Blaming your back pain on bad posture, a weak core, or one specific tight muscle is one of the most common mistakes people make. Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t get them very far. You’ve probably heard some version of these explanations: “Sit up straight or your back will hurt.” “Strengthen your core to protect your spine.” […]
Why Your Back Pain Probably Isn’t Caused by One Thing Read More »
Being told you have a herniated disc can be scary. You may hear words like “slipped disc,” “pinched nerve,” or “disc degeneration” and immediately assume your spine is damaged or fragile. But these terms often leave out important context. A disc herniation does not automatically mean your spine is broken, unstable, or destined to get
A Herniated Disc Doesn’t Mean Your Spine Is Broken Read More »
Two people can go through the exact same car accident and end up in completely different places a year later. One may be back to normal, while the other may still be dealing with pain. That difference may have less to do with the physical injury than you would think. Whiplash occurs when the head
Why Some People Recover From Whiplash and Others Don’t Read More »
The advice many people with neck pain and nerve symptoms receive, whether from a well-meaning family member, an online article, or even a healthcare provider, is some version of “fix your posture.” Keep your shoulders back. Sit up straight. Stop slouching. For people dealing with neck pain and nerve symptoms, this can be one of
Sitting Up Straight Is Not Going to Fix Your Neck Read More »
When someone has dealt with radiating leg pain for weeks or months and nothing seems to be helping, surgery can start to feel like the obvious answer. Remove the disc problem. Free the nerve. Finally move on. That thought process makes sense. But research on sciatica surgery tells a more complicated story; one that is
Surgery for Sciatica Gets Similar Long-Term Results to Physical Therapy Read More »
A pinched nerve in the neck, or cervical radiculopathy, isn’t actually a nerve being squeezed like a garden hose. The process is much more complex, and understanding what’s really happening can completely change how you approach recovery. Your cervical spine contains seven vertebrae with soft discs between each bone. Your spinal cord runs through this
A Pinched Nerve in Your Neck Is Probably Not What You Think It Is Read More »
Most people who develop burning, tingling, or pain shooting down their leg assume they have injured a muscle. However, when leg symptoms are worse than back pain, especially when they travel below the knee, an irritated nerve root is usually the cause. That distinction changes how we approach treatment and is one of the first
If Your Leg Hurts More Than Your Back, a Nerve in Your Spine Is Probably the Reason Read More »
The research is clear: posture does not reliably predict who develops pain and who doesn’t. That’s not a controversial opinion. High-quality studies have repeatedly reached the same conclusion. If you’ve spent years blaming your forward head posture or anterior pelvic tilt for your neck or back pain, this may be frustrating to hear. However, it
Bad Posture Is Not the Reason You’re in Pain Read More »
Sciatica has a way of making itself impossible to ignore. The electric shooting pain down the back of the leg, the numbness, the feeling that your hip or glute is somehow both painful and dead at the same time. It’s one of the most common reasons people come to see us, and one of the
Sciatica: Why It Keeps Coming Back (And How to Finally Address It) Read More »
You hurt your back. Your doctor ordered an MRI. The report came back with words like herniated disc, disc bulge, foraminal narrowing, or moderate degenerative changes. The assumption is that one explains the other. Here’s the thing: that assumption is often wrong. I’m going to say that again because it’s so important: the assumption that
Your MRI Shows a Herniated Disc: But Is That What’s Causing Your Pain? Read More »
