Tag Archives: Spinal surgery
Infections after surgery are somewhat rare with spinal procedures, but if they do occur, they can cause serious issues if they are not properly addressed. This fact begs the question: are there any risk factors that one should look out for following the spinal surgery?
An article was recently published in the Journal for Bone and Joint Surgery that claimed that there is a surgical infection rate of about 2% with spinal surgeries. They concluded that one of the biggest risk factors when it came to such infections was the condition diabetes. They also claimed that patients with an elevated level of glucose in their blood before or after the operation were at a higher risk for infection to occur. This find indicates that the present understanding of glucose levels within the blood have a relationship with the level of bacterial growth is indeed correct. Other factors that were also associated with an increased infection risk were obesity, the presence of more than one surgical operators in the operating room, and sub par timing of antibiotic therapy using prophylactics. There were not the only factors associated with a heightened possibility of infection, but they are some of the most common causes. Continue reading
While there are many conservative treatments for spinal pain, sometimes the only solution is surgery. Every surgery has the potential for complications, but patients who are medically defined as obese, especially those who fall into the severely obese category, have more complications with spinal surgery. These complications arise with all types of spinal surgery, including spinal fusion surgery.
Severe obesity is sometimes referred to as morbid obesity. It can be defined by measurement of the Body Mass Index, or BMI, or by being more than 100 pounds overweight. Severely obese individuals place more strain on all parts of their body, including the spine. Any problem of the spine is going to be aggravated by extra weight. The pain will be worse, and the patient will, in general, just be more uncomfortable. Surgery on the spine can have the same positive results for the severely obese patient as a patient with normal weight. The problem is the aftermath of the surgery, better known as the complications. Most patients will benefit from weight loss prior to surgery. Not only will there be less spinal pain, the surgery will have fewer complications. Minimizing the risk of surgery is always a desirable goal. Continue reading
Chronic back pain can be difficult to deal with. When other treatments have not fixed the problem, surgery could be an option. There are several important questions to ask a spinal surgeon when considering surgery.
Questions for Before Surgery
- How will surgery help?
- What surgery is being recommended?
- Can it be described in clear terms?
- What are the benefits of the surgery?
- What are the risks of the surgery?
- How often has the surgeon performed this surgery before?
Spinal surgery, like any surgery, contains risks and a surgeon should be looked at carefully before making a decision to have surgery. Ask what surgery the surgeon is recommending. See if what will be done during the surgery can be explained in clear and easy to understand terms. Ask the surgeon how often they have done this surgery before. Experience will matter, so make sure to select a surgeon familiar with the surgery to be done.
Find out what the benefits of the surgery will be. Spinal surgery is usually done Continue reading
Since poor posture is one of the biggest reasons for upper, middle and lower back pain, it is vital that correct posture begin from the bottom up with proper fitting footwear. The type of support a person’s shoes need depends upon the shape of the foot and whether or not one has any foot instability.
Pronation, Over-Pronation and Under-Pronation
Pronation is the normal inward roll of your foot to absorb the shock of walking or running. Some pronation is needed for the foot to function normally. However, too much pronation, known as over-pronation, causes your arch to collapse which adds stress to the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the foot. Over-pronators need shoes with built in support features.
Some people Under-pronate, which means that the foot does not roll inward enough to adequately absorb shock. Under-pronators need flexible shoes with additional cushioning.
Shoes and Orthotic Inserts
Purchasing shoes which closely match your foot type is the best prevention for injury and pain. Some characteristics of the best shoes for back pain are as follows: Continue reading
