1.7 Million Grant To Study Stem Cells In Intervertebral Discs Of The Spine Received By Jefferson
Scientists at Jefferson Medical College have received a five-year, $1.7 million National Institutes of Health grant funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to study mechanisms regulating stem cell self-renewal and differentiation with the aim of regenerating diseased and painful intervertebral discs. A previous study by the same group showed that stem cells exist in both animal and human intervertebral discs. This grant will enable the researchers to continue studying the disc cells and determine factors which govern their activities in health and disease. "Disc degeneration and the associated back pain that goes with it costs the U.
Three Surgeons In East Texas Are Successfully Integrating A Novel Stem Cell Procedure For Spine Surgeries
A new breakthrough in adult stem cell technology has three Texarkana neurosurgeons leading their industry by utilizing concentrated stem cells for spine surgery. The innovative technique is improving the desired results of surgical interventions for back pain. Leading researchers in the orthopedic and spine industry are predicting the latest developments in this field of medicine will become mainstream practice and, potentially, a standard of care for surgical treatments of severe back pain. Dr. Lee Buono, Dr. Freddie Contreras, and Dr. J. Brett Dietze of Texarkana Neurological Associates are utilizing the new procedure that harnesses the healing potential of adult stem cells from a patient's own body.
Lumbar Matrix TM Scan From SpineMatrix R Revolutionizes The Diagnosis Of Low Back Pain
A new technology that revolutionizes the way low back pain is diagnosed and treated, while also significantly reducing healthcare costs, has been introduced by SpineMatrix(R) Inc., an Akron, Ohio-based medical technology company that specializes in advanced spinal diagnostics. SpineMatrix's new, non-invasive Lumbar Matrix(TM) Scan uses high-speed computer processing of thousands of bioelectric signals to observe neuromuscular activity of the low back. The advanced diagnostic technology allows physicians to accurately identify the source of low back pain, which helps determine proper treatment and can result in significant savings for patients and the healthcare industry.
HydroCision Introduces The Walk In Walk Out Option For Treatment Of Herniated Discs
HydroCision Inc. announced the launch of its new SpineJet® Percutaneous Access Set for use in herniated disc procedures using its novel cutting-with-water fluidjet technology. "These instruments will assist the company to more quickly capitalize on the double digit growth of the minimally invasive percutaneous discectomy market, " says Doug Daniels. "A large driver of procedural growth has been patients who seek out surgeons who perform minimally invasive procedures to reduce down time from work in these tough economic times. This has led to rapid adoption of this new and evolving technique for the treatment of lower back pain by a growing number of neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons and interventional pain physicians.
Saint John's Spine Surgeon Uses ILIF Procedure To Treat Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Only 37, Janie Lee had endured excruciating back pain for 20 years. She couldn't stay in one position for more than five minutes, and walking hunched over was the only way she could get around. Her search for help took her to several doctors and an emergency room, but it wasn't until she found Hyun Bae, M.D., a renowned spine specialist at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica that she received the diagnosis and care that would return her life to her. After taking an MRI, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Bae diagnosed Lee with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal. Spinal stenosis, which affects about 500, 000 people, is usually found in older people due to the wear and tear of aging.
Promise For Treating Low Back Pain - Radiofrequency A Trusted Technique With A New Application
Who suffers from low back pain; my brother, my boss's brother, my neighbor, a friend on the golf course and recently the media reports Regis Philbin and Jeff Gordon suffer from low back pain. Sacroiliac Pain is caused by inflammation or abnormal function of the joint which can lead to sacral nerve damage, and is a major cause of low back pain. Low back pain is estimated to affect 6.5 million people in the world. Now Simplicity lll, a new radiofrequency electrode, offers an alternative and possibly longer lasting relief from a common affliction. Radiofrequency is a widely used and effective treatment for certain chronic pain conditions, and using RF technology NeuroTherm introduces a new treatment option to address some instances of low back pain.
Newer, Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedure For Treatment Of Sciatica Does Not Result In Better Outcomes
A comparison of surgical treatments for sciatica finds that the minimally invasive procedure known as tubular diskectomy does not provide a significant difference in improvement of functional disability compared to the more common surgery, conventional microdiskectomy, according to a study in the July 8 issue of JAMA. Sciatica or lumbosacral radicular syndrome affects millions of individuals worldwide and is typically caused by disk herniation. Surgery is offered to patients with persistent pain that is not responding to conservative treatment, with the common surgical procedure being microdiskectomy (removal of injured disk tissue and pieces). The minimally invasive technique of transmuscular tubular diskectomy was introduced in 1997.
UK Health Services Failing 20 Million Joint Pain Sufferers
UK health services are failing to meet the needs of millions of chronic joint pain sufferers. More than 80 per cent of chronic back and knee pain sufferers still suffer from pain following treatments recommended by a healthcare professional, according to new research for Bupa. Despite the scale of chronic joint pain in the UK (22 million back pain; 13 million knee pain) and its debilitating effect on sufferers, sufferers say their treatment options are limited - and in many cases ineffective[1]. - More than one in three chronic joint pain sufferers say their condition significantly impacts their quality of life (41 per cent back pain; 39 per cent knee pain) - Around one in three chronic joint pain sufferers is disappointed by their treatment (33 per cent back pain;
BUPA Launches Breakthrough Treatment For Back And Knee Pain
New research reveals around 22 million people suffered back pain in the last year - just under half of all UK adults (45 percent)[1]. More than one in four UK adults - nearly 13 million people - suffered from knee pain in the last year. Over 80 percent of the people with back or knee pain still suffer some pain after undergoing treatment recommended by a healthcare professional. Bupa is making APOS Treatment for knee and lower back pain available in the UK for the first time. The breakthrough treatment can eliminate the need for prescription pain relief for seven out of 10 people[2]. The APOS Treatment (which stands for All Phases of Step Cycle) has two key elements: The APOS WalkrightTM, high-tech footwear which is individually adjusted to address patients' specific pain needs, and a six-month programme of care that provides ongoing clinical and computerised assessment of the patient's walking pattern and readjustments as needs change.
Comparative Effectiveness Studies Raise Questions About Popular Back Pain Treatment
New studies on treating back pain from a fractured spine could call more attention to the type of comparative effectiveness research health policy experts and President Barack Obama have embraced in their quest to increase quality of care while lowering costs. The New York Times : "Two new studies cast serious doubt on a widely used and expensive treatment for painful fractures in the spine. The treatment, vertebroplasty, injects an acrylic cement into bones in the spinal column to ease the pain from cracks caused by osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disorder common in older people. Doctors began performing it in this country in the 1990s, patients swore by it - some reporting immediate relief from terrible pain - and it soon caught on, without any rigorous trials to determine whether it really worked.