When caring for a patient with neck or back pain, the caretaker faces emotional and at times physical challenges. It is difficult to watch a loved one experience pain symptoms. Many times being unsure of how to provide help can generate further anxiety about the situation. Know that as a caregiver you are not alone. In fact, statistically a broad majority of long term care for patients in the United States is provided by their family members. Know that you are appreciated and here are some tips to perhaps make the journey a bit lighter.
Understand the Condition Better
Knowledge about the underlying condition causing the pain symptoms goes a long way toward building confidence when you are in a caregiver role. Similarly understanding the methods prescribed to treat those symptoms can aide in better caregiving. Try to attend the visits with the health provider and help formulate a list of questions to ask. I caution you to rely too heavily on “Dr. Google”, but it may be a good idea to look up the meaning of the diagnoses made and read several other sources on the same topic. Finally, ask the pharmacist about the best sequence of utilizing the medications, the potential side effects, interactions and alternatives.
I have the privilege to see, evaluate, and treat patients from all walks of life. Despite the difference in sex, age, and every category imaginable, they all present with similar questions and concerns. Why do I hurt? What is the cause of the pain? How can I alleviate it? How can I prevent it?
I try to spend as much time with my patients to answer these questions. The reasons for the pain can be related to a multitude of sources. The treatments can vary just as much and we make every effort to customize our treatment plan to the individual patient.
Some answers remain universal, however. Those answers relate to steps patients can take on their own to either prevent neck and back pain or help improve their symptoms.
I have taken the time to scour through YouTube so that my patients don’t have to. Below, I have listed the top tips with the corresponding best quality video with appropriate content. As a general disclaimer, I have not reviewed the entire content by the individual or individuals and I always recommend that you discuss what you see with your provider. I also do not have a personal or financial relationship with any of the content creators. I am simply trying to put together helpful tips for my patients in one easy to access location.
Sleep well:
There are multiple longitudinal and population-based studies that demonstrate the importance of sleep. It is a topic that is outside my level of expertise, but I can personally emphasize the benefits of restful sleeping as it relates to lowering stress levels, helping boost the immune response, and more on topic: reduce incidence of neck and lower back pain. This video is one of the better ones I have come across with 5 very solid tips for better sleep.
Spine surgeon Anthony Yeung, MD, recently retired from Phoenix-based Desert Institute Spine Care, where his son Chris Yeung, MD, is spearheading the practice.
In the 1990s, he developed the Yeung Endoscopic Spine System, which has continued to evolve as an outpatient procedure. Now, Dr. Yeung is focusing on publishing details of his experience in more than 11,000 spine cases since he began his career in 1991.
Here, Dr. Yeung discusses the development of endoscopic spine surgery, the importance of surgical training and reimbursement shackles associated with the technique.
Having surgery is a major step for any patient. Even with the shortest and simplest of surgeries, patients should follow instructions as discussed with their surgeon. This is a time to focus on healing and completing the plan set out with your care provider.
Every patient receives a packet with information about their planned surgery. I highly encourage you to look through the packet as it may answer many questions or raise others. Here is a list of DOs and DON’Ts to consider as you go through your recovery process.
Dr. Nima Salari was on the ‘Business for Breakfast’ show, on Money Radio, Monday December 9. Dr. Salari talks about some of his new spine surgery techniques involving 3D implants. He explains how this can minimize the invasiveness of a spine surgery by allowing him to actually visualize the surgery, utilizing 3D models of a patient’s spine, which can then provide him with the perfect size and placement of the implants.
Dr. Anthony Yeung, DISC Orthopedic Spine Surgeon and the Executive Director for the International Intradiscal Therapy Society (IITS), announced his retirement in an official statement on the IITS website. Below is an excerpt from the announcement.
“2019 was time for me to finally stop operating (at age 78) to focus my time on publishing my extensive experience of over 11,000 cases since 1991. I became very comfortable that my legacy will be carried on my son Chris Yeung and his team of fellowship trained spine surgeons with similar interest and in house training in MIS spine at our ASC, Squaw Peak Surgical Facility. The DISC team put together by Chris Yeung provides a wide spectrum of spine surgery options based on what is best for their patients Using training in open MIS spine surgery and endoscopic spine surgery. It was time to finally officially retire.”
Dr. Christopher Yeung was on Money Radio Friday, October 25. He spoke about his dad, Dr. Anthony Yeung, being an inspiration to him, and how his dad pioneered the minimally invasive spine surgery techniques here in Arizona – he also explains the many advantages of minimally invasive spine surgery, and elaborates on more traditional open spine surgery procedures.
Dr. Christopher Yeung was honored as an Integrity Tiger at the 2019 Integrity Tiger Summit. Business and community leaders gathered at the summit to discuss how to lead with integrity and why it’s important to raise the role of integrity in their organizations.
BEING AN INTEGRITY TIGER ™ MEANS YOU MAKE INTEGRITY THE FIRST, LAST AND OVERRIDING CONSIDERATION IN ALL DECISIONS AND YOU STAND STRONG FOR INTEGRITY WHEN OTHERS DO NOT.
Amplify Surgical launched its dualX earlier this year and it has now been implanted in 100 surgical levels.
Yong Kim, MD, performed the milestone case at NYU Langone Health in New York City. Ali Najafi, MD, a neurosurgeon in Fresno, Calif., and Nima Salari, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon in Phoenix, have also performed several cases using dualX.
CASTEL SAN PIETRO, Switzerland—(BUSINESS WIRE)–Medacta International, an international company specializing in the design and production of innovative orthopaedic products and the development of accompanying surgical techniques, today announced its MySpine Midline Cortical (MC) platform has been recognized as this year’s “Best Healthcare Navigation / Robotics Solution” by MedTech Breakthrough. MySpine MC is Medacta®’s patient-matched, 3D printed solution in the midline cortical approach, tailored to the patient’s anatomy to allow for greater accuracy in pedicle screw positioning through pre-operative planning and intra-operative guidance tools. Medacta’s Midline Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) procedure utilizes a muscle sparing, single midline incision through which all screws and interbodies are inserted, reducing operating times, radiation exposure and cost while improving predictability of clinical outcomes.
“We are honored to have MySpine MC recognized by MedTech Breakthrough as one of this year’s most innovative medical technologies,” said Francesco Siccardi, CEO of Medacta International. “MySpine MC combines Medacta’s expertise in 3D planning tools with its industry-leading patient-matched guides to create a seamless, start-to-finish platform perfect for orthopedic surgeons looking to enter the personalized spine surgery space in the outpatient or inpatient setting.”
Written by Alan Condon | March 11, 2020
Dr. Anthony Yeung, DISC Orthopedic Spine Surgeon and the Executive Director for the International Intradiscal Therapy Society (IITS), announced his retirement in an official statement on the 
