Spine Links Galore

 Hi Friends~

    Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July.  Sorry, I haven't blogged anything in the last few day's.  I'm been wracking my brain trying to come up with something really exciting. 

This time, I may have done it too.  As in my travels, look what I found. This neat site, that actually talking about the spinal problem you have, or surgery, your having...explaining is easily in a way that is easy to understand  Spine interactive videos: back pain, neck pain, spinal anatomy and back surgery

Minimally invasive procedures, open incision procedures as well.  You say your considering a spinal cord stimulator?  There is a video here that will tell you how the implant surgery is done.  You can get hear the video's or read the text, either way or both.....you decide.  They come in different languages too, so no one is left out here.

If your doctor just said you have DDD, this is a great way to help learn exactly what that means.  This interactive video provides a clear picture of degenerative disc disease.  Not as bad as it sounds, now is it...:)

I hope you enjoy these as much as I am.  If you have any questions, or need help, just give a holler. 

Until next time, have a great Friday.....!!!

herlippy1 at 12:22:10 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

                                        Hi Friends~

Back in May I blogged about  Back Pain: Medication and Addiction.  Talking about how pain medication often got a bad wrap because of famous people blaming them for their own personal weakness. 

This time let me another article to this discussion. Oxycontin: Pain Relief vs Abuse.  Are worries over abuse having an impact on the drug's legitimate use as a painkiller?

It's a 3 page piece, filled with the pros and cons, talking a lot about why the medication is so hard to get and the success they are having in keeping the medication away from those who should not have it.  Such as teenagers.  Good news in that area, as the teen usage rates are down.

Web MD is the source on both pieces. 

herlippy1 at 1:58:23 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Happy Monday Friends~

    In case you didn't notice it, The Spine Line Too has taken on a new name.  Same information, same support, same link, only the name has changed.  The heading here now reads:

Lippy's Spine Line
If you have DDD, Sciatica, Stenosis, or disc herniation, you've come to the right place. Considering Spinal Fusion, or discectomy? We discuss Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Depression and other chronic pain issues too. There is information on all that, as well as updates on AOL message board information. Take a look... We've got it all here...:)

herlippy1 at 12:53:43 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

 Visitors to the AOL Back Pain boards, know Marty to be a fixture of the Workman's Comp Issues board.  There Marty(Bugmann) has been offering his help and expertize for years.  Helping others is a passion he and I both share.  As things are a bit slow on the board right now.  Marty took the time to put together a post on tips for Selecting a Workman's Comp Lawyer.

It's a great piece, and I would urge anyone who is looking for a lawyer to take a look at it.  I've never been injured on the job myself, I still learned many thing that are important to keep in mind whenever you seek legal advice.  Hiring the right professional is never easy, but this information on lawyers, is really informative...:)

Thanks for all you do Marty...!!!

Stop by and see Marty anytime, and feel free to leave your comments here as well..)

Have a great day...!!!

herlippy1 at 4:24:13 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

herlippy1 at 1:17:00 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Hi friends..:)

Opening this week from Spine-health is the Spinal Stenosis Health Hub.  The SS Hub is one of many hubs recently opened as Spine-health has been changing their site. This article I found very interesting and extremely helpful.  A very good informative piece.  One I really recommend.  Spinal Stenosis, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

As with most of the topical material offered by Spine- health, the SS Hub also come with some links to lumbar spinal stenosis animation (a shockwave player is needed and provided). Here you can actually see how the nerves are compressed with walking, and see where you're numbness and pain develops.  This wasn't around when I had my SS surgery, but I find it fascinating. 

The Spinal Stenosis Hub is full of information, and I would urge anyone facing this problem to spend some time with it.  It may prove very helpful in understand treatment, and making future decisions. 

This is a full listing of the Spine-health Hubs, I have many of them listed separately in the link column on the right.  If you have trouble finding any of them please let me know.  I can always be reached at HerLippy1@aol.com or on the AOL Back Pain boards, my home away from home..:)

 

herlippy1 at 7:14:38 PM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Hi Friends...:)

    I've added several new links, and more information to Spinal Fusion...Is it right for You??  So if you interested in information on spinal fusion, or know someone who is, that's a link you won't want to miss.  One of the links added is a new site that discusses the possible risks and complications of spinal fusion.  Including sexual problems in males, failure to fuse, bladder and other issues.  Information on fusion of 3 levels or more.  Important stuff, things that many surgeons don't talk enough about...!!!

Spinal fusion---Is it right for you? Updated..!!

Any questions just let us know...:)

tags:  back pain  chronic pain  spinal fusion  spine universe  spine health  web md

herlippy1 at 4:58:00 PM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Yesterday, I blogged about the Spine Learning Tools from Web MD, over in The Spine Line Too. I'm adding it in Spine Links Galore as a permanent link on the right column.  But along with that, let be also add a nifty little learning tool from ChrioMatrix.  I heard about this one several months ago, and find it very helpful for learning new info about spinal problems. Since I can't have all the links I'd like to on the right....I'll add all the different learning tools in a single entry.  You'll find I'm doing that with several things.  That way I won't be taking up so much room.

Hope this makes sense....LOL

herlippy1 at 6:37:02 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Hi Friends..:)

    I'm pleased to bring to you this Monday, information from Spine-health on spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain.  This kind of pain may be caused by many types of problems.  Failed Back Surgery, Reflex Sympathetic, Arachnoiditis or Peripheral Neuropathy...just to name a few.

How spinal cord stimulation works is explained here, where your first step is getting a through examination by a spinal specialist. This is done to see whether or not your a good candidate.  It's a long process done to make sure only good candidates are given a Spinal Cord Stimulator(SCS).  Why it takes so long is because it requires surgery, and they want to make sure the device works for you before implanting it.

As patients we want to know all we can about a treatment we're considering, and this spinal cord stimulation research it part of the package with this site.  I would urge you to review it, as well as see out any other information on the Internet.

Along with research, advantages and risks need to be taken into consideration as well.  That information is included here as well. Spinal Cord Stimulation Advantages and Risks.

There are several different brands of Spinal Cord Stimulators, the information above is not about any one of them. I'm thankful that it is general information, not done to try to sell patients on any one product, but rather to inform, to educate in general.  Sadly, when you see your Pain Management doctor, he or she is often has an arrangement with a certain company that makes stimulators, and like it or not if you elect tohave a SCS, you have no choice.  We're also seeing an increase in doctors who fail to do the suggested physiological prescreening.  So many patients are going thru SCS trials and in some cases even implant surgery, only to find later that they had preexisting addiction issues, or were not good candidates for the SCS to begin with.  This comes from the fact that several new stimulators are now on the market, and there is money to be made by putting patients thru the process.  Anyone looking into a Spinal Cord Stimulator must go thru a through psychological evaluation.

I'd also like to pass along information from someone we all know, who has a spinal cord stimulator.  While he made us all laugh for decades, he too suffers from terrible chronic back pain.  Rather then spend is life on medication, he has found great success with Spinal Cord Stimulation.  Meet here in exclusive interview, Jerry Lewis.

For those of you who have stimulators, or anyone who has questions or comments, please feel free to share those. ..)

herlippy1 at 3:19:02 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 2 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

In recent weeks, I've noticed a real increase in the amount of posts and traffic in our Back Pain folders that deal with medications.  Because of that I've decided to set up a section of Spine Links Galore, complete with it's own link, for medication tips and information.  The web is full of helpful sites, to aid and inform us, I'm adding some here now to get the ball rolling. If any of you run across any sites, please feel free to email to me...:)

For information when your prescribed a new medication.              

Prescription Medications and You 

Tips on handling and storing medications.

 Safety First: Prescription Medications and You

Tips to avoid medical and prescription errors.

Medical Errors and How to Avoid Them

Medical Errors: Prescriptions and Procedures

Discovery Health :: Drug Interaction Checker

Tips on how to read a handwritten doctors prescription...I love this one..LOL

Understanding Your Rx

For those of you worried about addiction:

Opioid Pain Relievers

Pain killer addiction treatment

Medications used to treat chronic pain of varies types.

Drugs Used to Treat Pain: Opioids - Narcotics

Muscle Relaxants in The Treatment of Acute Low Back Pain

NSAIDs in The Treatment of Acute Low Back Pain

Medications for neuropathic pain

Anti-Depressant Medication Used to Treat Low Back Pain

That's it for now everyone, stay tuned we can add more to this link as they come in..:)

Questions You Should Ask About Pain and Pain Treatment

Drug Preparations Applied to the Skin Help Relieve Pain

Chronic Pain: When Surgery is Not the Answer

Chronic Pain Health Hub

Have a good week..:)

orginally posted 5/1/05, moved to and reposted in The Spine Line Too, 9/12/06, added to Spine Links Galore 9/12/06

 

tags: back pain  chronic pain  The Spine Line Too  medication

herlippy1 at 8:15:07 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own