National Call Your Doctor Day is today — Tuesday, June 11th. This is a good time to talk about the fact that 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. How do you know when the pain is something that will heal — or something that requires follow up with a…
As we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s essential to recognize the deep, often hidden connections between our mental well-being and physical health. One area where this connection is especially pronounced is in the relationship between chronic pain and our mental and emotional health. Let’s dive into how these two seemingly separate experiences are…
When it comes to posture corrector products — I not only recommend them to my patients; I’ve even helped my mom find one that works for her. She had surgery on her back 20 years ago and she’s done great since then. But sometimes she notices that she’s leaning forward, which is a common issue…
Modern spine surgery bears almost no resemblance to the spine surgery your parents or grandparents had. Innovation and technological advances have drastically transformed the field. So what does that mean for patients? How different are things today? Wendell and Katie Sissler are uniquely positioned to help tell this story. The father/daughter duo had spine surgeries…
When it comes to back surgery — you might be surprised to know that many patients here in the U.S. hop on a plane and travel several hours to Europe and Germany — where they’ve historically done more artificial disc replacements than the U.S. But is that really necessary? I get asked several questions on…
VSI has been recognized as ‘Best Orthopedic Practice’ and VSI Physical Therapy has also been named ‘Best Physical Therapy Practice’ in Virginia Living Magazine’s 2024 Best of Virginia awards. Virginia Living Magazine is a trusted source of information that highlights the community’s best in the state. Each year, readers vote on their favorite businesses, services,…
Recovering from surgery can be a fairly predictable journey. But not always. Sometimes it’s more of a rollercoaster. When that happens, it can be disappointing, frustrating and even painful. One of my patients, Dori, discovered that after she underwent spine surgery. “Generally most people have a pretty linear, upward trajectory of recovery and I assumed…
Good alignment of your spine is just as important when you’re lying down as it is when you’re standing up. So if you suffer from back pain, the first thing to consider when lying down is if you have enough support. Having the right pillow matters — and that means making sure you have a…
In this day of fitness trackers, walking desks, marathons and more….I often get asked — is there an amount of movement that could actually be too much for my body? First and foremost, the most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to our physical health and activity is that “movement = health.”…
80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. It’s bound to happen. But there are so many things we can do to lessen the frequency and intensity of back pain. Here are some of the daily habits I live by and share with my patients to ease the chances of…
