HOW TO TREAT MULTILEVEL DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE
Approximately 40% of adults over the age of 40 have experienced degeneration of at least one disc in the spine[1]. Degenerative disc disease is a condition that is part of age-related “wear and tear” for many. It occurs due to the thinning of the shock-absorbing intervertebral discs in the spine and is usually gradual in its deterioration. In many cases, degenerative disc disease may occur in one of the spinal discs as a result of stress and damage. However, quite often, the stress can happen simultaneously on multiple levels throughout the spine. In such cases, degenerative disc disease is classified as
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING NERVE PAIN AFTER SURGERY
By Jefferey Higginbotham, M.D. There are so many unknowns when it comes to postoperative nerve pain. It is difficult to determine why some people may get nerve pain after surgery and others don’t. For most, when nerve pain occurs, it usually recovers spontaneously. For others, permanent damage may happen, and no recovery is possible. Mostly, nerve pain after surgery can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Unfortunately, at the moment, no effective treatment can ensure the prevention of postoperative nerve pain preoperation. The available solutions are not great, and doctors will likely not recommend anything. However, once a patient
Why You Shouldn’t Give Up Hope After Failed Back Surgery
Back surgery is the most common treatment for chronic pain that has failed to respond to other treatments. However, surgeries may not always give the desired results due to factors like individual variations or underlying complexities. Patients might experience a failed back surgery when the procedure doesn't lead to the expected relief or improvement in symptoms. This can be discouraging, but you should stay hopeful and explore alternative paths for healing and pain management. Talking to pain care specialists to learn more about other treatment options can help in finding the relief you deserve. Advanced Pain Care can provide relief when
When Should You See A Pain Management Specialist?
Have you ever experienced a sharp pain in your neck or back while doing everyday tasks like grocery shopping? Well, you’re not alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 20.5% of U.S. adults experience consistent pain that worsens by day(1). This pain is usually felt in the back, hip, or foot. Many people find it hard to decide if they need to see a professional. Have you been battling physical pain for over three months now? Does it refuse to subside no matter what, or worse, become more aggravated with time? Here, we can provide you with advice and
All About Spinal Stenosis: Causes, Treatments and Preventions
Interview with Dr. Adam W. Spjute, M.D. Dr. Adam Spjute is a Double-Board-Certified Anesthesiologist and Pain Management Specialist at Advanced Pain Care in Waco. Trained in anesthesiology, Dr. Spjute then did a fellowship training in pain management. Since then, he’s been practicing pain management for 5 years, treating chronic pain ranging from headaches and foot pain and everything in between. He’s published studies in Anesthesia and Pain Management, was granted membership into the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management, and helps patients in Advanced Pain Care’s Waco branch with their pain care needs. So, Let’s Talk
Eastern Medicine vs. Western Medicine: What’s the Difference?
It’s easy to directly compare Eastern and Western medicine together— but is it fully accurate? We spoke with Dr. Rey Ximenes, Consulting Physician at APC, Medical Director of Driftwood Recovery, and rated the Top Doctor 2023 in Austin Monthly, about the differences between Eastern and Western Medicine. “It’s a little bit unfair to just narrow it down to Eastern and Western Medicine,” he explained. “Because it doesn’t really tell the whole story.” Instead, he better refers to what we’d consider Eastern medicine as Traditional Medicine and Western medicine being Allopathic Medicine, explaining that while we’d assume that healing herbs like echinacea and mullein
Chris’ Hip Replacement Success and Freedom from Surgery Fears
“I’ve been in a couple of wars, I’ve taken a lot of bullets. I’ve got some holes in me… and I was afraid of this hip replacement,” Chris tells us, an APC hip replacement patient. “I was a real weenie on this because of the fear of anesthesia!” As the owner of JP Mortgage Services, Chris has another passion on top of his professional work: drag racing at the Little River Dragway. But during one race in a 52-year-old car, he forgot to change his steering wheel column, and when the lights changed, his steering column snapped. He had no control
Johnny’s Journey: Spinal Cord Stimulator Success
The Injury In August of 2019, Johnny fell into his fireplace and developed extreme pain like he’d never felt before. Though he went to one of his own doctors, they’d told him nothing was wrong, but he insisted that he try another primary care doctor to get some answers. Finally, after finding a doctor who encouraged him to get an x-ray and learning that his 3 fractured bones were not normal for a 40-year-old to have after a fall, he was diagnosed with severe bone loss, which was something he’d had but never found out about until that very moment. Meanwhile, his uncle
Lawanda Finally Found Relief with a Spinal Cord Stimulator
28 years ago, Lawanda fell down a flight of stairs. And while doctors handed her some medication and a boot and said it wasn’t broken, every four to five months, she’d feel pain in the same area. Finally, she went to the doctor again when it seemed to last longer than it normally did. She got a screen in her ankle, because her foot has started turning inward, and eventually got surgery of two rods put in her foot. Since her injury, Lawanda’s husband had a spinal cord stimulator put in that yielded tremendous well for his back, leg, and knee pain. But
How Angie Experienced Relief with a Spinal Cord Stimulator
Angie’s Back Injury For 15 years, Angie has been on the clinical side of healthcare. Day in and day out, she’d work in the operating rooms and treatment rooms, until one day when she was helping a doctor with a heavier patient. As he was falling off the table, she scooped down to help him, and all of a sudden, felt a *pop.* An intense pain shot down her right leg, and immediately, she knew something didn’t feel right. As soon as she was able to, she found a pain care clinic where she started going through a series of injections, as she
