Previous large studies have suggested that epidural steroid injections provide some short-term alleviation of radiating pain associated with disc herniations or spinal stenosis. Since a disc herniation has a natural history of improvement, it’s reasonable to consider epidural steroid injections to suppress symptoms while the body heals itself. Of course for other conditions which seem…
It’s time to move on, time to get going What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing But under my feet, baby, grass is growing It’s time to move on, it’s time to get going Tom Petty “Time To Move On” Great advancements in lumbar spine surgery have allowed better outcomes than ever before…
In May 2020, seventy-two first-year West Point cadets cheated on a calculus final. All the accused made the same error on a particular portion of the exam. Fifty-five cadets were found in violation of West Point’s honor codes and enrolled in a rehabilitation program. Some resigned. Some we do not know the outcome. The Academy’s…
You may never have guessed, unless you’re Stephen King, that social isolation can have devastating effects on animals. We’ve already observed increased psychiatric dysfunction since COVID-19 quarantine began. According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), by June 2020 rates of anxiety were three times higher and depression was four times higher than 2019. Virtual…
Dr. Seuss’s iconic tale of the Grinch is a perennial favorite. But is there a neuroscience explanation for why the Grinch stole Christmas? Some would argue a psychological malfunction. It’s pretty clear he was a bit of a sociopath. Even though the Whoville paradise was just outside his cold mountain lair, the Grinch was simply…
You may or may not have recently read the results of the November 2020 Danish face mask study. This was published November 18th, in the Annals of Internal Medicine, a much less prestigious journal than say the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Nature or JAMA. You’d figure the only randomized study of its kind…
Common questions leading up to brain surgery revolve around postoperative care. “How much care will I require?” “Does someone need to be with me 24/7?” “Can I go upstairs?” What are my restrictions?” “How will I feel?” “When will I feel normal again?” These common questions are highlighted by the recent death of Argentinian soccer…
We tend not to hear much about Presidential health, even though nearly half of them in our nation’s history have had significant illnesses or injuries while in office. In 1893, Grover Cleveland underwent a “craniotomy-like” procedure. During his second term as President and on the brink of a Depression, he had a large tumor on…
Although my wife is a vegetarian and detests seeing the holiday fowl’s carcass dehydrating on the counter surface of which she just prepared her vegetables, my kids fight each year over who gets the chance to make their dearest wish come true. The infamous wishbone competition. The Etruscans, an ancient Italian civilization, may have been…
Some patients report they smoke more because they have spine pain or anxiety. Studies have shown that smokers increase their cigarette consumption when their pain increases. 42% of persons experiencing medically unexplained pain in the last year smoke. 54% of treatment-seeking chronic pain patients smoke. Furthermore, these smokers tend to have more maladaptive pain behaviors,…