Be a good patient? This is an important step to making the most of your doctor’s visit as being face to face with your doctor is often the best time to ask medical questions. Your questions may be related to your diagnosis, treatment or personal preferences. Be proactive and don’t limit your questions to the reason that sent you to the doctor initially (however don’t bombard your doctor with questions either). Seeing a doctor is about continued health, not just curing the ailment at hand. A good practice is to ask your doctor what health-related items you could work on before your next visit. It could be a simple diet change, a challenge to exercise more or a more general piece of advice, such as stress less. Either way, when you’re face-to-face with a medical professional that has access to your personal health history, what better question could you ask about continued health?

The most common cause of back pain ? Injury to a muscle, or a strain, is the most common cause of back pain. It is also commonly referred to as a pulled muscle. In these cases, muscle or a tissue connecting muscle to the bone called a tendon stretches or tears. In most cases, these afflictions affect the lower back, but they can occur in other areas of the back, as well. Symptoms typically include pain, swelling, possible muscle spasms and limited mobility of the affected muscle or tissue. In most cases, a pulled muscle resolves itself within days to weeks. Treatments include home remedies such as over-the-counter pain relievers, ice, heat application, rest or splinting.

MIS Surgery, also known as MISS, is back surgery that relies on smaller skin incisions to reduce blood loss and reduce the risk of muscle damage since there is less cutting of the muscle required. As compared open back surgery, patients report faster post-surgery recovery and a shortened time frame for rehabilitation, as well as a reduced dependence on pain medication during post-op healing. The goal of minimally invasive spine surgery is to re-stabilize the back, especially the vertebral bones and spinal joints while skillfully relieving pressure on the spinal nerves. People suffering from back pain related to spinal instability, bone spurs, herniated discs and scoliosis benefit most from MIS procedures and can often avoid surgery by scheduling a consultation with Dr. Yuan to assess their particular condition, as MISS is not always necessary with expert supervision. As one of the top minimally invasive spine surgeons, Dr. Yuan of Long Beach, CA has more than 15 years of successfully treating neck, back and lower back conditions and returning patients to health with and without surgery. Read a few more details on Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery.

Up to 90% of patients experience pain relief with Long Beach Lumbar Spinal Fusion. Pain is significantly reduced after this procedure. A Long Beach lumbar spinal fusion is a type of back surgery that can be done as an open, minimally invasive or mini-open procedure. The procedure combines two or more vertebrae through a welding-like process in order to reduce pain and increase stability in the spine. It is used to treat chronic neck and back pain that may radiate to the arms and legs. People who suffer conditions such as degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, fractures and spinal tumors in Long Beach typically make good candidates for the procedures. When possible, some spinal fusion surgeries can be done as outpatient procedures with minimal cutting and operating time—they are called minimally invasive spinal fusions. Depending on which vertebrae are causing pain and where potentially diseased discs are located, a fusion can be done on the thoracic (upper back) or lumbar spine (lower back). Long Beach spinal fusions prevent pain associated with movement by fusing together two or more vertebrae in the spine to prevent painful movement. The pieces are welded together using a bone graft, made from either a cadaver bone or taken from the patient. These grafts are commonly referred to as cages.

Those who enter into a SI joint rehabilitation program can usually return to running with minor modifications. The more severe the case is, the more modifications will have to be made and longer rest period a physician may recommend. Many runners can return to running immediately by making modifications, but others with more severe pain may need to rest and rehabilitate for a while. In the latter case, it’s important that athletes take time to recover so they aren’t doing permanent damage to their body. Usually, a rehabilitation protocol and possible intervention to treat underlying cause (biomechanics, physical attributes, muscle problems) will result in complete recovery and zero residual pain. Surgical intervention offers similar results for more severe cases. With minimally-invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion procedures, doctors have reported less post-surgical bleeding and bruising as well as a shorter operating time.

Long Beach Spine Surgeon, Dr. Yuan, is a neck and back pain specialist. The board certified and fellowship trained spinal surgeon assesses whether your spine, neck and back ache is treatable with nonsurgical options. If necessary, Dr. Yuan’s expertise is minimally invasive spine surgery and robotic-assisted procedures to relieve chronic pain in the neck and back, and the Long Beach Spine Surgeon also treats a range of spinal disorders in patients of all ages; including, herniated discs and stenosis in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. Dr. Yuan is a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon and fellowship trained spinal surgeon. He specializes in the treatment of all spinal disorders including issues with the neck and back. He treats conditions that affect the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine utilizing both surgical and non-surgical interventions. Dr. Yuan emphasizes non-surgical treatment first and only recommends surgical procedures when absolutely necessary to better a patient’s quality of life. Explore more details on Spine surgeon Long Beach.