A 44 year old female patient developed severe radiating left arm and neck pain.
Her MRI scan revealed this to be caused by a large left C5/6 disc prolapse compressing the C6 nerve root.
Non-operative measures including rest, analgesic medication, physiotherapy and a nerve root steroid injection were used but her symptoms failed to respon.
A 29 year old female came to see me recently. She had developed severe lower back pain after lifting. The pain radiated into her buttocks, thighs and hamstrings preventing her from returning to work and affecting her activities of daily living.An MRI scan demonstrated discogenic deterioration at L5/S1 with a central disc bulge and reduced space for nerves (as per image left).
Non-operative measures including rest, analgesic medication, physiotherapy, facet joint injections and an epidural injection were used to initially treat the pain but the symptoms failed to respond.
This animation explains Cervical Radiculopathy or Pinched Nerves in the Neck. Please click ‘continue reading’ to watch. Continue reading…
I recently operated on a 14 year old male student who presented due to the rapid development of an abnormal spinal curvature. He suffered minimal back pain and no neurological symptoms.
He was diagnosed with a severe idiopathic scoliosis more typically seen in adolescent females, as shown in the images left. Continue reading…
I recently operated on a 26 year old male who presented suffering from a gradual deterioration of neck pain and bilateral arm pain, weakness, and altered sensation after a diving accident he suffered at a water park four weeks earlier.
The diagnosis was of a delayed presentation of a complex neck fracture (bilateral cervical fracture / dislocation with neurologic deterioration), as shown in the image, left. Continue reading…
Spinal surgery is generally very safe. The chances of injury to the spinal cord are extremely small, the chances to nerve structures are also extremely small.
If you’re suffering severe pain from a large disc prolapse or severe nerve compression, then the surgery to stabilise the spine and remove the pressure on the nerves, the benefits of that surgery far outweigh the risks associated with damage to nerves or the spinal cord. Continue reading…
Back pain is debilitating. It is functionally debilitating and it is emotionally debilitating and the patients that I see want alleviation from the constant pain that is preventing them from participating in the activities that they enjoy.
What are the most common back problems?
The most common complaints people have relating to their spinal conditions are referred arm pain or leg pain, often referred to as sciatica or a pinched nerve.
They also experience debilitating back pain or they may experience a combination of both severe back pain and radiating arm or leg pain. Continue reading…
