Be the perfect 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 ? Ligaments are bands of fibrous tissue that connect bones to joints. When a ligament is injured, it presents much like a muscle strain but it is actually referred to as a sprain. These occur when a ligament is stretched or torn. In your back, there are 14 spinal ligaments. In general, ligaments are not very flexible, which is why they are prone to injury. If you’ve experiences a ligament strain you will likely notice limited range of motion in the affected area, pain or tenderness, muscle spasms, inflammation or bruising. These symptoms can occur all together, or you may just experience a few. Because ligament strains are common, they can usually be treated at home with ice, rest, compression, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications and keeping it elevated.

Southern California neck pain sufferers — Eliminate neck pain with Anterior Cervical Discectomy Fusion surgery! The cervical spine is made up of seven bones or vertebrae stacked one on top of another forming the neck. In between the vertebrae are cushions called disks. These act as shock absorbers so when they deteriorate with age, the neck can become painful and hard to move. Loss of mobility with cervical disk degeneration is common. Because the upper part of the spinal cord passes through the cervical spine, the vertebrae or cervical disk can press on it when the opening becomes too narrow. Sometimes, the body reacts to a disrupted disk by forming bone spurs, which can also put pressure on the spinal nerves, causing pain. Pushing against the spinal nerves leads to pain, numbness and sometimes weakness in the neck and extremities. When nonsurgical treatments do not provide relief, surgery is often recommended. Anterior Cervical Disectomy Fusion, or ACDF, treats nerve root or spinal cord compression through spinal cord and nerve root decompression for those who suffer from back pain in Southern California. The goal is to stabilize the surrounding vertebrae where the disk has deteriorated. In most cases, a nerve root becomes inflamed because the disk has herniated allowing the jelly-like center of the disc to bulge through and put pressure on the nerve root or because the disc has degenerated and the cushion is no longer there to protect it.

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 a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon and fellowship trained spinal surgeon. He specializes in the treatment of all spinal disorders including issues with the neck and back. He treats conditions that affect the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine utilizing both surgical and non-surgical interventions. Dr. Yuan emphasizes non-surgical treatment first and only recommends surgical procedures when absolutely necessary to better a patient’s quality of life. See additional details on Lumbar Fusion Long Beach.

The SI joint absorbs stress experienced in the legs during running and transfers it to the spine. If the muscles are weak or not working optimally, the SI joint takes the brunt of the load. Tightened ligaments often due to arthritis or hormone changes commonly caused by pregnancy can put the SI joint at greater risk of dysfunction. To properly diagnose SI joint dysfunction, your doctor will have to do an examination. Symptoms are usually described as increased pain after running, standing from a seated position, walking up stairs or using other exercise equipment that stretches the muscles connected to the SI joint. Diagnoses often includes several types of imaging including x-ray, CT, a special type of CT called a SPECT and MRI, as well as fluoroscopically guided injections and sometimes lab work.