I have been told I have a herniated disc, what does that mean and what can be done?” A herniated disc is a spine condition that occurs when the gel-like center of a disc ruptures through a weak area in the tough outer wall.

An estimated 12.1 percent of the U.S. population (nearly 21 million Americans) age 25 and older have osteoarthritis and knee joints are where this can commonly be seen. If you have chronic knee pain that seems to be getting worse over the years you are not alone. It’s estimated that over 700,000 knee replacements are performed in America each year.

“My low back is killing me!!”  Sound familiar?  Have you said these exact words recently?  Studies show that nearly 80% of all Americans will have low back pain at some point in their life.  Sometimes you know exactly why you have the pain such as lifting something heavy or years of heavy lifting at work.  Sometimes it is difficult to pin point an actual event that caused the pain.  Either way, back pain can be miserable and can drastically decrease function and ability to perform day to day tasks. 

Your Primary Care doctor has referred you to pain management…now what? What can you expect? What conditions are treated in pain management? Is pain management just medication? What if I do not like to take medication?

Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. Typically, sciatica affects only one side of your body.

There was a question asked among one of our viewers regarding Fibromyalgia.  The topic is a very vast one so this will be an overview of the condition and some of the treatment methods utilized at NovaSpine Pain Institute.

Depression- Dealing with pain day after day can lead to hopelessness and depression.  If the depression is ignored, it can magnify and make physical and emotional recovery more difficult.

That is a great question.  Narcan/Naloxone is the antidote medication given if an overdose of an opioid medication is suspected.  Overdose symptoms include extreme drowsiness, decreased level of consciousness and slowed shallow breathing