Neck Pain

10 Best Laptop Setups

spine-health — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 18:53:07 -0700

In this day and age many people use their laptop as their primary computer, so it’s important to have it setup correctly in order to avoid back pain, neck pain, and other musculoskeletal injuries or strains. The problem is that laptop computers are designed with portability in mind rather than sound ergonomic principles.

38 Questions to Ask Your Surgeon Before Having Back Surgery

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 18:02:14 -0700

This subject comes up a lot in our forums - "I'm considering surgery, what questions should I ask my surgeon?" From articles on Spine-health.com and contributions from our discussion forum members, we've compiled a list that you can print up and take with you to your consultation. Good luck!

6 Things to Know About Cervical Artificial Discs

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:00:35 -0700

In mid-July, the FDA gave final approval for Medtronic to make the first ever cervical artificial disc commercially available in the U.S.: the Prestige Cervical Disc.

Back Pain and Holiday Blues: 18 Tips to Reduce Your Holiday Stress

spine-health — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:00:24 -0800

Ah yes, the holidays are upon us once again, and with them the holiday blues. Not everyone is in festive spirits, especially those of us with chronic pain. Often, chronic back pain leads to depression, and alternately depression can worsen physical pain. The added anxiety and stress of all the holiday planning and expectations can intensify feelings of sadness.

Cervical Artificial Discs: Valuable New Technology or Fashion?

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:55:19 -0700

Spine surgery, like many other areas of medicine that are experiencing rapid technological growth, is often subject to fashion trends. At this period in time, the fashion is tilted towards motion preservation technology – both in the lumbar spine (low back) and cervical spine (neck).

Chronic Back Pain and Wandering the Halls at 2:00 am

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:29:55 -0700

Two-thirds of Spine-health.com's visitors report having sleep problems, but ... so what? Spending the long nighttime hours wincing in pain while wandering from bed, to recliner, to couch, to simply roaming the house, and finally back to bed for one last short bit of sleep. That's the real story. Exhausting. Makes me tired just reading about it.

Recent excerpts from our message board explain the real challenges of sleep problems due to chronic pain:

First Cervical Disc Replacement Surgery with ProDisc-C

spine-health — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:01:34 -0800

The very first ProDisc-C surgery was performed last week since the FDA approved the device in December 2007.

How and When to Get a Second Opinion Before Surgery

spine-health — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:39:46 -0700

It is often said that no one should have spine surgery unless they receive a second opinion from another surgeon. On the surface, this would sound like good old common sense, as two opinions are better than one. However, there is a trap in this line of thinking. When a patient sees a physician for a second opinion, this next opinion has a tendency to always sound smarter than the first opinion. This is a well-recognized phenomenon, but in reality the second opinion may not be the best one.

When should you get another opinion?

Is Your Pain Medication Prescribed Off-Label?

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:46:35 -0700

Pain is Inevitable. Suffering is Optional.

spine-health — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:19:08 -0700

That sentiment, from The Dalai Lama, sums up the gist of a lot of our message board posts. Contrary to what many people think (at least from what surgeons tell me), message boards aren’t just for people hopped up on pain meds or whining. At least on our board, positive thinking is rampant – exactly the kind of support that helps people with back pain deal better and heal better…