For my story.. I originally developed mild back pain in the summer of 2000 in Airborne School for the United States Army. At the time i just figured it was from the constant jarring motion and repetetively striking the ground feet first from a height of 3-4 feet. The pain was managable but pretty severe. […]

I partially ruptured my tibia tendon on the posterior side, right at the ankle bone in 2005. My ankle was immobilized for 25 days. I was still experiencing pain after, so I took oral steroids, and then received cortisone shots (3). I was then diagnosed with tarsal tunnel syndrome. I had tarsal tunnel decompression surgery […]

my wife (28) and i (37) were involved in a motor vehicle accident last thanksgiving. we hydroplaned and stuck a concrete highway divider at high speed, ~50 mph. we both suffered compression fractures of L1, my wife also had ligament damage to T12 along with a dislocated and fractured right foot. neither of us had […]

After suffering an injury in October,2006, I had an MRI done. The results of the MRI were:
At the C5/C6 level, there is a bulging disk which is asymmetric to the left. This is superimposed in bilateral uncinate hypertrophy and results in mild to moderate central and bilateral neural foraminal stenosis.
At the C6/C7 level, […]

I was in a bad car accident 15 months ago and still have burning and tingling in my left arm down to my thumb and shoulder pain. Two orthopaedic dr’s said nothing wrong with arm and that the only damage to my discs is normal degenerative damage not caused by accident and though an MRI […]

I am a 26 year old female who suffered a compression fracture of my L1 vertebra approx. 6 weeks ago due to a MVA. I was pain free after two weeks discontiuned use of my TLSO back brace a few days ago, which was recommended for me to wear for three months. Some information I […]

My wife, 51, began experiencing tingling/numbness in RT hand and arm … MRI showed stenosis at c4-5, c5-6, c6-7 … neurosurgeon performed “anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion, c4-5, c5-6, c6-7 with bone grafts from the right iliac crest.” Immediately when she awoke in recovery she couldn’t feel her legs. Stat x-ray and […]

Does saddle area numbness resolve over time? My understanding is that numbness and muscle weakness are both caused by nerve compression. I had surgery to decompress the nerves and my muscle weakness is improving, but the numbness has not changed. If both symptoms are caused by nerve compression and the surgery decompressed […]

This question and answer has been moved to the new Spinal Fusion Surgery informational site.
Spinal Fusion Surgery Systems: Dynesys

Degenerative Disk Disease - Spine MRI explanation - Degenerative Disc Disease
Hello I am 44 yr old woman who has multiple sclerosis. I suffer from horrible chronic back pain. Below is results from my mri. Does anyone recognise what any of it means??? Looks greek to me! Does it seem like surgery would fix any of […]

Dr. Joshua - can you please tell me how to research the new minimally invasive surgerys? The longevity etc. - If they really work etc in the long term, or do we know yet?
I talked to the spine institute in florida, and they will review my MRI for a second opinion. The next day they […]

I have cervical fusion at my c5-c6 and c6-c7 with metal plate. my last surgery was in 2001 on my c6-c7.
I had an MRI done April of 2006 which shows at my c4-c5 a large broad-based posterior disk osteophyte bulge with mild bilateral neural foraminal narrowing and severe canal stenosis. There is herniated nucleus pulposus,centrally. […]

Hello there, I am a 23 year old Military Police Officer at Ft. Bragg, NC. I have been in the army 4 1/2 years, and participated in the Iraqi invasion in 2003, to give you a little background.
In Special forces training (PLDC/BNOC to be specific) I had a very heavy rucksack about a year ago, […]

Failure to Diganose, failure to treat fractured fibula, accident injury
I have been involved in a motor vehicle accident five six weeks ago where i was struck by a car. I as admitted to the emergency room where they failed to diagnose my broken fibula. I then got a second opinion where the fracture was overlooked […]

I fell 20 years ago and was told I bruised the shin bone on my left leg. It is now hurting in the same spot. I can actually see a very faint red mark, like an old bruise. It sometimes hurts up into my knee and wakes me up at night. […]

I have been having shoulder problems for many years. For the last couple of months, the top of my shoulder blade hurts. I can push in between the joints and feel the pain. But, the last couple of days the pain runs from my shoulder to by elbow and into the joints […]

Hi, I am a 36 year old female. I am having major problems and really want to find relief. My injury began 17 years ago,giving birth to my son, herniated L4L5 S1. Was bad off couldn’t walk etc. Neurosurgeon refused surgery, said I was to young (19) I went through extensive therapy, work hardening and […]

I am female and 47. I have weakness in my left leg and have been progressively having more pain walking. I also have occasional pain in my left knee. An MRI reveals a pinched nerve at L2. My neurologist would like me to have a myelogram. I am deathly afraid of the epidural involved. 15 […]

Hello,
I sprained my ankle 3 days ago.the pain is so bad is not going down. I feel a click in the joint. Now the bruising is everywhere and my foot is getting numb especially my toes. Help!
Dr. Joshua’s Answer
It’s possible that you have a fracture. It’s not possible to entirely rule out a fracture without […]

Dear Doctor,�
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I am 24 years old and I am involved in a number of active and extreme sports. I have not had any problems with my back up until now but I have been adviced not to do certain sports and I wanted to know the reason for this.�
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My friend has informed me that bungee […]

I have severe scoliosis, 70 degree curvature. I would like to know where and who I should see in the USA to have this problem corrected. Who is the best surgeon in this field?
Dr.Sinuhe Answers:
Dear Janice,
Thanks for your question.
Who is “the best” is impossible to say, since that obviously depends on the definition. In […]

Two days ago I fell pretty hard (shoved by a patient) at work and bruised my left shin. Because it happened at work I was sent to the local hospital. Dr. in ER poked and prodded here and there and did not feel an x-ray was necessary. There is an abrasion (which is numb […]

I’m a 50 year old male in good health and never been hospitalized. About 6 days ago I was having trouble raising my right arm over my head. I realized I couldn’t even flex my bicep, and I couldn’t raise the arm at all. A week before that my right shoulder was aching near my […]

I am 26 years old and have noticed these large lumps on my lower back- right near my spine. It has happened 4 times now. They come 1 at a time and they go away after about 4 or so. This has all been new since the last few weeks. It is always in the […]

My mom has been through rotator cuff repair twice on each shoulder she has just had the third surgery in the past couple of months the doctor said she is able to go back to work 100% she works for an airline doing ramp service where she loads and unloads bags from the planes so […]

I was born with the condition referred to as congenital dislocation of the hip. I was in a spreading device for three months after the diagnose. Now I am 27, both my hips sometimes hurt and it sometimes feels like they are not in their socket correctly. It’s only one hip at the time, happens […]

I have always had shoulder pain. I thought it was better, but I was wrong. I lifted my right arm above my head to help myself up the basement stairs, and something popped. Since then I have been in pain. It is a little better, but sleeping at night is very […]

This morning my husband woke up with his right knee 3 times larger than his left. It looks like it is fluid build up. He says it is numb when he leans on it. What do you think it is?? What do you think he should do about it??
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
Could […]

Dr Joshua,
Last summer I took a hard fall onto our hardwood floor in out dining room and injured my tailbone. Now, the pain is gone but if I stand up for a minimum of 3 minutes I get severe back pain in the middle of my back and I have […]

Dr Joshua, I have had Cervical Neck pain off and on for 10 years. (I am a nurse) In the past 6 months it has gotten worse. I saw my doctor when I developed numbness in my left ring and pinky fingers. I received epidural blocks, and the numbness went away. […]

My 18-year-old son was diagnosed with a pinched nerve by a chiropractor. He “manipulated” his back for three months. My son received a little relief from this. Now his problem seems to have gotten back to where it was when he first went to the chiropractor. He just completed his therapy […]

I have horrible middle of the back pain. Like a intense cramp, right about where my bra strap hits. My Dr., doesn”t seem to understand! What kind of Dr. should I seek out? I have a chropractpor its not helping. Please help.
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Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
An X-ray of the thoracic spine is recommended to rule out […]

Last week I was doing a mile walk over my lunch hour. A friend joined me this particular day. We work in a busy section of town so in places where there are no sidewalks require that I walk on the ground. Normally this isn’t a big deal but as I was talking to a […]

I am a 51 yr. old female who sustained a blunt truma to my leg in my tibia area. It caused swelling and black and blue and pain. It has been 9 days now, and the swelling and black and blue are almost gone but the pain has increase at night when I try and […]

Foot Drop
About 4 years ago, I began to experience a feeling of numbness in the 2nd & 3rd toes on each foot. I saw 3 specialists, none could figure it out, one suggested it was “in my mind”. Well, I’m not crazy and the feeling never went away. Two months ago the feeling of numbness […]

Kid’s Health
hi doc!
my daughter of 9 years been complaining of her feet/leg pain on DAILY basis since she was about 1 yr old.she was born with c-section in india and has no health probs of any kind.otherwise healthy normal kid but been complaing of her mainly both feet being in pain.she has been taking childrens […]

This interesting question along with the answer has been moved here:
Chronic Low Back Pain - Instability?

Have SEVERE shoulder/back pain, left side. Popping, stiffness, can’t sleep comfortably. Exercise is not
helping. Physical therapy not helping. Had cortisone shot in shoulder, did not work at all.
Been going to physical therapy at since March. Before that went to attorney doctor. Attorney doctor was not relieving pain so I switched to Kaiser. Kaiser physical therapy […]

I have neck pain and numbness down my right arm. I haven’t had a recent injury, but I was in a rear end car collision 10 years ago. I have developed grinding and neck pain and stiffness. I have had numbness in my fingers that was primarily at night, but now it happens at work […]

I am a 41 year old female in nc. I was involved in a car accident and was rear ended while I was sitting still at a stop light. When i first went to the doctor the next morning my left hand and arm was actually numb, and i could not move my neck or […]

1.Are small discs protrusions in c2/3,c3/4 and c4/5 considered
herniated discs in middle age man?2. What’s the difference between protrusion
discs and extrusion discs and are both considered herniated discs?
3.What does degenerative changes in cervical spine means?
4. Are osteophytes in cervical spine formed as result of degenerative changes
or as result of trauma accidents,like auto rear end accidents?
5. […]

First question already! And very much to the point.. Thanks for submitting your question (via e-mail), Discman. Well, to answer it, it depends on whether you’re the doctor or the patient! Enough joking though: from your nickname I assume that you have been diagnosed with a herniated lumbar disc, and if that’s the case, you […]