Spine Talk

Spine Talk

By Texas Back InstituteHealth & Fitness
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Spine Talk episodes

  • Founding Texas Back Institute - Dr. Stephen Hochschuler [Ep. 001]
    Dr. Stephen Hochschuler, Co-Founder and Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Texas Back Institute talks about the history and philosophy of the multi-disciplinary spine practice. Texas Back Institute has been caring for patients with neck pain and back pain for over 35 year, and built a strong reputation in the spine care community. Texas Back Institute is dedicated to research in new technologies and procedures. Dr. Hochschuler discusses some of these technologies and fun stories from the early years.
    For more information about Texas Back Institute visit: www.texasback.com
    21 min
  • Blog Audio - Ethiopian Patients With Dr. Ted Belanger
    The world-class spine surgery skills of Dr. Theodore Belanger will be evident for the world to observe this week when the Texas Back Institute surgeon performs two, extremely challenging surgical procedures on two young people who have been transported from Ethiopia. The two patients, who have allowed us to share their names and medical histories, arrived in the Dallas area on October 22, 2015, and will undergo their respective surgeries the following week.
    Because of the generosity of The Medical Center of Plano and Texas Back Institute, these very complicated and costly procedures along with the 3-month recuperation will be completed at no charge to the two patients. In a recent interview, Dr. Belanger, shared his reason for taking on these operations.
    “I had some friends and colleagues working with patients in Ethiopia and I had always wanted to give back to patients who do not have the kind of access to the expertise and facilities that we take for granted in America,” he said. “Through these friends, I traveled to Ethiopia in 2010 and made more friends and connections there. Since then, this project has taken on a life of its own.”
    Two Patients in Desperate Need
    “We are very excited about bringing these patients to the U.S. for these procedures,” Dr. Belanger noted. “The procedures we have completed of the past 5 years have been done in Ethiopia and that comes with different challenges because of the differences in facilities and equipment.”
    “One of the patients is a 13-year old girl, Samrawit Teshnie, from Mojo, Ethiopia, who has severe idiopathic scoliosis,” he said. “This is a condition that we commonly see in America, but usually patients in this country get treatment in a timelier manner because they have access to specialists in this condition. A 50 degrees curvature of the spine is fairly common in the US, but in Ethiopia I see patients with curvature of 100 degrees and worse. The patient whom we will be operating on has a curvature of greater than 100 degrees.”
    “The second patient, a 20-year old man named Haymanot Ashmare, has a rapidly-deteriorating spinal condition called ankylosing spondylitis,” Dr. Belanger said. “Because this is an inflammatory condition characterized by the fusing the entire spine and severe spinal deformity, he is bent over 90 degrees. He was found living on the street in Addis Ababa outside Mother Teresa’s mission before being accepted for this procedure. When this patient stands up as straight as he can, his chest and head are pointing at the ground.”
    “This young man is essentially homeless and must beg for food,” he said. “He has been taken in by my friend Dr. Rick Hodes in Africa, who through his foundation, The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, gathers these patients and gets them to people like me who can provide surgical care for them. Trying to complete this surgery in Africa, without the specialized equipment and facilities we have here, would be too dangerous.”
    “It is no exaggeration to say that this procedure will be one of the toughest surgeries that I have ever tried to do in my practice,” Dr. Belanger said. “We couldn’t do this without the bravery of the patients involved. I am always in awe of the fact that these patients are allowing some stranger from America do some very complicated surgery on them. Many don’t speak English and often have never seen a white person before. This is a testament to their bravery.”
    “These two procedures would not be possible without the tireless efforts of Dr. Hodes and his team at the foundation,” he said. “They provide enormous financial and human resources to bringing these indigent patients to America for treatment.”
    There are millions of young people, throughout the world, who need medical treatment for spinal deformities but this week, Dr. Theodore Belanger is forever changing the lives of two of them. To keep up with the progress of these two patients, follow the Texas Back Institute on Facebook and Twitter.
    14 min
  • Blog Audio - Dr. John Peloza Talks about Complimentary Sports
    Getting the Gain and Avoiding the Pain
    What is it about the mechanics of rowing that causes back pain and injuries? Dr. John Peloza, a spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute, had some insights during a recent interview.
    Peloza in Clinic
    “First, there are different kinds of rowing,” he said. “Rowing in a skull is a different type of rowing than that of rowing in a kayak. There is a repetitive torsional (twisting) and flexion motion in this activity and it can be very damaging to the spine. In order to support one’s spine when doing this activity, it is important for the participant to have core strength and use the proper mechanics. The rower should try to maintain a neutral position and when this is accomplished, this will go a long way toward protecting the lower back.”
    How does a paddle sports enthusiast get in this “neutral position?”
    “Basically, this involves keeping the spine straight,” Dr. Peloza noted. “You then should do most of the Flexion/Extention through your hips with less flexion through your spine. Rotation is accomplished with the shoulders and pelvis in the sagittal plane. Compensational movements are through the lower extremities. You stabilize your spine with your abdominal muscles, the muscles along the back of your spine and the core stabilizers within the spine itself. In other words, you should focus the effort on your body’s core.”
    “It is also very important to have strong gluteus muscles, hip flexor muscles, along with the abdomen and back muscles. A basic exercise for this is the (yoga) plank,” he said. “If you can master this exercise, you can stabilize your spine and you can paddle safely.”
    Read the Full Blog Post Here: http://texasback.com/about-us/blog/how-to-avoid-back-pain-and-injuries-when-youre-paddling-your-own-canoeor-kayakor-standup-paddleboard/
    11 min
  • Blog Audio - Dr. Jason Marchetti Talks about the Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle
    A recent article in the Wall Street Journal featured research from The British Journal of Sports Medicine and Cornell University which warned of the dangers of sitting at one’s desk all day. The article identified at least 35 chronic diseases, including diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer, which were statistically more likely to occur among men and women whose workday was spent in a sedentary position.
    The piece also offered suggestions for overcoming this health hazard. Dr. Alan Hedge, a professor of ergonomics at Cornell noted that for every half-hour working in an office, “people should sit for 20 minutes, stand for eight minutes and then move around and stretch for two minutes.
    While the article did not deal with the ramifications of a full day of sitting for spine and back health, Texas Back Institute physician, Dr. Jason Marchetti was enlisted to offer his professional opinion on this subject.
    Why Does Constant Sitting Cause Back Pain
    Dr Marchetti
    “Studies have shown that the pressure on the spinal discs is quite high when sitting,” Dr. Marchetti said. “In fact, many studies show that the pressure on the discs can be higher when sitting than standing.”
    “The disc is basically a shock absorber,” he said. “You can think of it as a rubber bushing. If you press on the disc, the sides bulge out and over time, as they wear, you can start to get some cracks in the outer ring of the disc. With the increase in the axial pressure on that disc (from sitting), it’s going to be more prone to get irritated and inflamed and with time, it can become more degenerative or more arthritic.”
    “Studies have shown that people with more physical jobs – they’re lifting and standing, rather than sitting – actually seem to protect their discs more and have less problems with inflammation,” he said.
    What Part Does Age Play?
    “I am not aware of any studies that show this disc inflammation from sitting increases with age,” Dr. Marchetti said. “Most of the studies which seek to ascertain the risk factors for chronic back pain are not pieced out between young or old. However, most are going to be among working adults.”
    “As all of us age, we are going to be prone to degenerative changes and the incidence of back pain increases as we age, he noted. “Interestingly, there is a peak in middle adulthood.”
    “The people between the ages of 40 and 60 have the highest incidences of back pain and this begins to decrease as they get into their senior years. We’re not really sure why this happens, because MRI’s show the spine ‘looking’ worse but for whatever reason, the incidence in back pain often decreases in the later years of life.”
    Does the Type of Chair Help or Hurt the Spine?
    “People are different,” he said. “There is no research that one type of chair is better than others and people respond differently to different chairs.”
    “I frequently have patients ask if there is some type of chair that they should be sitting in and the answer is that the best chair is the one which is most comfortable to them,” he said. “That being noted, it is very important to look at the office setting. We often hear about the ergonomic assessments of someone’s job space.”
    Read the Full Blog Post Here: http://texasback.com/about-us/blog/stay-seated-at-your-own-risk/
    11 min

About Spine Talk

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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.