Back Surgery: Is it Right for You? A Complete Guide to Back Surgery With Answers to Your Most Important Questions Edwin Haronian, MD

ISBN: 0-7570-0276-5 Length: 286 Pages Size: 6 X 9-inch Format: Quality Paperback Category:Health / Back Surgery Price: $17.95 US Availability: In Print Click below for: Synopsis • Contents Introduction • Reviews

Synopsis

Yes, you need back surgery. No, back surgery will not help your condition.

With all the inaccurate and misleading information out there, it’s no wonder that doctors themselves have conflicting views on how to treat a given back problem. However, it is the decision you make regarding back surgery that counts. The problem has always been finding the information necessary to make a wise choice--or it was, until now. Dr. Edwin Haronian has put together a guide that looks at the conditions and the procedures, both surgical and nonsurgical, and answers the most common questions people have about treating back problems.

The book is divided into three parts. Part One begins by examining the anatomy of your back. It then discusses the common types of back conditions that result in pain, along with each disorder’s telltale signs. From there it looks at the latest and most effective treatments available, from acupuncture to medications to surgeries. Should you select surgery, Part Two offers important pre-op and post-op suggestions to make you an informed patient.

And once you return home, Part Three provides a proven program to prevent back problems in the future. No back surgery is minor. A lot of questions need to be asked, answered, and understood before you can make a smart decision about your treatment. With this book in hand, you will have the facts you need to make the choice that is best for you .

Edwin Haronian, MD, received his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. He then served his residency at the State of New York Sciences Center in Brooklyn, New York, one of the nation’s busiest trauma centers. While there, Dr. Haronian participated in groundbreaking research that helped introduce new techniques for placing spinal implants. He was later selected as a fellow in spinal surgery at the internationally renowned Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Inglewood, California. While serving his fellowship, he was involved in determining the most innovative and advanced options to treat spinal conditions and disorders. Today, Dr. Haronian heads one of the fast-growing orthopedic practices in the Los Angeles area, with offices in Encino, Pomona, and Sherman Oaks.

Contents

Introduction

PART ONE: Deciding Whether Back Surgery Is for You
1. Understanding Your Back
2. Determining the Cause of
Your Back Problem
3. Nonsurgical Treatment Options
4. Surgical Options

PART TWO: Your Back Surgery
5. Preparing for Surgery
6. Your Successful Recovery

PART THREE: A Healthy Back for Life
7. Preventing Future Back Problems
8. Psychology and Back Pain
Conclusion

About the Author
Index

Introduction

I wish I could say you are unique, but if you are holding this book, chances are you have joined one of the world’s largest clubs. You have back pain--anything from a slight, nagging ache, to excruciating spasms that affect every aspect of your life. With these symptoms, you have become one of the four in five people who suffer from back pain at some point in their lives, making back-related disorders the most common of any medical ailment. You may possibly become one of the 500,000 people who have back surgery each year, or one of the additional million considering it.

Whether you are a business executive who first noticed distress while tapping the computer keys at your desk, a contractor who felt the pang while lugging heavy supplies to a job, or a young mother who can no longer lift her precious child, chances are it’s more than just the pain that’s distressing you. It’s the often bewildering array of treatment options. In addition to a number of sophisticated surgeries from which to select, there are many nonsurgical options. As top sources such as The New England Journal of Medicine and the American Medical Association have commented recently, that leaves the confusing decision up to you.

I am thrilled to offer you a quick, convenient, thorough guide in Back Surgery: Is It Right for You? In my busy practice and at the top spinal research organizations where I have worked, I have seen patients agonizing over their decisions. I know there is a pressing need for comprehensive information about back problems and treatments. The explosion in the technology associated with the treatment of back problems in the last twenty years, and the corresponding growth in the number of available procedures, provide even more good reasons for you to turn to such a guide, since there has also been an explosion of inaccurate and misleading information.

I was shocked recently when I looked up “disc replacement” on an Internet search engine, and saw the dizzying array of information that emerged. Even on sites for which I paid a fee, the material was confusing, and I could not decipher whether something was objective information or a veiled (biased) advertisement. Sites that touted the latest breakthroughs did not have them; the information often lagged behind a few years. But unless you have a medical degree, you probably would have no idea that the information you received was inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading. Back Surgery: Is It Right for You? painlessly cuts through the confusion.

The first thing you should know about your back is that the spine is the most complicated and delicate part of the body. In order for you to make an informed treatment decision (and prevent future troubles!), it is essential for you to understand your back and what might be causing your problem. That’s why this book starts by taking a tour of your back to learn about its anatomy, from bones to ligaments to muscles. Equally helpful, I hope, will be the examination of your back’s all-important function as the core of your body, which is crucial to movement and flexibility; as the protector of your nerves; and as the vital highway for information throughout your body.

Next, you will take a look at what might be causing your pain. There are typical categories into which most spine problems fit. Is your discomfort caused by arthritis, a traumatic injury, infection, everyday stress and strain, or another problem? This book will help you answer that question.

Nonsurgical options are the first possible treatments to consider. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the introduction and use of new, effective drugs, including anti-inflammatory medications, pain medications, muscle relaxers, nerve stabilizers, steroids, and patches. In addition to drug therapy, you’ll learn about physical and manipulation therapies, acupuncture, and pain management procedures. Next, you’ll investigate your surgical choices, including benefits and risks. First, you’ll take a thorough look at surgeries of the neck, also known as the cervical spine. You may have been presented with the option of cervical fusion, bone grafting, cervical foraminotomy, or cervical disc replacement, and we’ll study each one. Perhaps your pain is in your lower back, in which case you’ll be particularly interested in the discussion of surgeries of the lumbar spine. There are a number of surgeries from which to choose, including lumbar microdiscectomy, lumbar laminectomy, and lumbar fusion, all of which are offered in either traditional or minimally invasive versions.

If you do decide that back surgery is necessary, this book will guide you along the way. First, you’ll learn about preparing for surgery, including choosing your surgeon and hospital, and you’ll find guidelines to help you get ready for either out-patient or in-patient surgery. This book, of course, also offers advice about your successful recovery, exploring what to expect immediately after your surgery, possible early complications, and physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Equally important is “A Healthy Back for Life,” the last part of the book. In the hope that you can prevent future back problems, this book discusses how to keep your back strong, including safely using exercise and sports to do so. You’ll also learn about nutrition, which is key in the prevention of osteoporosis and in weight management--crucial for a healthy back, since excess weight stresses the back and is responsible for many ailments. You will also examine ergonomics, the study of equipment design that may prevent back problems. Ergonomics has become a buzzword in recent years, but it should be much more than that in your life. I hope that it will become a tool that you can put into practice everywhere--your home, your office, and your car. Finally, I will share with you exercises that will help strengthen your back every day. You will be amazed at how easy--and relaxing--these movements are. They take just seconds, and I guarantee they will become a part of your day that you cherish!

I am certainly glad to accompany you on such an important journey. I, of course, can’t single-handedly stop your pain, but I am delighted that Back Surgery: Is It Right for You? may be able to make what is often a highly stressful information-gathering and decision-making process virtually painless.

Reviews

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