I perform spine and hip surgery and I see patients in consultation in my office in Monterey, California. I have written this guide so that you will know in more in advance about my practice philosophy. I am a direct and open communicator and I strive to educate patients as completely as possible. I use …
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a tool that is used to visualize the inner workings of the human body. The widespread availability of MRI scanners has turned them into “answer machines”: What’s wrong with the patient? Don’t know? Get an MRI scan! MRI uses a very powerful magnetic field to magnetize the atoms in the human …
Many patient who see me in consultation have been prescribed narcotic pain medications for their back pain. In my experience, this is often the beginning of a slowly developing disaster. Typically, the patient is initially offered a prescription of anti-inflammatory medications by their primary MD which has a modest effect. However, if the patient still …
The most frequent prescription that I write is for physical therapy. My standard scrawl on a prescription pad reads: “Low back pain. Lumbar spine stabilization and core conditioning exercises. Teach independent home exercise program. Frequency: 2-3 times per week for 6 weeks.” This translates into 12 to 18 visits over 6 weeks with a therapist, …
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone reading an article on back pain that there is an epidemic of obesity in america. There is no doubt in my mind that as weight increases, there is a proportional increase in back pain. I believe that one of the reasons for this correlation is that our …
Research performed by the National Institutes of Health has documented that in order to be proficient at a surgical procedure you need to perform a limited number of surgical procedures regularly. My surgical practice emphasizes surgery of the spine and hip and I basically perform 4 elective surgical procedures: direct anterior total hip arthroplasty, lumbar …
