Conditions & Treatments

Cervical Disc Disease: Oh My Aching Neck! - - The disc is a structure that is made of cartilage and acts as a cushion between the bony vertebrae of the spine. The disc itself is composed of a tough, outer layer known as the annulus fibrosis and a softer inner layer known as the nucleus pulposis. When the disc is young and healthy, it is well hydrated ...

Lumbar Disc Herniations and Sciatica: An Introduction for Patients and Health Care Professionals - - Approximately 80% of Americans have episodes of back pain at some time in their life that is bad enough that they see a health care professional. One of the more common causes of these episodes is a condition known as degenerative disc disease. As the disc ages, it can lose its normal fluid content and become degenerative and arthritic. Anot...

Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Quiet Thief of Independence Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis is a very common condition, and while it can affect people of various ages, it is much more common in people over 55. The term stenosis refers to a narrowing or tightening. In a patient with carotid stenosis, for example, a person gets a narrowing of the carotid arteries leading to a decrease in blood flow to the brain. In a patient with ...

Normally, when viewing a person from the front or back, the spine is straight. When the spine is curved and that curvature is greater than ten degrees, a patient is said to have scoliosis (Figure 1). Scoliosis is a spinal deformity that can affect all age groups, from new born infants to the elderly. There are many types and causes of scoliosis, but for the purpose of this article, we will discuss the condition commonly known as Adolescent ...