Have you been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome? If the answer is yes, and if it is getting worse or interrupting the completion of normal tasks, you might consider correcting it with surgery. Is it time for carpal tunnel surgery? Here are a few things to know if you’re considering going under the knife. Carpal […]
Around 60,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year. This achronic motor system disorder leads to tremors, stiffness and difficulty with coordination and balance. Medication can help, but isn’t enough for some patients. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) can be an effective treatment for this debilitating disease. Read on to learn […]
If you follow the PGA Tour at all, you know about the world’s most famous back fusion surgery patient — Tiger Woods. Woods had fusion on the L5 and S1 sections of his spine in 2017. This is the last of the five lumbar vertebrae and the first of the sacrum. In someone Woods’s age, […]
There are a total of 23 vertebral discs in our spinal column. Their job is to provide cushion between the vertebrae, but they often become the source of chronic back pain, as well as pain that radiates down into the arms or legs. This is often the result of disc herniation. This is the term […]
Our artery walls are under constant pressure from the amount of blood coursing through them. If an area of an artery wall weakens, blood opportunistically can push outward in that area. The bulge in the artery is an aneurysm. The danger with an aneurysm is that it can continue to grow and eventually burst. Should […]
As we get older, nothing seems to work as efficiently as in our younger days. This is even true of the spine and the spinal cord within it. Over time the spine can develop degenerative changes that lead to compression of the spinal cord. This condition is called spinal stenosis and can lead to serious […]
Back in July we gave you a little primer on our spinal discs. It’s amazing that these 23 discs — six in the cervical spine, 12 in the thoracic spine, and five in the lumbar spine — can handle such loads day in and day out. Our spinal discs are little shock absorbing miracle workers…until […]
Many people have the misconception that having shaking hands is just another part of getting older. Others are sure it’s the first sign of Parkinson’s disease. Reality is that both of those groups are probably wrong. What could be going on is a nerve disorder known as essential tremor. While it’s not a life-threatening condition, […]
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic motor/nervous system disorder that occurs when the cells that produce dopamine become destroyed or severely damaged. Dopamine is a chemical that sends signals to the brain to control movement. As these cells diminish and the disease progresses, patients gradually lose control of their ability to manage their movements. At Texas […]
