General Health

Neck pain treatment Long Beach, CA

Be a good patient? When an appointment is not available and you cannot wait for a later one, ask about your options. There are often urgent care centers or emergency rooms open that can serve you. The staff at the doctor’s office may be able to tell you which type of office to visit, as well as nearby options that accept your insurance. If you’ve followed step one then you have already been tracking symptoms. Writing this information down is a good way to ensure you do not forget. It also allows you to show your doctor your symptoms versus telling them. When presenting symptoms, think about the words you’ll use and try to be accurate. Announcing that you had a fever for two days can be misleading if you don’t provide additional details. For example, most physicians don’t consider a rise in temperature a fever until it reaches 100.4 degrees F. That’s because slight variations in temperature are normal and most thermometers have a small range allotted for error. Using information such as “low grade” or “high grade” when discussing fever is a good example of presenting your symptoms accurately. The same rule applies to all symptoms, and the more information you provide, the less follow-up questions your physician will need to ask.

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.

LLIF and TLIF is to reduce or eliminate pain in Long Beach back, arm and/or leg pain sufferers caused by movement in the spine. It was created as a minimally invasive alternative to other spinal fusion surgeries. With its smaller incision there is less potential for damage of nerves, blood vessels and organs. In an LLIF, instead of using normal instruments, tubular instruments are passed through the small space using a tunnel formed by the surgeon between the patient’s abdominal organs and the spine muscles. In the TLIF, both parts of the spine are able to be worked on from one incision eliminating additional risks and a second incision site that can cause post-operative pain. Many patients prefer the lateral or transforminal approach to anterior or posterior interbody fusion procedures because they can go home the same day and recovery is shorter. Explore a few more details on Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

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.

In some cases, surgery can be performed to reduce or eliminate SI joint pain. The two most common surgical approaches are SI joint stabilization and joint fusion, both of which are typically done after other therapies have failed. For the latter, minimally invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion systems has shown positive results in treating SI joint dysfunction. Individualized rehabilitation programs aim to treat the underlying cause of SI joint pain. By treating the underlying cause, the pain should subside and the runner can return to their routine with little modification. Sometimes bracing will be needed while a person heals. In cases where pain is severe, pain medication or steroid injections may be recommended to keep pain under control while the person rehabilitates, and when the dysfunction is very severe, surgical intervention may be required to eliminate pain and treat dysfunction and its underlying causes.

Dr. Yuan 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 never recommends surgery first and is a thought leader in managing degenerative spinal stenosis. Dr. Yuan is dedicated to serving patients using conservative treatments whenever possible. Never sign up for surgery when you don’t need it. If surgery is required, however, Dr. Yuan offers a variety of options for patients, including minimally invasive and robotic-assisted procedures. Discover additional details on Lumbago.