Back Pain Facts And Fiction

Since opening in 2010, we’ve had many patients come to us with little to no knowledge about back pain. With an astounding 80% of adults likely to experience back pain at some point in their lives, we’d like to change that and help educate people on back pain facts and fiction.

Want to test your back pain knowledge?

Upper Back Pain

Upper Back Pain

When we think of back pain, generally, we tend to to think of the lumbar spine, or lower back, and cervical spine (the neck). Both of those common areas of the spine are designed to provide you with mobility but, the thoracic spine, or upper back, is designed to be very strong and stable and allow us to stand upright while protecting the vital internal organs of the chest.

Three Ways to Maintain a Healthy Back on the Road

Travel is Tough on Your Back

Use These 3 Simple Tips to Maintain a Healthy Back While You’re On Your Summer Adventures…

Resolve To Improve Your Spine Health

Welcome to 2018! Now that we’re in the new year, it’s time to make a resolution. But before you decide on what your resolution will be, we want you to consider one thing – your spine health. Why not resolve to improve your spine health in 2018?

In order to accomplish a goal or resolution,

All About Spine Fusion Surgery

Spine fusion surgery is when a surgeon fuses two or more vertebrae together using a bone graft. The bone tissue will continue to grow and permanently lock the vertebrae together. A spine fusion limits movement of the spine, which may help to relieve back pain. And while the spine may not be as flexible as it was prior to the surgery,

Office Spine Health 101: Creating A Healthy Workspace

In the first installment of this series, we discussed how to maintain proper office chair posture. If you missed that entry, you can find it here. In this entry, we will be delving into the important topic of creating a healthy workspace that keeps your spine happy and healthy.

Did you know that leaning forward just 30 degrees puts 3 to 4 times more strain on the back?

Better Desk Habits for a Better Back

If you work in an office today, it probably means most of your day is consumed looking at your computer responding to emails. Maybe, you get to stroll to the conference room and sit in a meeting for a few hours. You might even have to gather around that futuristic looking speaker phone for a bi-coastal conference call.

Infection Prevention…

The Patient’s Role

In light of March being the home to Patient Safety Awareness week it is relevant to discuss the things each and every patient can to do for infection prevention. These tips are courtesy of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

Nebraska Spine Hospital is recognized as a “Top Hospital in Patient Satisfaction, Selected Questions

Nebraska Spine Hospital is proud to be recognized by Modern Healthcare magazine as a “Top Hospital in Patient Satisfaction, Selected Questions 2013.”

Modern Healthcare magazine reports that in 2013 93% of Nebraska Spine Hospital HCAHPS survey respondents said that they were given information about what to do during their recovery at home.

Nebraska Spine Hospital Recognized for its Great Neurosurgery and Spine Program

Nebraska Spine Hospital has been named to the “100 Hospitals With Great Neurosurgery and Spine Programs” list by Becker’s Hospital Review.

Nebraska Spine Hospital is featured on this list because of the national recognition the hospital has received from several reputable sources and because the physicians and clinicians at Nebraska Spine Hospital are skilled at providing the highest level of surgical spine care.

How is cervical spine surgery done?

Cervical spine surgery is performed to treat spinal instability and/or spinal cord impingement.  The cervical spine is the seven bones of your neck, which are separated by discs.  The discs allow the neck to move freely, and to absorb shock during activity.  Cervical spine surgery is for patients whose symptoms are beyond physical therapy and medication. 

Complex Deformity Surgery

When dealing with deformities or vertebral tumors, surgery to treat such patients is very complex. The more complex a spinal surgery is, the greater the risk is to neurovascular structures. These surgeries require highly skilled doctors and nurses working together in a team approach.

The Effects of Smoking on Bone Fusion in Spinal Fusion Surgery

Spinal fusion surgery is one of the most common surgeries we do here at Nebraska Spine Hospital. In fact, it’s one of the most common spinal surgeries period. You might be surprised to find out a very common reason that non-fusion occurs –smoking.

NSH Celebrates National Doctor’s Day

Presidential Proclamation designated March 30 as National Doctors Day. In honor of this day Nebraska Spine Hospital would like to honor and thank our surgeons:

Dr. Tim Burd
Dr. Jon Fuller
Dr. Brian Gill
Dr. John Hain
Dr. Michael Longley
Dr. John McClellan
Dr. Eric Phillips
Dr.

The Four Types Of Scoliosis

Nebraska Spine Hospital is proud to support National Scoliosis Awareness Month. June is used to supply information about scoliosis to the public, while highlighting the growing need for education, early detection, and public awareness of the physical, emotional, and economic impact of the condition, and provide support and hope to all people affected by scoliosis.

Traveling With Back Pain

The holidays are swiftly approaching and for most people the holidays bring friends, family, and a lot of traveling. Back pain is incredibly common across the globe – it is the single leading cause of disability worldwide and prevents millions of people from completing everyday activities. Traveling with back pain can be made simpler by following a few of these tips from our friends at Spine-Health.

Positive Thinking = Positive Health

In recent years, the medical field has realized the significance that the mind can have on the body. The relationship between feeling good and thinking good is very strong. There are some incredible health benefits to be gained from doing this one simple thing: thinking positively. In fact, positive thoughts can reduce chronic and acute back pain.

Prevent Back Pain with Exercise

Back Pain: There may be an easy remedy!

 Back pain can be caused by many different factors resulting in different treatment paths.  Some causes may require surgery while others may simply require specialized exercises and medication.  Often, if you are diagnosed with a chronic degenerative condition, such as spinal stenosis or degenerative disc disease,

Meet Dr. Fuller

The next video in our series features Dr. Jonathan Fuller, a board certified and fellowship trained orthopaedic spine surgeon who sees clinic in Omaha, Grand Island and Lexington.

Dr. Fuller is a US Air Force veteran who focuses on the full continuum of conservative spine care.

Find a doctor with Dr.

Stretching For Back Pain Relief

A daily stretching regimen can be beneficial for nearly everyone. If you’re currently experiencing back pain, or even if you’re not, try incorporating the stretches below into your daily routine. Stretching for back pain relief can be an extremely effective strategy when performed correctly.

Before you begin, keep the following tips in mind:

• Always wear comfortable clothing that allows for movement
• Never try to force your body into a difficult position;

What Are Some Causes Of Curvature Of The Spine?

When you look at a normal, healthy spine from the side it should show vertebrae stacked with the discs with gentle curving. If you are looking straight at it from a back view it should be nice and straight from the neck all the way down the back.

Disc Surgery for a Herniated Disc

Dr. Phillips talks about his interest in disc surgery for both cervical and lumbar herniated discs. For more videos – like us on facebook!https://www.facebook.com/NESpineHospital

I have a particular interest in disc surgery, whether its cervical or lumbar. It’s something I’ve done very well and have had very good results with for a long time.

Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise For Back Pain

The human body is designed to stay in motion, not for long periods of rest – and the same holds true even if you’re suffering from back pain. Remaining active is important for everyone, which is why we prescribe the majority of our patients regular low-impact aerobic exercise for back pain.

Aerobic exercise helps keep the body healthy by increasing your heart rate and improving circulation.

Liz Nissen receives Positive Image of Nursing Award

We would like to congratulate Elizabeth “Liz” Nissen for being named the Positive Image of Nursing Award recipient for Nebraska Spine Hospital. The Positive Image of Nursing Award is a recognition and award program facilitated by the Nebraska Nurses Association to commemorate National Nurses Week.

Back Pain In Kids

While back pain is incredibly common in adults, back pain in kids isn’t. Kids’ spines are much more resilient and flexible than adults’ since they haven’t endured years or wear and tear. That being said, it’s still incredibly important to understand more about back pain in kids and the common causes.

Back Pain In Younger Kids

Compared to adults and older children,

How Spinal Stimulators Work

Dr. John Hain of the Nebraska Spine Hospital explains how spinal stimulators work to relieve back pain.
For more videos – like us on facebook!https://www.facebook.com/NESpineHospital

A spinal stimulator that is a device that is place directly over the spinal cord thats blocks the electrical impulse that the brain interprets as pain from reaching it’s destination.

What is a Herniated Disc?

People will tend to use a myriad of different terms to describe a herniated disc, like “pinched nerve”, “ruptured disc” or “bulging disc”, but they are essentially talking about the same thing.

Reduce your Winter Fall Risk

‘Tis the season for family, food, shopping, and inclement weather.  So far, the winter here in Nebraska has been mild at best, but icy conditions are sure to come soon as they always do.   It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but it also can be the most dangerous. 

Lower Back Pain

Lower Back Pain

Back pain, it’s our specialty here at Nebraska Spine Hospital. Recently we’ve talked about the not-so-common causes of upper back pain so today let’s talk a little bit about something most of you have probably experienced, lower back pain. Research suggests that over 80% of adults will experience one or more episode of back pain in their lifetime.

NSH Nurses Lead the Way to Reduce Healthcare Associated Infections

Nebraska Spine Hospital is proud to be recognized for a sustained commitment to reducing Healthcare Associated Infections by three healthcare quality organizations in Nebraska. The recognizing organizations are the Nebraska Association of Healthcare Associated Infection Prevention, the Quality Improvement Organization CMS, and CIMRO of Nebraska.

For the past three years NSH has voluntarily participated in this publicly reported program under the leadership of Jamie Eickman,

Pedicle Screws in Spinal Surgery

The study of the spine in medicine is a rapidly evolving field. There have been fantastic advances in implants, procedures and the tools we use every day to repair or improve spinal conditions. Probably the most important of these advances in the last thirty years has been the introduction of the pedicle screw.

Preventing Back Injury as a Caretaker

If you are the caretaker for someone suffering from chronic pain or illness, you know that it is rewarding and necessary, even if it takes a toll. We know that many of our patients want or need some assistance at home after surgery, and it’s usually a family member who is the one to help.

What To Expect Before Spine Surgery

Since we know that many of our patients have never undergone spine surgery, we try to always communicate what to expect before spine surgery. Please keep reading to discover what happens before your spine surgery at Nebraska Spine Hospital.

Preoperative Visit

The purpose of the preoperative visit is to further prepare you for surgery,

Relieving Stress-Induced Neck Pain

The holiday season can be stressful. Did you know that one early sign of too much stress is stress-induced neck pain? All the built-up tension of handling both day-to-day and holiday responsibilities can really take a toll on your body, and your neck is one of the most common areas stress-induced pain flares up.

So what differentiates stress-induced neck pain from regular neck pain?

Strong Backs Create Beautiful Gardens

Gardening is a summertime activity that many of us look forward to. Gardening is a great way to spruce up your home, get outside and stay active. In fact, did you know that gardening activities like pulling weeds, trimming and planting can burn 200-400 calories/hour. The downside can be that stiff backs and injuries can happen when we aren’t careful in the garden.

Resolve To Maintain A Healthy Spine In 2017

Welcome to 2017! Who’s determined to make this their best year yet? We know we are! To kick off the year with a bang, we decided to provide you with some extraordinarily reasonable resolutions to make if you’re suffering from back or neck pain.

Resolutions can be difficult to maintain throughout the year,

Exercise and Back Pain

Exercise and Back PainWhen we’re in pain, no matter what the culprit, our natural reaction is to rest. However, getting up and getting moving can actually help you more than you think. Sitting still is bad for you body in general. Being active while dealing with back pain can actually help strengthen your back muscles,

Surgical Readiness for Back Surgery with the CHI Back and Spine Institute

This video explores how patients might be instructed to prepare for a back or spine surgery. Whether they need to lose weight, stop smoking or increase strength, Nebraska Spine Hospital’s Surgical Readiness Program can help get them where they need to be for a successful surgery and recovery.

Transcript

Angela Mahood has been in pain for a long time.

Say Good Night to Nighttime Neck Pain

Neck pain is fairly common during sleep. Luckily, there are ways to minimize that pain, or eliminate it altogether. The kind of pillow you use, along with what position you sleep in, are likely causes of neck pain.

In general, pillows should support the natural curve of your neck, maintaining the position of your neck when standing with good posture.

Healthy Habits To Get Better Sleep

In our last blog, we discussed the relationship between back pain and sleep. As promised, today we’re going to discuss how to get better sleep to help alleviate or prevent back pain.

As a quick recap, back pain not only affects your ability to fall and stay asleep, but also the quality of your sleep.

Is your pain worth a trip to the doctor?

It can be a panic-inducing scenario: pain in your back, causing you to feel incapacitated – maybe even helpless. The sudden pain came out of nowhere and you’re worried it could be something very serious. Your first reaction might be to panic. Some might jump to conclusions and fear the worst about the pain. However,

Nurses Week Video Recognizes the Difference Specialized Care Makes

In honor of Nurses Week we created this video where our surgeons recognize the excellent care our specialized nurses provide at Nebraska Spine Hospital.

Spine-Chilling Effects of Untreated Back Pain

With Halloween right around the corner, we decided to touch on one of the most chilling aspects of our work. The nature of our work revolves around people being in pain, so that isn’t the scary part. The part that scares us most is what happens when people leave chronic pain untreated.

Spine Care: Making it Better for You

Nebraska Spine Hospital is always looking for new ways to make patient care better. Watch as Dr. Longley talks about how we make spine care better for you.

For more informative videos, check our Facebook page and be sure to like us!

Eating For Spine Health

Consuming a balanced and varied diet is beneficial for your entire body, including your spine. Nourishing your spine with the proper nutrients can help prevent back pain and improve your body’s ability to heal itself.

Would you say that your diet is healthy and you probably meet the recommendations for most micronutrients? If you answered yes,

Narcotic Pain Medications and Chronic Pain

What if we were to tell you that narcotic pain medications like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine can actually worsen your chronic pain? Not that great of news, huh?

Studies have found that to be the case.

“A brief treatment with a pain killer, like morphine, doubled the duration of chronic pain.”

Let’s talk about the things we knew about narcotic pain medication prior to this finding.

Sleeping With Back Pain

Many of our patients complain of difficulty sleeping with back pain. This fact alone is to be expected. Many studies have found that back pain not only interferes with falling asleep, but staying asleep as well. What many of our patients don’t realize is that lack of quality sleep can actually contribute to their pain. 

Good Posture: Easy As 123

Throughout your entire life, you have been taught that good posture is essential to your health. How many times have you had someone tell you to stand or sit up straight? Probably too many to count.

Good posture has many benefits to your overall health. It can help relieve, or even prevent,

All About Spinal Stenosis

Have you ever heard of spinal stenosis? If not, it’s about time you learned the basics of this common spine condition that affects an estimated 8-11% of the population. Since most cases are degenerative, individuals over 50 years old have the highest risk of developing the condition.

In short, spinal stenosis is when the spinal canal begins to narrow.

Meet Dr. Hain

What is a spinal tumor?

A spinal tumor is a cancerous or noncancerous growth that develops within your spinal canal (spinal cord tumors) or within the bones of your spine (vertebral tumors).

There are two main types of spinal cord tumors intramedullary tumors and extramedullary tumors.

Holiday Gifts for a Healthy Back

The holiday season is upon us, which means time for food, family, fun and gifts! Though gift giving is not the only way to show that you care, why not give a healthy gift to a friend this year? If you know someone who has some back issues, or if you would like something to help out your own back issues,

Technology: A Real Pain in the Neck

Remember the first time you ever heard of someone getting carpal tunnel syndrome?  We’re sure you were surprised to learn how they got it: from typing!  It was a rarely heard-of affliction mostly due to the insurgence of computers into our daily lives.  With new technology, there can often be a learning curve, both in how to effectively use it,

What Is A Healthy Weight For Your Spine?

What is a healthy weight for your spine? We know there is plenty of information to be found online regarding what a healthy weight is. You’ve probably heard that excess weight can cause certain health issues, but did you know that it can stress your spine?

Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing back pain,

Healthy Weight, Healthier Spine

Did you know that on average, an obese person in the US spends $1,429 more annually on medical bills? This may be in part due to the fact that obesity puts you at a much higher risk for heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes, among other things.

Being overweight or obese also increases your risk of developing back pain,

Nebraska Spine Hospital Supports Scoliosis Awareness Month

Because June is scoliosis awareness month Nebraska Spine Hospital is working to share basic facts about scoliosis. According to the National Scoliosis Foundation at www.scoliosis.org, scoliosis affects 2-3% of the population, or an estimated 6 million people in the United States, and there is no cure.

Yoga For Back Pain Relief

Yoga for back pain relief can be extremely beneficial for both occasional soreness and chronic pain. Exercise in general is good for preventing and relieving back pain, but yoga in particular helps relieve pain through strengthening and stretching your muscles, improving posture and balance, and promoting body awareness and relaxation.

In fact,

Go for the Gold! Train Like an Olympian

This weekend, the Summer 2016 Olympics will kick off and we will see the world’s finest athletes compete for a gold medal. Many of these athletes have incredible conditioning and workout routines to prepare them for competition. Leading up to competition, they focus on diet and exercise. Ever wonder what some of their secrets are?

Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease is a spinal condition that occurs when normal wear and tear on your spine causes pain. It is a very common condition, with over 3 million new cases diagnosed each year. While everyone’s spinal discs will begin to breakdown with age, not everyone will experience pain.

Degenerative Disc Disease Causes

In between each vertebra,

What is Lumbar Spondylolisthesis?

Lumbar spondylolisthesis is when one of the bones in your spine slips forward and out of place causing lower back pain and numbness or weakness in one or both legs.  Lumbar spondylolisthesis is the most common form of spondylolisthesis, though it can occur along different areas of the spine. 

Six Ways to Avoid Back Pain While Gardening

Spring is here and in Nebraska that means it is time to get to work in the garden. Follow these six tips to avoid back pain while tending to your garden:

All About Cervical Disc Replacement

Disc degeneration in the cervical spine is a terribly common ailment. Did you know that over 75% of people under the age of 50 have disc degeneration?

The Nebraska Spine Hospital was one of the first facilities in the region to perform a cervical disc replacement. Because of that, we would like to take a moment to explain what exactly it is and why it may need to be performed.

We want you!

Nebraska Spine Hospital is looking for caring, compassionate and detail oriented Registered Nurses to provide exceptional care in our inpatient unit. If you would like to be part of our specialized team you can learn more at: https://goo.gl/qn0Ebh OR https://goo.gl/gNi81B

We are also looking for detail oriented Registered Nurses to provide exceptional care for our surgical patients.

What Are Spinal Injections?

There are several types of spinal injections to be used to either treat a specific spinal condition or for pain management of a condition. These injections are especially helpful in cases of inoperable spinal conditions. The doctors at Nebraska Spine Hospital gather information about a given spinal condition, make a diagnosis and then decide which type of spinal injection,

Relax Your Way To a Pain Free Day

As summer winds down and the school year starts, your life likely just got a whole lot busier. Whether you have kids lunches to pack, extra-curriculars to keep up with, or maybe a new busy season has begun at work, this time of year can often bring extra stress along with it. It might be difficult to think of relaxation now,

Neck Pain From Looking Down

Did you know that neck pain is the third most common type of chronic pain? Over 25% of Americans suffer from this condition and, nearly 60% of them don’t tell their physicians about the pain.

One of the most common causes of neck pain is simply looking down too often. We know that might sound absurd.

How Stress Affects Back Pain

April is National Stress Awareness Month, meaning it’s the perfect time for us to talk about how stress affects back pain. Stress is incredibly common among working adults in the US. A recent study found that on average over 60% of working adults feel stressed three or more workdays each week. This finding means that on any given workday,

Summer: Fun and Safety

Summer has officially started and with the Fourth of July right around the corner, we know that there are some wonderful summertime activities planned. Summer means vacations, pool parties, barbecues and, of course, heat. It is a wonderful time to change up your exercise routine with a new summer friendly activity. For those of you who manage back problems,

Spine Crossword Puzzle

In the spirit of Crossword Puzzle Day, we created a spine crossword puzzle with the terminology we use every day. Not only is it a fun activity that can help pass the time in a waiting room and sharpen your memory, it can also help if you or a loved one is experiencing back pain.

Ward Off Back Pain With Exercise

We have a lot of family members of patients ask us what they can do to prevent back pain. While it depends on the cause of pain, we generally advise that they can ward off back pain with exercise and proper posture. 

Believe it or not, one of the best forms of exercise to help prevent back pain and injury is weight training.

All About Scoliosis

June is all about being outdoors, summer fun, and scoliosis. Yes, you read that correctly. Did you know that June is Scoliosis Awareness Month?

Scoliosis is a spinal condition that causes a sideways curvature of the spine. It can affect both children and adults, but occurs most frequently in children during their last growth spurt before puberty.

What kind of doctor should I see for Spine Surgery?

Often when a patient is experiencing back pain and considering spine surgery a common question is “should I see an orthopaedic spine surgeon or a neurosurgeon?” At Nebraska Spine Hospital we have both orthopaedic spine surgeons and a neurosurgeon.

At Nebraska Spine Hospital all of our surgeons are board certified and have had special training in spine surgery.

Tips to Avoid Back Injury

Avoid back injury as you finish up your fall chores before winter sets in with these three tips.

1. Warm up- Never lift a heavy load after a long period of inactivity. Warm up with a quick walk and some simple stretches.

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Minimally invasive spine surgery is a great option for many patients. As opposed to open spine surgery, it can be faster, safer, and require less time for recovery. This type of surgery also limits the size of the incision and utilizes a microscopic video camera to gain access to the patient’s spine.

While minimally invasive spine surgery has been around since the 1980s,

Uncovering The Truth: Five Myths About Back Pain

There is no shortage of myths circulating about back and neck pain. Unless you are a healthcare professional, it can be hard to distinguish the truth from all of the myths. Below, we’ve compiled some of the most popular myths we think you should be aware of, but keep in mind it is by no means an exhaustive list.

Measuring Value in Spine Surgery

With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) there is increasing pressure to measure the value in healthcare. Patient value in spine surgery can be defined as a balance between expertise, quality, and cost.

Nebraska Spine Hospital’s Dr. Woodward is Recognized by a National Publication

Dr. Randal Woodward has been recognized by Becker’s Spine Review as one of forty spine surgeons at a spine focused hospitals to know. Dr. Woodward is Chairman of the Board at the Nebraska Spine Hospital . Dr. Woodward is a board certified, fellowship trained orthopaedic spine surgeon. Dr. Woodward sees patients in clinic in Omaha at the Nebraska Spine Center and in Grand Island at Central Nebraska Orthopaedics.

Prevent Bleacher Back Pain

With September swiftly approaching and Husker football on the horizon, a lot of devoted fans will be facing hours on bleachers. And with those hours comes bleacher back pain. Anyone who has ever sat through a 2-3 hour sporting event knows that bleachers weren’t designed for comfort. They’re made out of hard plastic or metal and provide no back support.

Remain Pain-Free Over The Holidays

No one wants to experience pain over the holidays. In our last blog, we covered how to manage your holiday stress to help reduce back pain. Unfortunately, not all back pain is caused by stress.

The truth is that the holidays are the perfect storm for developing back pain.

Five Ways Yoga Reduces Back and Neck Pain

For sufferers of low back or neck pain, yoga may be one of the best medicines that can be prescribed. Studies show that people who practice yoga twice a week for 8 weeks make significant gains in strength, flexibility, and endurance.

Dr. John Hain to be on WOWT Channel 6 Health Check on Sunday, October 6 at 5 PM

Our very own Dr. John Hain will the focus of the monthly Health Check segment on the WOWT Channel 6 on Sunday, October 6. Dr. Hain cares for patients with a wide range of neurosurgical diseases involving the brain, spine and peripheral nerves. Spinal conditions that he treats include both acquired and degenerative diseases. His interests involve all areas of complex and minimally invasive spine surgery including disk herniation,

Treating Spinal Tumors

It’s estimated that 10,000 Americans develop primary or metastatic spinal cord tumors each year. Treating spinal tumors can vary based on the type of tumor and symptoms experienced. A spinal tumor is defined as a growth that develops inside the spinal canal or inside the bones of the spine. These tumors can be cancerous or noncancerous and are primarily one of two types,

Nebraska Spine Hospital Gets Great Reviews

It is easy to talk about all of the things that make Nebraska Spine Hospital the best choice for spine surgery in the region. For example, the spine only specialization of the hospital and its staff, the expertise of our surgeons, and the awards and recognition we have earned.

The most important praise we receive is from our patients.

The Basics Of Cervical Spine Surgery

Cervical spine surgery is most often performed to treat spinal instability and/or spinal cord impingement and is reserved for patients whose symptoms are beyond treatment by physical therapy and medication.

The cervical spine is comprised of the seven vertebrae in your neck and their accompanying discs. The spinal discs provide cushion between the vertebrae,

Frequently Asked Questions

Watch as Nurse Navigator, Rhonda Burger, answers some of our patient’s frequently asked questions. If you have any more questions, you can visit our Patient Education page on our website. And be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly back tips and more!

Robin Carlson Nominated for Nursing Achievement Award

Nebraska Spine Hospital is proud to announce the nomination of Robin Carlson, RN, Quality and Compliance Officer for the Nursing Achievement Award from the Alegent Creighton Health Center for Nursing. The award recognizes one nurse in the Alegent Creighton Health system that has made an outstanding contribution to the nursing profession.

Robin has had a positive impact on the practice of nursing over the course of her extensive career in bedside care,

What is a herniated disc?

A disc herniates when the outer portion of the disc ruptures and some of the softer disc nucleus material squeezes out. When a herniated disc is bulging out of position it can push on spinal nerves and cause severe, shooting pain, numbness and/or weakness.

Nurses Week – May 6 -12

To celebrate Nurses Week and to honor the dedicated nursing team at Nebraska Spine Hospital we will be highlighting our nurses all week on the blog and on social media.

National Nurses Week Recognizes Nurses’ Leadership, May 6-12

Patients often recognize that a nurse is the health care professional with whom they and their families have the most direct contact.

Cold Weather And Sciatica

Many people we talk to with sciatica swear their pain worsens when the temperatures drop. Is cold weather and sciatica pain just a coincidence or is there solid evidence to support the increased pain? It’s a little of both, but before we get into the reasoning, we want to take a moment to refresh you on what sciatica is.

Causes of Leg Numbness

In the following video Dr. Gill discusses some possible causes of leg numbness, including spondylosis and spondylothesis.

Don’t Forget the Back in “Back To School!”

“Oh, my achin’ back!” isn’t something you’d expect to hear from your child. Youth can be a benefit when it comes to your back health; but, there are some things that parents should be cautious about when it comes to their child’s back.

Back to school means finding the right backpack for your child –

June is Scoliosis Awareness Month

Nebraska Spine Hospital is proud to support National Scoliosis Awareness Month. Now in its third year, National Scoliosis Awareness Month is observed in June to disseminate information about scoliosis and highlight the growing need for education, early detection and public awareness of the physical, emotional, and economic impact of the condition, and provide support and hope to all people affected by scoliosis.

Tips to Stay Active Indoors

Though the weather in Nebraska has been uneasy, even on the nicer days, you may not want to exercise outdoors.  Snow melted, ice-covered sidewalks, and muddy parks make for an annoying workout.  Luckily there are several ways to stay active even when stuck indoors!

First, if you are a member of a gym,

Scoliosis: The Basics

June is Scoliosis Awareness Month.  If you don’t quite know what Scoliosis is, you likely have heard the word at some point during your middle school career.  Most of us endured the somewhat uncomfortable spine check as our self-conscious 11-year-old self tried to hold back the giggles.  At the time, you likely weren’t explained why this test was necessary and were simply given the short speech that it was: “to make sure your back was straight.”  But,

Dr. Woodward on Hospital Within a Hospital

Dr. Woodward of the Nebraska Spine Hospital talks about our hospital within a hospital. Encompassing 34 acute care beds, six surgical suites and one treatment suite, Nebraska Spine Hospital offers all the benefits of a stand-alone specialty hospital. Yet, its location, within Immanuel Medical Center, provides further assurance for patients with additional medical conditions beyond the spine – eliminating the need for lengthy patient transport by ambulance or helicopter.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness Meditation: A New Treatment for Back Pain

The back is a sophisticated structure of bones and muscles. The delicate system can be strained or irritated leading to some form of back pain. At any given time, it is estimated that 31 million Americans experience lower back pain.

Back pain can be difficult to manage,

Keep Back Pain Away On Thanksgiving Day

No one wants to experience back pain on Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is for family, friends, and delicious food. But with all the food that needs to be cooked and everyone milling about, back pain is a real problem that you may experience. We’ve compiled a short list of tips to keep back pain away on Thanksgiving,

Spondylosis Is On the Rise

Spondylosis is a spinal condition that involves stress fractures that develop in children and young adults. This particular condition is often seen in athletes. Even middle and high school sports can create and exacerbate this condition, especially when the child or young adult focuses on one sport only. This focus can mean that the same injuries occur repeatedly.

Exercise over Lunch

We all have been there before, “I’m just too busy to workout.”  Between work and family, there’s often little time left for ourselves.  It probably doesn’t need to be said, but we’ll say it anyway, exercise is important.  When it comes to surgical recovery, being healthy can help you get back to your normal self much more quickly.  

Spondylolysis And Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis are both very common spinal disorders – to the tune of more than 3 million cases each year. While these disorders can affect people of all ages, children and adolescents are most susceptible due to their developing spines.

Spondylolysis occurs when there’s a crack or stress fracture in a vertebra.

Calcium: The Key To A Healthy Spine

When you were younger, did your mom urge you to drink your milk for strong bones? She wasn’t wrong in doing so. Milk is an excellent source of calcium, with an 8 ounce serving containing about 300 milligrams.

Calcium is a key nutrient to many of your body’s functions. It supports your bone mass,

Healthy New Year’s Resolutions for Women

4 Healthy New Year’s Resolutions for Women

The new year is here and if you didn’t make any healthy New Year’s resolutions, there’s still time! We, at Nebraska Spine Hospital, are all about healthy lifestyle management and in that spirit, we’d like to offer our lady readers a chance to resolve to get healthy and well,

Tee Up For A Pain-Free Golf Season

Golf is an excellent form of low impact aerobic exercise, especially if you walk the course as opposed to using a golf cart. But did you know that golf and lower back pain have an undeniable link?

Lower back pain is by far the most common ailment of golfers, regardless of their age.

How do you determine a healthy weight?

There are countless fitness magazines, blogs, articles, and websites that talk about healthy weight and what’s acceptable and what’s not.  We are inundated with information obsessing over the human body and what looks good.

This blog is not another one of those articles.  We are not concerned about your body weight in terms of how you look,

NSH Named as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska has named Nebraska Spine Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center+ in Spine Surgery. The Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care® program awards medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality specialty care.

What is Lumbar Spondylosis?

Lumbar spondylosis refers to degeneration to the spine of the lower back.  According to spine-health.com, “Spondylosis is not a medical diagnosis; it is a term that describes symptoms related to degenerative changes in the spine.”  It is used as a descriptive term, describing the type of pain and spine degeneration that a patient may have.

Everyday Habits for a Healthier Spine

Everyday Habits that help Prevent Back Injury

 Each morning we have a routine.  It might include starting off with a hot shower or firing up that coffee maker.  Our routines continue throughout the day: we take the same route to work, lunch at noon, favorite TV program at 9:00 and then off to bed.  

Healthy Spine Tips From Your Mother

We know you can still hear it like it was just yesterday – your mom advising (not nagging) you to do certain things while you were growing up. If you don’t eat your vegetables, no dessert! No coffee – it will stunt your growth. If you keep making that face it will get frozen like that.

Desk Spine Health

Now that school is back in full swing and those lucky enough to have had the summer off from work are back to the daily grind, it’s time to talk about desk spine health. Did you know that the average American spends 13 hours a day sitting? Between sitting at a desk, in the car,

Anatomy of the Cervical Spine

Pain and numbness going down the arm or leg or the feeling of a loss of grip can be the result of injury, disease, or degeneration in the cervical spine. If you are suffering from pain and discomfort it can be helpful to understand the anatomy of the cervical spine.

The following is an excerpt from a Spine-Health.com article that explains the anatomy of the cervical spine:

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Des Moines

Minimally invasive spine surgery was first performed in the 1980s, but has recently seen rapid advances in technology that have enabled spine surgeons to expand patient selection and treat an increasing number of spinal disorders, such as degenerative disc disease, herniated disc, fractures, tumors, infections, instability, and deformity.

Video Series to Recognize National Doctor’s Day

In honor of National Doctor’s Day on March 30th we will be recognizing the experience and expertise of our surgeons by posting a video series featuring many of our surgeons. In the videos our surgeons tell their story of why they dedicated a decade and a half to gaining the education, training, and skills necessary to become board certified and fellowship trained spine surgeons.

Sciatica: Know The Facts

Millions of people in the United States suffer from sciatica. Sciatica is a term used to describe the symptoms of leg pain, tingling, and numbness or weakness originating in the lower back to the sciatic nerve in the back of the leg.

What surprises most of our patients is that sciatica is not a medical diagnosis,

What Does A Spinal Cord Stimulator Do?

How Do Spinal Cord Stimulators Work?

Back pain can be difficult to live with and there are times when something is needed to help with the pain. A spinal cord stimulator may the answer when other avenues no longer work, or it may be needed in conjunction with other procedures as well.

Follow-Up Appointment After Spine Surgery

Our primary goal here at Nebraska Spine Hospital is to provide each and every patient with the best care possible. We take great care in monitoring our patients before, during, and after their stay with us. One way in which we go above and beyond for our patients is informing them of what to expect at each step of the process,

Scary Facts About Poor Posture

With Halloween right around the corner, we thought we’d get into the spirit and spook you with some facts about poor posture. Trust us, the side effects of poor posture aren’t pretty. But before we get into the scary details, let’s cover what proper posture is.

Proper posture while standing:

• Stand up straight with your hands at your sides.

Osteoporosis: The Basics

Osteoporosis is a common condition. In fact, we’re sure that most people have heard of it and have some idea of what it is. Maybe they even have a relative or friend that has the condition.

In the US alone, 8 million women and 2 million men have osteoporosis. And that’s not it –

Spine Specialty Hospital -A Better Model

Dr. Brian Gill discusses why the spine specialty hospital model provides better care for patients.

The spine hospital is the only hospital in the region that all they do is spine care.

Spinal Tumor Treatment

Spinal tumors can be a scary thing, but the doctors and nurses at Nebraska Spine Hospital aim to alleviate those fears with patient education and speedy treatment. There are different types of spinal tumors, each type with its own treatment options.

Amanda Shelden Recieves Positive Image of Nursing Award

Amanda Shelden Receives Positive Image of Nursing Award

We would like to congratulate Amanda Shelden, MSN MHA RN, for being named the Positive Image of Nursing Award recipient for Nebraska Spine Hospital. Amanda is the Team Lead for Consolidated Nursing at Nebraska Spine Hospital.

The Positive Image of Nursing Award is a recognition and award program facilitated by the Nebraska Nurses Association to commemorate National Nurses Week.

Prevent Back Pain While Sitting at Your Desk

Happy Administrative Professionals Day! In honor of all of the desk dwellers out there we would like to share a few tips on how to prevent back pain while sitting at a desk for hours at a time.

How to Walk in a Winter Wonderland

How-to Walk in a Winter Wonderland

Winter has finally arrived in Nebraska, making its debut at Christmas this year! And while it’s the most wonderful time of the year, it can also be the most dangerous. If you have to be out and about in inclement weather, take heed of some of these safety precautions to help you reduce your risk of falling this winter.

Tips for Strength Training and Keeping Your Spine Safe

Strength training- we all know we need it, but after certain injuries or strains, it can be hard to get started.  There are several things to remember when while strength training to keep your spine healthy.

3 Tips For A Safe Winter Workout

Exercise is a wonderful thing. It helps keep your entire body healthy, including your spine. If you’re like a lot of our patients, the cold weather can discourage you from sticking to your normal workout routine. We have some motivation to get you moving and a few tips to ensure you have a safe winter workout.

What is a bone graft?

A bone graft is a tiny piece of bone used to fuse the spine together. This extra bone acts as the cement that fuses the vertebrae together during spinal fusion surgery. Bone grafting can be done with pieces of a patient’s own bone (autograft), processed bone from a bone bank (allograft), or a bone graft substitute (demineralized bone,

Meet Our Doctors

With National Doctors’ Day just around the corner, we wanted to compile all of our surgeon’s education and achievements in one place. Read all about our surgeons below and don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment.

Enjoy the College World Series Without Hurting Your Back

The College World Series means a lot of things like Zesto’s, tailgating, home runs, and back pain from hours spent sitting in the bleachers. The awkward position of stadium seating with no back support and the knees above the hips can lead to a case of painful Bleacher Back.

Spinal Stenosis

Our bodies change with age and with change can often come challenges; challenges in recognizing when our body is trying to tell us something, perhaps. Do you suffer from pain and numbness in the legs? While pain and numbness in the legs could be the result of many things, one thing Nebraska Spine and Hospital does not want you to rule out is spinal stenosis.  

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

With new research showing pizza may help you lose weight, it’s difficult to think about ever having to eat anything else! However, we know now more than ever that the food you eat can, and will, have a major impact on your physical and emotional health. Dieticians have discovered certain foods can actually cause more harm than good.

Pediatric Pars Fractures

According to the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, pediatric pars fractures occur in children involved in “repetitive bending and straightening of the spine.  They are generally self-limited and get better with rest followed by rehabilitation.”  Pars fractures, also called lumbar spondylolysis, can affect 30% of adolescents, especially if they are involved in sports.

Meet Dr. Hain

Dr. John Hain is a board certified and fellowship trained neurosurgeon. Take a look at this video to learn more about his background and what let him to neurosurgery and spine.

Walking For Exercise And Spine Health

With the weather warming up, we know you’re itching to take a walk around the block and soak up some sunshine. Walking is a great form of low impact aerobic exercise for people of all fitness levels. It provides all of the benefits other forms of aerobic activity provide without the added stress on your joints.

Office Chair Advice

Most of you are probably reading this from an office chair. That forward leaning posture you’re likely sitting in is actually really awful for you and presents consequences for more than just the back and spinal column. When the front body is compressed from hunching over for long periods of time, the internal organs, digestive system and lungs become burdened.

O-arm Imaging in Spine Surgery

Nebraska Spine Hospital is proud to have the only O-arm system in Nebraska dedicated only to spine. The O-arm imaging system provides real-time, three dimensional surgical imaging with a level of detail that ensures precision hardware placement, resulting in reduced time in surgery and better patient outcomes.

Take look at these videos where Dr.

Meet Dr. Eric Phillips

The next video in our series features Dr. Eric Phillips, a board certified and fellowship trained orthopaedic spine surgeon. Take a look at the video to learn how his training as an engineer inspires his surgical practice and his unique views on a conservative approach to treating back pain.

Find a doctor with Dr.

Vertebral Compression Fracture

When a spine becomes compressed due to trauma, a vertebral compression fracture can occur.  The most common vertebrae broken is the lower back, but any portion of the spine could break. In most cases, an incredible amount of trauma is needed for this fracture to occur (such as a terrible car accident). However, for elderly people with osteoporosis or people who have cancer,

The Pain Cycle

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  Nearly 44 million American adults experience mental health conditions each year, including depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, among others.  If you are a chronic back pain sufferer, you may be one of the 44 million Americans who is also managing depression or anxiety.  There are many theories as to how psychological factors influence back pain,

Foot Orthotics And Lower Back Pain

Would you believe it if we told you that simply using shoe inserts could help alleviate your lower back pain? It’s time to start believing because foot orthotics and lower back pain have a proven link. Research has shown that foot orthotics (shoe inserts) can help manage lower back pain, depending on the cause of the pain.

Safe Backpack Practices

It’s August, meaning kids will soon be heading back to school. Before you complete all of your back-to-school shopping, we urge you to consider the following safe backpack practices. More and more overuse spine injuries have been diagnosed in children and teens in the past few years. Many people in the spine health community believe that some of these injuries may be the result of using backpacks incorrectly.

Truck Driving And Chronic Back Pain

Chronic back pain is often the result of your profession. Did you know that 25-40% of all truck drivers suffer from chronic back pain?

So, why do so many truck drivers suffer from chronic pain? Mix long hours in the driver’s seat with a body part designed to be in motion, and you have the perfect recipe for pain.

Women: Increased Risk Of Osteoporosis

Last month, we covered who has an increased risk of osteoporosis along with the basics of the condition. As a refresher, osteoporosis is a condition marked by low bone mass. Low bone mass leads to the weakening of your bones and an increased risk of fractures.

Among other risk factors,

Love Your Spine

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we think it’s only fitting to talk about how to love your spine. We know it sounds strange, but showing your spine a little love in a few small ways can have a big impact on your spine health.

So, this Valentine’s Day we encourage you to love yourself by implementing just one of these small changes.

Eat To Fight Back Pain

You are what you eat.

We’re sure nearly everyone has heard that phrase at least once in their lifetime. That old saying definitely has some truth to it, the foods you choose to consume throughout your life do determine your body’s ability to repair itself. March is National Nutrition Month, so keep reading to learn how proper nutrition,

Back Pain: A Health Concern For Nurses

If you had to guess, which profession would you say suffers more back injuries, nursing or construction? If you guessed nursing, you’re correct. Nurses with back pain are an all too common occurrence.

Did you know that nurses are three times more likely to suffer a back injury than a construction worker? In fact,

Water Exercises For Back Pain

Exercise is incredible for keeping your body healthy. But we’ve had more than a few patients tell us how difficult it is for them to exercise with back pain. So, we’ve decided to put together a few water exercises for back pain.

These water exercises will give you all of the benefits of exercising on land,

Dr. Gill is the First Surgeon in the Video Series

Dr. Gill is the first spine surgeon to be featured in our new video series featuring our board certified and fellowship trained spine surgeons.

Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS

Nebraska Spine Hospital’s very own Dr. Eric Phillips has issued the Ice Bucket Challenge to his partners to raise awareness and funds for ALS. Dr. Phillips is committed to raising awareness and funds to defeat ALS because he wants to honor the memory his brother who died of the disease. 

Excellence In Spine Patient Care

At Nebraska Spine Hospital, we focus on various factors to ensure we are providing the very best in spine patient care. The majority of our patients are extremely satisfied with the care they received and we intend to keep it that way. We perform an average of 1,000 surgeries each year and our overall patient satisfaction consistently ranks above the 98th percentile.

Technology And Neck Pain

If you’re currently suffering from neck pain, know that you’re not alone. Neck pain is a common complaint among US adults. However, many are unaware of what may be causing their pain. Many cases we see here at Nebraska Spine Hospital are a result of muscle tension and strain from poor habits.

Today,

At Look at the Innovative Technology at Nebraska Spine Hospital

Acute Or Chronic Back Pain

Back pain varies greatly on a case-by-case basis. Even if two of our patients have the same spinal condition, their experiences differ in terms of pain intensity, manageability, and timing of flare-ups.

That being said, back pain can usually be classified as either acute or chronic back pain. Being able to describe your pain is extremely important when seeking medical attention for your back pain,

Herniated Disc: What Is It And What Causes It?

There are more than 3 million cases of herniated discs every year. To say the least, it’s a very common spinal condition. If you haven’t heard of a herniated disc, the condition is also known as a slipped disc or ruptured disc. They occur most commonly in the lower back, but can also happen in the neck.

Is Christmas Shopping Causing Your Neck Or Back Pain?

We’ve all heard that heavy backpacks can cause serious health problems, but did you know heavy purses can, too? Sure, you may have noticed that after a couple hours of shopping, your purse seems to weigh three times what it did at the beginning of the trip.

You probably shrugged it off,

Video: What Happens When I am Discharged After Spine Surgery?

When you’re discharged from the hospital, you’re going to have nurses involved, possibly Case Management if you’re not making it home.

What is the difference between a herniated disc and a bulging disc?

The terms ‘herniated disc’ and ‘bulging disc’ are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are actually two different conditions.  A herniated disc happens when there is a crack on the outer layer of the disc.  A bulging disc occurs when the nucleus or center of the disc squeezes into the cracks of the discs outer covering. 

Spine Condition of the Week- Spondylosis

Spondylosis refers to a degenerative process affecting the vertebral disc and facet joints that gradually develops with age. A common form of spondylosis is cervical spondylosis (sometimes called neck arthritis) in which the facet joints in the neck become enlarged causing the ligaments around the spinal canal to thicken and bone spurs to form.

Recovery at Home

Watch as Rhonda, the Nebraska Spine Hospital Nurse Navigator, discusses how to prepare to recover at home after spine surgery. Including things you should do and things to avoid, like housework 🙂

For more videos, like our Facebook page!

Meet Dr. Woodward

The final surgeon in our video series is Dr. H. Randal Woodward. Dr. Woodward is the Chairman of the Nebraska Spine Hospital Board and a board certified and fellowship train orthopaedic spine surgeon.

Find a doctor with Dr. Woodward

Bone Grafts in Spine Surgery

Bone grafts in spine surgery are most commonly used to help fuse vertebrae together during a spinal fusion surgery. A bone graft is a tiny piece of bone that acts as the cement to fuse the vertebrae together. Bone grafting can be done with three different types of grafts:

• Autograft – pieces of a patient’s own bone
• Allograft –

Back Pain Relief At Home

Some of the most common questions we get asked are regarding back pain relief. And that makes sense – back pain is the second most common reason for doctor’s visits, only outnumbered by upper respiratory infections. Luckily though, most cases of back pain aren’t caused by serious conditions.

So, how can you get back pain relief at home?

Video: Innovative Technology at Nebraska Spine Hospital -The O-Arm

Dr. Phillips talks about new innovative technology offered at Nebraska Spine Hospital including the O-Arm. For more spine tips and information like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NESpineHospital

The spine hospital has been a great addition to our community and to our region. The spine hospital has specialty nurses that make it great.

Nebraska Spine Hospital Recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review

Nebraska Spine Hospital is proud to be named by Becker’s Hospital Review as an organization included in the “100 hospitals and health systems with great neurosurgery and spine programs” in 2015. According to Becker’s Hospital Review:

“The organizations on this year’s list are remarkable leaders in neurosciences, providing treatment for patients with various brain and spine conditions.”

This list is developed for inclusion based on national rankings and awards from multiple organizations and institutions including: The U.S.

Degenerative Disc Disease

One of the most common, and most misunderstood diseases of the neck and back would be
degenerative disc disease.  To explain it simply, degenerative disc disease is when pain and
sometimes numbness or weakness stems from a degenerated disc of the spine.  A degenerated
disc is a disc in your back that basically has aged and is weaker than it once was.  

June Newsletter: June is Scoliosis Awareness Month at Nebraska Spine Hospital

Several doctors at Nebraska Spine Hospital are members of the Scoliosis Research Society. The SRS has declared June, Scoliosis Awareness Month. What does that mean, and why is there a month dedicated to raising awareness of this disorder?

All About Neck Pain

Throughout the course of any given year, 15% of US adults experience neck pain that lasts about a day. It’s no surprise that neck pain is so common. The cervical spine provides support to the human head which weighs 11 pounds on average. That’s the equivalent of a medium-sized bowling ball! 

While neck pain is common,

Avoid Holiday Back Pain

The holidays are upon us. It’s time to welcome cozy nights filled with friends, family, and plenty of joy. What everyone is hoping not to welcome is holiday back pain. When you think about it, the holidays are a prime time for people to experience back pain.

The holidays knock most people out of their daily routine,

Strengthen Your Back In Three Moves

We’ve noticed a trend in all of our most recent blogs; we keep urging you to remain active and add some workouts to your daily routine. While that’s easy for us to say, sometimes it’s hard for those of you suffering from back pain to know which exercises are safe for you to perform.

Osteoporosis

Perhaps one of the most well known bone conditions, osteoporosis is “a condition that causes thinning of the bones.  This can result in fractures, deformity, and even death” as stated by spine-health.com.  Though common, osteoporosis is quite treatable with certain medications, supplements, and sometimes even surgery.

Summer Gardening

Gardening can be a relaxing and delightful activity for many during the summer season. If you enjoy growing your own fresh veggies, you know now is the time to be working hard in the garden to have a bountiful fall harvest. If flowers are your thing, pruning and pulling weeds are important parts of making your yard beautiful.

How To Safely Shovel Snow

Injuries sustained while shoveling snow are a common but preventable winter problem. Would you believe us if we told you that as many as 11,000 people visit a hospital every year for injuries that occurred while shoveling snow? The most common injuries experienced include back problems, broken bones, head injuries, and heart problems.

IV Acetaminophen for Back Surgery Pain

Dr. Woodward discussed the use of IV acetaminophen for post back surgery pain in an article in the Omaha World Herald on February 6, 2014. IV acetaminophen is used after surgery to control pain without the side effects of narcotics.

The article is featured below and quotes Dr. Randall Woodward and Barb Barrett –

Pregnancy Back Pain

Pregnancy back pain is incredibly common – half of all pregnancies are complicated by back pain. Of those, 10% of pregnancies are complicated by back pain so severe that it interferes with the ability to complete daily activities.

It’s a well-known fact that the body goes through many changes during pregnancy, but back pain should not be accepted as a natural part of pregnancy.

Prevent Low Back Pain While Driving

According to AAA 86% of Americans are planning to take a final road trip this Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately, low back pain can sometimes result after long hours spent driving.

Follow these three tips to avoid low back pain while driving:

Tips to relieve Nighttime Back Pain

Nighttime back pain is a special type of lower back pain that affects a small percentage of people. Nighttime back pain, or nocturnal back pain, is when lower back pain doesn’t stop even when a person is laying down. No matter what adjustments a person makes, the pain keeps getting worse.

Scolisis Videos Recap

Throughout the month of June we have been supporting Scoliosis Awareness Month by featuring videos of Dr. Woodward and Dr. Fuller discussing different information about scoliosis. The videos are posted here and on our Youtube page.

Office Spine Health 101: Office Stretches and Exercises

In the first two installments of this series, we discussed how to maintain proper office chair posture and creating a healthy workspace. If you missed those entries, we encourage you to read them. In this entry, we will be delving into the various office stretches and exercises you can do to ward off back pain.

4 Laptop Back Pain Tips

With more and more professionals working remotely using their laptops, we think it’s time to discuss laptop back pain tips. For those that use their laptops for more than three hours each day, the following tips will help to prevent any laptop back pain.

Raise your screen and use a separate keyboard and mouse

Ideally,

Office Spine Health 101: Correct Office Chair Posture

Back pain, particularly lower back pain, is an all too common occurrence. Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability in people 45 years old and younger, and more than 25% of the working population is affected by lower back pain each year.

With all of the advancements in technology over the past few decades,

Gardening With Back Pain

Now that spring has finally sprung, garden lovers are starting to prepare for the season. Have back pain? You may be worried that all physical activity may cause a flare-up, but don’t fret! Gardening with back pain is entirely possible with the help of a few tips.

Warm Up

Some gardening activities can be considered vigorous exercise.

Tips for Back Pain Free Biking

Low back pain can make it difficult to find a cardiovascular exercise that’s effective. You want to get your heart pumping, but not at the expense of hurting yourself. One great cardio exercise that’s easy on the back is bike riding! Riding a bike doesn’t require a lot of movement from your back.

Here are some quick tips on how to keep your back safe and comfortable during those bike rides:

Smoking And Back Pain

The news that smoking is bad for you is hardly groundbreaking. Smoking has been linked to serious diseases like lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. Did you know that smoking and back pain are also related? That’s right, if you’re a smoker and are experiencing back pain, smoking is probably part of the issue.

In our line of work,

Let us help you be back pain free in 2015

Over 80% of adults experience one or more episodes of back pain in their lifetime.

Can Chiropractors Cure Scoliosis?

The National Scoliosis Foundation states that they do not know of any long-term study that shows that chiropractic treatment can stop a moderate (over 25 degrees) or major curve (over 40 degrees) from progressing in the bone growing years. Typically, chiropractors who are knowledgeable about the development of idiopathic scoliosis in children will refer young patients with such curvatures to an orthopedist for a second opinion.

Tips for Choosing a Better Backpack for Your Child to Avoid Back Pain

Pediatricians are beginning to see new overuse spine injuries and back pain in children and teens. The cause? Heavy backpacks. Here are some tips on making better backpack choices for your children:

First, your child’s backpack shouldn’t weigh more than 10 percent of your child’s body weight. You can check the weight of the fully loaded pack on the bathroom scale.

Back to School Backpack Tips

Protect your child’s spine by loading their backpack correctly and making sure they wear it right. Backpacks that are too heavy or worn incorrectly can result in an aching back and shoulders, tingling arms, weakened muscles, and stooped posture.

Remember- Pack It Light, Wear It Right!

Help protect your child’s spine by following these tips and packing their backpack right.

Fascinating Facts About Your Spine

While the human body as a whole is fascinating, have you ever thought of how amazing your spinal column is? Your spine is able to support your body weight, provide flexibility, and protect your spinal cord.

We thought it was about time we share with you why we decided to devote our lives to the spinal column.

Stiff Neck

Typically, a stiff neck is characterized by soreness and difficulty moving the neck, especially when trying to turn the head to the side. As if a stiff neck isn’t already just the worst, it may be accompanied by headache, neck pain, shoulder and/or arm pain and cause the individual to turn their entire body when trying to look sideways or backwards as opposed to just the neck

Stiff Neck Symptoms

Stiff neck symptoms can last anywhere from a couple of days to a week and pain can range from annoyingly mild to extremely painful and limiting.

Practice Proper Sitting Posture

Maintaining proper posture can work wonders both preventing and alleviating back pain. We’ve already covered how to achieve great posture while standing and believe it’s time to cover sitting posture.

The majority of us spend most of our days in the seated position. Whether it’s spent at a desk, at the table,

9 Yoga Poses to Relieve Back Pain

Did you know that September is National Yoga Month? Yoga can be extremely beneficial for those experiencing back pain, including occasional soreness and chronic pain. However, people with severe back pain should not attempt to use yoga for symptom relief. And remember, it is always a good idea to consult your physician before beginning a new fitness regimen.

Meet Dr. Timothy Burd

The next video in our series features Dr. Timothy Burd, a board certified and fellowship trained orthopaedic spine surgeon who sees clinic in Omaha and in Fremont.

Find a doctor with Dr. Burd.

How is Spine Fusion Done?

During spine fusion surgery, your surgeon locks together, or fuses the bones in your spine. This limits the movement of these bones, which may help to relieve your pain. Your back or neck may not be as flexible after a fusion but may feel more flexible because you can move with less pain.

The Benefits of Swimming

The summer heat often tends to keep people indoors with the air conditioning blasting and fans on high cooling them off. While summertime brings longer days, a little more leisure time and often vacations, it can also put a wrench in your usual exercise routine. Walking and running are great cardio workouts, but in the heat,

What Can Be Done to Treat Neck Pain?

Dr. John Hain of Nebraska Spine Hospital discusses what can be done to treat neck pain and some common causes of neck pain and common procedures used to treat neck pain.

To learn more about Dr. John Hain check out his profile at http://nebraskaspinehospital.com/john…

Better Sleep With Lower Back Pain

Those who have experienced lower back pain in their lifetime know how hard it can be to sleep with it. Whether the pain prevents them from falling asleep or wakes them up in the middle of the night, there’s no doubt that lower back pain makes it harder to sleep. According to a recent study,

Six Tips For Sleeping With Chronic Pain

The majority of people suffering from chronic pain have trouble either falling asleep or staying asleep. It makes sense; chronic pain makes it difficult to get comfortable and who can regularly fall asleep when they’re experiencing discomfort?

The trouble is that poor sleep can actually worsen your chronic pain, which in turn makes it harder to sleep.

Preventing Winter Injuries

Winter is the season for injuries. Between the slick sidewalks and snow to be shoveled, it’s important to take precautions to help with preventing winter injuries. We urge that everyone consider the following tips. The elderly and those experiencing back pain are certainly more likely to sustain a winter injury, but it’s important information for everyone to know.

Back Pain Awareness

September is Pain Awareness Month. Did you know that nearly 80% of people will experience back pain at some point in their lives? Or that lower back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide? Considering its prevalence, it’s time we start raising back pain awareness.

Who experiences it?

Back pain is experienced by many different types of people,

Back Pain: The Basics

The back and spine are designed to provide your body with strength, serve to protect the spinal cord and nerve roots while still being flexible, providing mobility. But, did you know 8 out of 10 adults will experience an episode of back pain in their lifetime? It is the second most common cause of missed workdays and the most common cause of disability;

Preventing Caregiver Back Pain

Preventing caregiver back pain is an incredibly relevant topic to discuss. As many as 1 in 3 adults in the US act as an informal caregiver for a loved one. That’s an estimated 42.1 million people. Many of these caregivers have no experience or training on the manual aspects of being a caretaker,

Relieving Holiday Stress-Induced Neck Pain

The holiday season can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Not only are you juggling your normal responsibilities (work, housework, chauffeuring the kids around), but also all of the responsibilities that come with the holidays (extra baking, more cleaning, gift shopping).

And those added responsibilities are often accompanied by more stress.

Herniated Disc Surgery

Cervical discectomy procedures are performed to relieve the pressure on nerves from a herniated disc. A disc herniates when the outer portion of the disc ruptures and some of the softer disc nucleus material squeezes out. The herniated disc pushes against the spinal cord or spinal nerves and causes pain in the neck or arms.

Better Sleep for a Better Back

We often don’t have questions about “how to sleep”, but we’ve all wondered how to get better sleep, or perhaps, how to make sleep more productive.  Those 8 hours a night are necessary for your body to rest, refuel and recharge for the next day.  Without a healthy sleep, your memory, productivity, immune system, mood,

Never Ignore Neck Pain, Here’s Why…

Neck pain is somewhat common, so many of us will simply take over the counter medication, and work through the pain and discomfort. Our doctors would strongly urge you to consider locating the source of the pain before dismissing it. Neck pain can be an indicator of serious spinal issues.

Meditation For Back Pain Relief

Several recent studies have found meditation for back pain relief an effective treatment. One of the most noticeable differences between meditating for back pain relief and other treatment options is that with meditation, you aren’t having something done to you like a surgery. Instead, you’re doing something for yourself.

Study Results

• Participants’ perception of pain significantly decreased after just three 20-minute sessions.

Meet Dr. Fuller & Learn How NSH Cares For Your Valued Time

Dr. Fuller states:

“Patients have full and busy lives and they can’t waste a lot of time sitting in examining rooms, sitting in waiting rooms, waiting for appointments, hoping to be seen soon, all the while suffering. We want to be able to take care of these patients immediately and responsively.

The Risk of Scoliosis Doesn’t Go Away

We’ve all heard of scoliosis, and we generally associate this risk with the young. However, there is serious risk of degenerative, or adult-onset scoliosis for adults.  This degeneration can start as young as 40, but is more prevalent among those 65 and older. As we age, if there is significant degeneration of the facet joints,

Six Tips for Safer Snow Shoveling

The weatherman says that snow is on the way and low back injuries are the most common snow shoveling related injury. Learn how to avoid injury with the following six tips:

1. Use the Right Tool for the Job

Spinal Cord Stimulator Procedure – What You Need To Know

Spinal cord stimulator implantation is not for everyone. As stated in the article What Do Spinal Cord Stimulators Do there are certain conditions it can help with but not everyone will benefit. Do determine if it is right for you there are two steps to the procedure.

3 Common Causes Of Back Pain

Back pain is incredibly common – 4 out of 5 people will experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. There are many different ways to protect yourself, but the best place to start is by knowing the common causes of back pain.

Once you know what to look out for, you can be proactive in preventing back pain.

Staying Active Throughout The Day

Regardless of whether you spend the majority of your days at work, school, or home, staying active throughout the day is integral to your spine health. Sedentary lifestyles are more common in the US than active ones. In fact, less than 5% of US adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day.

Recovery From Spine Surgery: Preparing Your Home

We’ve often found that recovery from spine surgery is the last thing on our patients’ minds, especially any preparations that will have to be made at home. Because of that, we try to bring it to their attention during pre-operative visits by asking questions. We’ll ask about the setup of their home. Is it a one-story or two-story home?

Meet Dr. Chase Woodward

Join us in welcoming Chase Woodward, MD, MPH, the newest orthopaedic spine surgeon here at Nebraska Spine Hospital. He is a fellowship trained and Board Eligible Member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the North American Spine Society, as well as a Fellowship Candidate in the Scoliosis Research Society.

Dr. Chase Woodward is the son of one of Nebraska Spine Hospital’s founding surgeons,

Scoliosis: Signs, Symptoms and Screening

June is scoliosis awareness month. Scoliosis is a condition which causes a curvature in the spine. Idiopathic scoliosis is most commonly seen in girls with a family history of the condition, between the ages of 10 and 12; however, anyone can be impacted by the condition.

While it is a rare condition,

Depression and Chronic Back Pain

April 8th is World Health Day and this year’s focus is depression. Depression affects a great deal of the patients we see so we wanted to take the time to talk about depression and chronic back pain.

What is depression?

Depression is a common, serious medical illness. In 2015,

Meet Dr. Longley

The next video in our series features Dr. Michael Longley, a board certified and fellowship trained orthopaedic spine surgeon who sees clinic in Omaha and Grand Island.

Find a doctor with Dr. Longley

What is Sciatica?

The term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain and possibly tingling, numbness or weakness that originates in the lower back and travels through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg. Sciatica is not a medical diagnosis in and of itself – it is a symptom of an underlying medical condition like a herniated disc.

Five Ways Motion Can Cause Low Back Pain

You may be thinking, “How on earth can motion cause low back pain? Weren’t humans designed to be in motion?” Well, yes, humans are meant to be active. But like all well-built machines, sometimes normal use leads to wear and tear.

We’re not, by any means, telling you that in order to be free of low back pain you must remain motionless.

Should I See A Doctor For My Back Pain?

Back pain is an incredibly common problem – over 80% of adults will experience it at some point in their life. With it being so prevalent, many people do not know when their back pain warrants a trip to their doctor. In fact, many people ask us, ‘Should I see a doctor for my back pain?’

Realistically,

Patient Care At Nebraska Spine Hospital

Here at Nebraska Spine Hospital, we pride ourselves on providing our patients with the best care possible. By focusing on the individual, not the condition, we strive to meet the needs of every patient. We want to make sure you feel heard by every staff member, from doctors and nurses to support staff.

To give potential patients a better understanding of what it’s like to receive care at Nebraska Spine Hospital,

Special Rate for Spine Surgery Patients

Holiday Inn Express Cherry Hills and Nebraska Spine Hospital are partnering to offer a special rate of $72 per night to our spine surgery patients and their families. Our surgery patients can make a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express website.

Are You Ready for Surgery?

The big day will be here before you know it: surgery day. This day is an important day and you’re likely feeling pretty anxious. Don’t worry, there are some things you can do to help prepare yourself for the best outcomes. Some of these things should happen far in advance while others can happen just a few days beforehand.

5 Things Parents Should Know About Scoliosis

If the school nurse or your child’s healthcare provider notices signs of scoliosis here are five things a parent should know about scoliosis:

NSH Proudly Recognizes Two New Certified Nurses

Nebraska Spine Hospital is proud to recognize the unique contributions of Heidi Hiltbrunner and Page Nevins as certified nurses in observance of Certified Nurses Day on Tuesday, March 19.

What to expect during the pre-op meeting with the Nurse Navigator

Prior to spine surgery at Nebraska Spine Hospital patients have an opportunity to meet with a nurse navigator. The video below explains what you can expect during the appointment and how our nurse navigators are here to answer your questions to make you feel more comfortable with the process.

ALIF Procedure

ALIF stands for anterior lumbar interbody fusion. The ALIF procedure is performed to remove a large portion of a degenerated disc that is frequently the source of back pain. It is called an anterior procedure because the spine is approached from the front of the body avoiding potential damage to the low back muscles.

How is an ALIF performed?

Tai Chi: Prevent Back Pain

Tai Chi is a form of exercise that is often referred to as meditation in movement. It embodies three main components: movement, breathing, and meditation. In practice, it consists of slow, deliberate movements of the body that involves more movement than yoga, but is less jarring than traditional aerobic activities like running.

In theory,