Whether it’s stabbing, burning, aching or throbbing, back pain is one of mankind’s great curses. Afflicting 90% of people at some point in their lives, it’s one of the top medical problems for which people see doctors and the leading cause of job-related disability. So what should you know when the inevitable occurs? When can you self-treat back pain and when should you see a doctor? Is surgery the answer for chronic back pain? In this week’s episode, we examine how to respond when something goes amiss with the spine, a complex system that provides both the stability to keep us standing upright and the flexibility to facilitate movement.
Expert: Dr. Paul Holman, Neurosurgeon
Interviewer: Todd Ackerman
Notable topics covered:
- The age at which the spinal system starts to degenerate
- Why some people just live with back pain
- The No. 1 myth about back pain
- Ways to prevent back issues from developing
- The latest innovations in the understanding and care of back pain
- Lessons from NASA spaceflight about keeping core muscles strong
- The risk factors and causes of chronic back pain
- Are supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin helpful?
- The benefits of meditation for back pain
- The Tiger Woods Syndrome: back surgery can’t fix tomorrow’s problem today
If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.
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