rods and Screws: What Actually Gets Put In Your Back

If a surgeon has told you that you need spinal fusion, you have probably already asked the question most patients…

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Image of a woman's back showing a spinal cord stimulator device, with text about risks and alternatives.
Pain Management
Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulator: Risks, Disadvantages & Better Alternatives

By Dr. Ara Deukmedjian, MD Board Certified Neurosurgeon Medically reviewed on: September 15, 2026 Medical Disclaimer: This information is provided…

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Patient experiencing neck pain after cervical fusion with MRI imaging showing a spinal cord signal change in the cervical spine.
Spinal Fusion
Cord Signal Change After Cervical Fusion: What Your Follow-Up MRI Really Means

You had the fusion. The radicular pain that sent you to surgery may even be gone. Then a follow-up MRI…

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Text about radiofrequency ablation and herniated disc pain with an image of the spine and a person holding their back.
Pain Management
Why Radiofrequency Ablation Is Not the Answer for Herniated Disc Pain

By Dr. Ara J. Deukmedjian, MD Board Certified Neurosurgeon Reviewed on September 10th, 2026 Disclaimer: The contents provided in this…

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Person holding their neck with spine highlighted, alongside text about neck pain management.
Neck PainSpine Health
Neck Pain Management: Best Treatments for Neck Pain

By Dr. Ara Deukmedjian, MD Board Certified Neurosurgeon Medically reviewed on: September 9, 2026 Disclaimer: The contents provided in this…

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