Spine Talk

Spine Talk

By Texas Back InstituteHealth & Fitness
Download on the App Store

Spine Talk episodes

  • Dr. Scott Kutz Neurosurgeon Intoduction
    Texas Back Institute is constantly striving to bring new expertise to its practice and the latest evidence of this effort is Dr. Scott Kutz, a neurosurgeon who joined the organization in June. The latest addition to the surgical team at TBI grew up in central Illinois and before landing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area he spent time in Chicago, New Orleans for his medical education and St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri in the early years of his medical practice.
    In a recent interview, Dr. Kutz said, “I originally wanted to practice relatively close to central Illinois in order to be close to my family. However, the climate for medicine is much more challenging and rewarding in the St. Louis, Springfield and ultimately the DFW areas.”
    What made Dr. Kutz decide to join the team at Texas Back Institute? He didn’t hesitate in his answer.
    “Texas Back Institute is a phenomenal facility,” he said. “They have a wonderful combination of doing excellent clinical work combined with cutting edge research and medical education.”
    7 min
  • Dr. Rey Bosita NASA Astronaut Physical Effects
    One of the objectives of a recent trip into space was to determine the long-range effect on “the mind, body and spirit” of the travelers into this last frontier. The agency which supervises all government-sponsored trips into space – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently announced the safe return of astronaut Scott Kelly who had spent the last year living in the Space Station. This is longer than anyone else had previously done.
    The ramification of this trip – a medical experiment, in fact – is fascinating for the scientists at NASA and the spine specialists at Texas Back Institute. Why? According to news reports, including this one from NBC, Scott Kelley’s body changed while he was living in outer space.
    In addition to other possible effects of the weightlessness of outer space (yet to be determined), Kelly appears to have grown about 2-inches during this period. This fact is corroborated by a comparison with Scott’s brother, Mark, who is an identical twin and thus has the exact genetic makeup.
    This medical experiment, with one brother acting as the test subject and the other acting as the “control,” is critical to devising a medical and physical regimen for astronauts who, on future trips to planets in this solar system such as Mars, will be required to live in these conditions for sometimes decades.
    Before discussing these myriad medical mysteries, the obvious first question is clearly begged. Did the effects of 1-year of weightlessness, the closed quarters or other factors cause Scott Kelly to grow an additional 2-inches? For the answer to this, Texas Back Institute spine surgeon Dr. Rey Bosita was asked for his professional opinion.
    Read the full post here: www.texasback.com/blog
    8 min
  • Dr. Bosita Repetitive Stress In Young Athletes
    This is the time of year when the bats are swinging, the baseballs are flying and the boys and girls of summer are at least thinking of the words to the world’s best baseball song…
    “Put me in coach. I’m ready to play. Today”
    As the official spine surgeons for the Frisco RoughRiders, a minor league affiliate of The Texas Rangers, the specialists at Texas Back Institute examine many of these young players when back injuries strike. Often, these injuries are exacerbated when young players – middle school, high school, collegiate and professional - try to “play through the pain.”
    A recent article in the Wall Street Journal noted overuse injuries are a serious problem, particularly for younger boys and girls. These are caused by the repetitive stress of the muscles and skeletal system without giving them enough rest. According to the article, more than 50 percent of the pediatric sports injuries occur due to a focus on a single sport by a young athlete.
    Teams, of all skill levels, are trying to combat these injuries due to overuse by giving a greater role to athletic trainers. In an effort to determine is this is a positive trend or one that is dangerous, Dr. Rey Bosita, a spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute, was asked to give his professional pitch.
    See the full story here: www.texasback.com/blog
    10 min
  • Dr. Michael Hisey On Air Travel 02
    Why Air Travel Can be Hazardous to Your Health
    Anyone who spends a lot of time on an airplane has a clear understanding of the concept of misery. Except for those lucky travelers who are in “first class,” the other 200 or so people spend the duration of the flight cramped, with little leg room, closely seated next to other passengers who are often grouchy due to their own lack of space!
    Dr. Michael Hisey http://texasback.com/doctors-profiles/doctor-hisey is a spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute and his work in the field makes him a highly-sought-after speaker for medical conventions all over the world. Because of this, Dr. Hisey has become somewhat of a “road warrior” and as such, is the ideal source for offering tips on avoiding the back pain which can result from hours and hours on an airplane.
    He has also had some quirky experiences that can only happen to a doctor on a plane.
    “Recently, I’ve had some long trips to Uganda and China,” he said. “I’ve also got a trip coming up to Singapore.
    See more at www.texasback.com/blog
    7 min
  • Blog Audio - Dr Patel Talks About Cryotherapy And Back Pain
    Can plunging one’s entire body into a freezing chamber reduce muscle pain? For the professional athletes and celebrities who have made cryotherapy so popular, the answer is yes. If the media coverage is any indication, extreme cold is very hot.
    Many athletes, movie stars and other opinion leaders have publically extolled the benefits of Whole Body Cryotherapy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryotherapy for losing weight, reducing pain, improving athletic performance, slowing aging and improving sleep. However, this relatively new treatment has not been vetted by any reputable medical organization and has had some tragic consequences for at least one young lady.
    According to an article in Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2015/11/23/the-cold-hard-facts-on-cryotherapy/#1d8c1a691334 magazine, “the recent death of 24-year old Chelsea Patricia Ake-Salvacion during a cryotherapy treatment has brought some increased scrutiny on a practice that has been growing in use worldwide.” To find out just how effective cryotherapy is in reducing back pain, Dr. Nayan Patel http://texasback.com/doctors-profiles/doctor-patel of Texas Back Institute was asked for his opinion on the extreme version of ice packs on a hurting back. Read the full story here: www.texasback.com/blog
    7 min
  • Dr Shawn Henry NFL Draft And The Spine Health Of The Players
    Beginning on April 28th and running through April 30, 2016, the owners of the teams of the National Football League (NFL) will decide which eligible players they think will help take them to a championship. The NFL Draft has become one of the most-anticipated events of the sport’s off-season with fans quoting arcane statistics like a player’s bench-press best, his “vertical leap” or his 40-yard dash times in justifying the choice of one player over another.
    However, these physical and psychological tests and measurements seldom tell the whole story about these young men. The discipline necessary succeed in this highly competitive situation is one of those factors which even the most experienced coaches find hard to quantify. Plus, existing and potential physical weaknesses, which can lead to future injuries, make it difficult to determine which players are likely to make it through the entire, grueling NFL season.
    Since back injuries have become a major cause of players missing time on the field, Dr. Shawn Henry, a big pro football fan and spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute, was asked for his ruling on the field of NFL prospects. Read the full story at www.texasback.com/blog
    9 min
  • Blog Audio - Dr Stephen Tolhurst Talks About Common Causes Of Back Pain
    It has been noted by more than a few armchair philosophers that “it’s the little things that add up to big problems.” This aphorism applies to many things including back pain. Whether it is poor posture, improper lifting techniques or any number of other bad habits, when they are continued for years, these little things can add up to big pain.
    Back pain can be the unintended consequence of everyday activities. In some extreme cases, long term damage to the muscles of the back and even the spine can occur. Correcting or avoiding these activities might save a trip to Texas Back Institute.
    Common Causes for Back Pain
    “There are certainly many culprits around the house,” noted Dr. Stephen Tolhurst, a spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute. “The most common problems involve lifting improperly. Failing to bend at the knees to lift a heavy object and putting extreme stress on back muscles can wreak havoc on the back.”
    “Another common cause for back pain involves staying in one position for a long time with your lower back bent forward. People can also notice significant neck pain when looking upward, keeping one's neck in that position for an extended period of time."
    Why would someone spend an extended period of time, looking up?
    “Simply sitting on the floor, looking up at a television for several hours,” Dr. Tolhurst noted. “Or, if someone is changing light bulbs or doing maintenance work around the house such as cleaning ceiling fans. This task can only be completed by looking up for an extended period of time.”
    Read the full story here: http://texasback.com/about-us/blog/common-activities-which-are-causing-your-back-pain/
    6 min
  • Blog Audio - Dr. Rey Bosita Talks About The Danger Of Text Neck
    Text Neck is More than a Cute Term. It’s Seriously Painful
    People, of all ages, staring down at a small screen for hours every day could have a real problem. As was noted in a previous blog post (http://texasback.com/about-us/blog/text-neck-its-nothing-to-lol-about/), this has resulted in the rise of a non-medical, but extremely descriptive term: Text Neck. It has also resulted in patients showing up in the Texas Back Institute waiting room, complaining of sore necks. More on this later.
    Dr. Rey Bosita, a spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute notes, “This is a pain in the back of a person’s neck, caused by poor back posture while looking down at smartphones, tablets or other electronic devices.”
    “The cause of text neck is the same for both kids and adults,” he said. “People have a tendency to hold a mobile device down in the lap or down on a low surface, while keeping the neck flexed. When that happens, the muscles in the back of the neck get fatigued. When users finally get distracted from dealing with “Angry Birds,” email, or FaceBook, they feel pain when they try to lift their heads.”
    “The problem with text neck is that people might keep their heads in this position for several minutes or several hours every day,” he noted. “This causes a cumulative pain effect. Text neck affects both kids and adults. The biomechanics are the same, whether a person is young or old. The most important thing is to try and prevent it.”
    The constant use of hand-held technology is causing other unintended consequences besides text neck. According to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “electronic toys hinder verbal development and traditional toys, such as common building blocks, sparked higher quality conversations among children.”
    Dr. Bosita, while not a child psychologist, is the proud dad of 4 youngsters, and he has first-hand experience with the benefits and challenges of smartphones, tablets and other electronic gadgets in the hands of kids. Does he see any backlash brewing with regard to allowing kids unlimited use of hand-held devices?
    “I agree with the statement that electronic games can hinder verbal development,” he said. “Parents have to be cognizant of this problem, especially with the little kids. Make sure the kids play with the traditional toys and have enough personal interaction with each other to make sure this ‘locked in’ situation doesn’t happen where the kid’s iPad becomes his or her world.”
    Read the Full Blog at www.TexasBack.com/blog
    9 min
  • Blog Audio - Weight Bearing MRI With Dr. Richard Guyer
    In the history of medicine, there are very few diagnostic procedures which have had the impact of magnetic resonance imaging, more commonly known as MRI. The MRI scanners use magnetic fields, radio waves and field gradients to form images of the anatomy and they are capable of revealing the physiological properties of the body, including disease and injuries.
    The MRI process was patented and introduced to physicians in the mid 1970’s, and one of the early adopters of this technology was Texas Back Institute. Recently, one of the three founders of Texas Back Institute, Dr. Richard Guyer, shared his insights about the value of the MRI scans for spine diagnosis.
    A New MRI Technology
    Texas Back Institute has a rich history of pioneering new medical technology and the organization has one of the first MRI’s designed for spine diagnostics. Dr. Guyer explains how this new machine differs from the traditional MRI.
    “First of all, it’s a more compact MRI scan,” he noted. “Plus, it is much cheaper than the traditional MRI scan and it works off a lower magnetic field.”
    “Just as we see advancements in other fields, such as electronics, cell phones or computers, the developers of this new MRI, with very low magnetic fields, are able to get good images.”
    “The other advantage of having a low magnetic field is that it allows patients who have had previous surgeries and have various metal implants – such as screws, rods and cages – to hold the spine together will cause what we call ‘scatter.’ That means we are unable to get good pictures with a regular MRI scan. With this low magnetic field scan, they have developed special software that allows us to see better images of the nerves and the bones despite the hardware in these patients.
    (Image of the new MRI, without patient)
    “This new MRI has another important advancement,” Dr. Guyer noted. “It has the ability to take upright images. The reason why this is important is that in many spinal abnormalities, patients don’t hurt when they’re lying down. They say, ‘doctor, I hurt when I’m up on my feet or when I stand too long or when I’m walking.’ Now, we have the ability to take an MRI scan when the patient is in a standing position.
    “This is what we call being in a ‘loaded’ position, where the weight of the body is being transmitted through the spine and through the disc and may actually cause a bulging of the disc. This can cause a pinching of the nerves and may also cause instability. These conditions are not going to be visible when the patient is lying flat on their back.”
    “I’ve had numerous patients who have normal MRI scans while they were lying on their backs,” he said. “And when you stand them up for regular, plain x-rays, we see that they have abnormal motion.
    Read the full text at www.texasback.com/blog
    8 min
  • SI Joint Disfunction - Dr. Ralph Rashbaum [Ep. 002]
    Dr. Ralph Rashbaum, co-founder and Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Texas Back Institute talks about SI Joint disfunction, the symptoms, and treatment options for it. Si Joint disfunction is often misdiagnosed, and goes untreated for many patients. For more information visit: www.texasback.com
    22 min

About Spine Talk

From the publisher's feed

Texas Back Institute uses its experience, talent, state-of-the-art equipment, and technology to provide superior and innovative care for patients who suffer from back and neck pain.