Prepping for Back Surgery: What to Do
You shouldn’t take lightly any surgery on your spine — even minimally invasive surgery. But if you need back surgery, if surgery is the only solution to resolving your back pain once and for all, you should prepare for it cautiously, thoroughly and wisely. Consult your surgeon before your back surgery, but review the tips […]
Lean on Me: Can a Cane Help or Hinder Your Recovery?
The spine specialists at the Southeastern Spine Institute always try non-invasive treatment before considering surgery, but sometimes surgery is the best (or only) option. Once you and your spine doctor have agreed on surgery to relieve your back pain, you should discuss what to expect during your back surgery rehab even before you enter the […]
Charleston, SC: Medical Hotbed of the South
The Charleston medical community includes one of the most dedicated groups of healthcare providers in the country. In fact, the Charleston County Medical Society (CCMS), which was founded in 1951, is a lineal descendant of the first medical society in the state, established in Charleston in 1789. Charleston was settled by English colonists in 1670 […]
Rehabbing from Back Surgery: What to Expect
Back in the day, as few as even 10 years ago, back surgery meant at least six weeks of bed rest and another six to eight weeks of painful, rehabilitative exercise. Back surgery rehab was a long-drawn-out process that you had to prepare for well in advance. Thanks to advancements in minimally invasive techniques that […]
Hamstring Exercises to Help Your Lower Back
While anyone can suffer from lower back pain, men are more susceptible. Larger upper-body mass and an expanding belly put extra pressure on the lower back muscles and bones. Your lumbar spine, near your pelvis, carries all your upper weight. Fortunately, you can do back exercises today to ward off back pain tomorrow. Hamstring exercises […]
When Back Pain Means Surgery
If you experience back pain, you may opt to make an appointment with a chiropractor or even a massage therapist. Most of the time, these modalities can relieve your pain and get you back to your normal routine. If the pain persists, you’ll make your way eventually to your primary care physician. However, none of […]
Degenerative Disc Disease Treatments
Back surgery is the final option. In a healthy spine, discs act as shock absorbers between the vertebrae, so the bones of the spine never actually touch. That padding not only allows the flexibility you take for granted, but it also opens space for nerves to leave your spinal column and spread to the rest […]
Diagnosing Stenosis
Spinal stenosis symptoms make it difficult to diagnose. Even for the spine specialists at Southeastern Spine Institute, spinal stenosis is one of those rare illnesses that are hard to diagnose. It’s not because the symptoms are difficult to locate or identify. When you’re in pain from spinal stenosis, you know it. The problem is that […]
Does a Ruptured Disc Require Back Surgery?
At SSI, you’ll find a number of back surgery alternatives. The term “ruptured disc” is one of those medical phrases that’s often used interchangeably with other terms, such as herniated disc, bulging disc, pinched nerve, slipped disc or disc disease. Rather than getting caught up in the words used to describe your back pain, it’s […]
New Techniques in Endoscopic Surgery
A better way to perform back surgery Any time a surgeon can avoid cutting into muscles and making large incisions, it creates a better way to treat a back problem. And that’s the philosophy of the doctors at the Southeastern Spine Institute. When they can avoid extensive back surgery, they do — with pleasure. Endoscopic […]