When a person who has developed an addiction to pain medication decides to take charge of their lives and give up the pills, they often face a long road filled with the symptoms of withdrawal. The process of being taken off the pills differs from one person to another but there are common side-effects that almost everyone experiences. Understanding what they are before the process begins, can help anyone to deal with them better.

The most prevalent symptom of withdrawal from pain pill medication is an unrelenting sense of discomfort. The reason the individual took the pain pills to begin with was associated with pain. As the dependency grew, they likely had to consume more pills each day to dull the pain. Once the pills are taken away, that lingering pain is often still there, and can be more intense than ever. For this reason many physicians and therapists who are guiding someone through recovery will prescribe a non-narcotic pain reliever to help alleviate the pain. Although these less powerful medications often don’t provide adequate relief initially, eventually they are likely to help.

Another symptom of withdrawal is deep depression. This is very common among addicts of all kinds. When the individual realizes that they are giving up the medication crutch that they’ve been leaning on for months, or in many cases, years, they sink into depression. Therapy can be very helpful for this withdrawal symptom. Group therapy that involves the individual’s family can provide necessary and crucial support.

There are some pain medications that remain in the body for longer periods of time once the individual has stopped taking them. This naturally results in them facing a longer period where withdrawal symptoms may be present. In cases like this, doctors may prescribe medication that helps to lessen those symptoms. For an addict hesitant to take medication this can raise some questions. However, on the advice of a trusted physician, who is experienced in the detoxification process, the medication can make the process much easier.

Fighting against a pain pill addiction is a life-long struggle. One valid concern that many individuals who have beaten this type of addiction face is the fear that if they are ever facing surgery again or are severely injured that they will automatically become addicted to their pain relievers again. This is why it’s essential that if this does occur that they are honest with the attending medical personnel about their history with pain pill addiction. There are many non-narcotic prescription pain killers available that can provide relief without the risk of addiction occurring. To learn more about addiction treatment visit recoverymonth.gov

ZeroSpinePain.com

The staggering truth is in the number of people that (at some point in the past) decided that they were going to just tolerate the back pain and go on living their lives. While everyone has the option of doing that, there comes a point when the pain and discomfort is too much to deal with.

If you or a loved one is currently just tolerating the pain, please consider seeing a spine specialist. What you think is an impossible situation may be a much simpler procedure than you ever expected! For example take a look at this video of Patrick Dickerson talking about his recovery after minimally invasive surgery for his bulging disc.

We’ve got many more examples of people that had been previously tolerating their pain. Lisa Gibson decided that she was tired of putting up with her constant chronic pain. She says that she was in so much pain that the amount of medication was robbing her quality of life. Lisa says, “I could not do anything for myself and had been told for years that nothing could be done for me. The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute gave me my life back.”

Also, Rocky Ogletree sent us a special thank you letter. “I wanted to thank you personally for the wonderful job you did on my back. Your surgery was really a miracle to me. I spent months flat on my back – unable to move, work or enjoy much of anything. Immediately after the surgery, the pain was gone. The feeling has returned to my leg, and my knee gets stronger every day. Thank you, again, for giving me back my way of life.”

Don’t tolerate the back pain any longer. Visit zerospinepain.com to schedule an appointment.

Four years ago this month, you performed surgery for spondylolisthesis on my back. The results have been exceptional. My determination to heal and my willingness to follow your instructions helped me through and I came out on the other side better than I’ve ever been. I exercise faithfully at least 5 days a week doing both aerobics and calisthenics with weights. It is with great pride that I report I rode in a 252 mile bike ride through the rolling hills of Iowa over four days last month!

Thank you Minimally Invasive Spine Institute for everything you did for me and for giving me a better quality of life that I ever imagined I could have!

With great respect and gratitude,
Heidi Dorr

The site offers free workout playlists to help keep your pace constant, with ranges between 152 to 181 beats per minute. Podrunner also has mixes designed for interval training. You can download these music mixes online or through iTunes, and the MP3 files can be played on most digital music players. The playlists are all electronica, and the music is energetic and upbeat. Best of all, it’s free.

Related: Why Rest and Back Pain Aren’t Always The Best Policy

1. A six inch incision may be needed to see the affected nerve root and the disc. In creating such a sizeable incision, a large area of muscle has to be cut to make an opening of 2 to 6 inches, leading to substantial blood loss.
2. Use of general anesthesia, which depending on your age and overall health, could lead to a greater risk of complications.
3. Due to the large incision, the length of the stay in the hospital is increased, which is adds to the total cost.
4. The recuperation time after the surgery is much longer, typically several weeks or months.
5. The use of pain medications are necessary after traditional open spine surgery, which not only adds to the cost of the procedure, but also slows the recovery process.
6. Scar tissue formation can lead to additional spine conditions, which could lead more surgical procedures.

The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute Difference
Utilizing world-class technologies and highly-advanced microscopic tools, our innovative laser techniques allow for:

• Less Anesthesia
  Due to the size of our incisions and our ability to use lasers to treat the source of your pain, very little anesthesia is needed and usually only locally.
• Less Recovery Time
  Patients often walk out of the surgery center in as little as two hours after the procedure.
• Less Trauma
  Pioneering laser spine techniques without muscle damage that often require NO stitches.
• Less Blood Loss
  Less blood loss and less trauma mean a much quicker recovery for you and your body.
• Less Scarring
  Often requiring only a band-aid for healing, our minimally invasive procedures leave you with virtually no scar tissue so you can enjoy an active lifestyle once again.

Visit The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute at ZeroSpinePain.com for more information.

Patrick Dickerson was suffering from a painful bulging disc in his spine. He walked into our minimally invasive spine institute office at 5:30 in the morning and walked out at 3:30 in the afternoon. He describes the scar as “about the size of your pinky nail.”

He can now walk without any pain and he even golfs 2-3 times a week, something he could never do before the surgery!

Watch his video testimony on YouTube or click play on the embedded video below.

1. The most popular blog post is Foraminal Stenosis Treatment Through Minimally Invasive Procedures which discusses the definition of Formalinal Stenosis, its symptoms, and treatment options.
2. Another popular blog post is Dr. Won’s discussion of about the difference between laser spine surgery and minimally invasive spine surgery. It clarifies the common misunderstanding that laser spine surgery is somehow a more advanced or superior method of back surgery, when in fact it is simply the product of confusing marketing terminology.
3. Our blog post back in May is an encouraging reminder that through the amazing breakthroughs in medical technology, patients who once suffered back and neck pain now have a second chance, because there’s always a second chance with back or neck surgery.
4. Understanding the difference between general anesthesia and local anesthesia. A plain English breakdown discussing the drastic difference between these two procedures.
5. Some of our readers were shocked to learn that their favorite summer footwear may be contributing to their back pain in our blog post, Why Summer’s Favorite Shoes Can Be Your Back’s Worst Enemy.
6. A frequently asked question was addressed in a blog post last month. Our patients want to know the best way to soothe their back and neck pain. “Heat or Ice? Which is Best for Back and Neck Pain?“
7. We were excited to share Jim Dujka’s success story on our blog early this month. Jim had been suffering with back pain for years, but now he is a Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Success Story!
8. You may not realize it, but we have several videos on YouTube that can help you better understand your options for back surgery. That’s why we posted our Back Surgery Video Resources blog post.
9. Minimally Invasive Surgery in Plain English takes a complicated subject and breaks it down into simple language that anyone can understand.
10. Back in March, we posted a tip sheet that gave six questions to ask your spine specialist. It’s important to know what to look for in a spine surgeon.

Thanks to all of our readers and followers. We look forward to sharing more tips about how to keep your back and body healthy and pain free!

Jim Dujka, from Dallas, Texas, has been suffering from back pain for years. He came to The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute (MISI) recently. Dr. Michael Rimlawi was his primary care physician.

“I have degenerative disc disease and I have had two prior back surgeries where each time a portion of a disc was trimmed away” stated Jim in a recent discussion about his battle with back pain. “The muscle pain during the recovery period was horrible not to mention the recovery time and the time away from work was quite long. The relief however was only temporary.”

After several years of trying to deal with the sever pain, Jim decided to come to the MISI.

“I met with Dr. Rimlawi,” said Jim, “and we discussed the options after reviewing my MRI. It came as no surprise to me when Dr. Rimlawi looked at my MRI and said ‘you’re a mess.’ We agreed that surgery was the best option.”

Two weeks later, Jim underwent a large two level interbody fusion with redo laminectomies. This type of procedure would typically cause the patient a great deal of pain for many weeks however, Jim’s recovery was incredibly fast because Dr. Rimlawi used a special minimally invasive procedure that requires smaller incisions and does less damage to the patient.

Jim is excited to share that “now four weeks after the surgery I don’t have near the weakness or muscle pain that I had with my previous two surgeries and this is incredible considering the amount of work that Dr. Rimlawi had to perform on my back.”

“Another amazing thing,” states Jim, “is that the pain that I had in my back and down my legs was completely gone the moment I woke up after surgery. Dr. Rimlawi went into great detail before the surgery to make sure I understood everything that needed to be done and he made sure that he answered any questions that I might have had.”

“I feel completely comfortable and confident with Dr. Rimlawi and I would recommend his care to anyone seeking treatment” Jim says.

To learn more about Minimally Invasive procedures from The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute, visit ZeroSpinePain.com. You can also subscribe to our blog via RSS or email and follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

A popular way to refresh your body, exercise and stay cool–all at the same time–can be found with water-based exercises. The low-impact exercise let participants stretch, twist, and work those muscles in a way that make you feel good and have improved fitness at the same time. But water aerobics or water-based therapy isn’t for everyone.

Before signing up for any water-based exercise or therapy program, check with your doctor to make sure that this type of activity is right for you. Often, sufferers of back or neck pain or individuals who are older or who have other physical limitations prefer water-based exercise programs to other alternatives. Water aerobics is also a good program for individuals who are overweight and/or generally out of shape.

If you do have any physical limitations, check out how participants enter the water and make sure you feel safe, comfortable and confident in the method for entering the pool. If the pool bottom or entry seems slippery, you may wish to purchase inexpensive water shoes and keep those on during the exercise or therapy program. Look also for hand rails or safety grasps to provide you with extra stability as you enter or exit the water. Some pools also feature rubber mats or similar non-slip bottoms.

If you have severely limited endurance or range of motion, are fearful of the water, or have any kind of severe heart issues, incontinence, fever or infection, you should not participate in a water exercise program. If you are starting an exercise program due to osteoporosis, keep in mind that water exercise may not be as beneficial as weight-bearing (land) exercise programs, so you may want to complement your water program with something on shore as well.

Also ask about the average water temperature of the pool, and make sure you are happy with the level it is kept at. Therapy pools are often kept almost as warm as bath water to assist with blood circulation. However, many water aerobic exercise programs are held in backyard or recreational swimming pools, so the temperature there may vary more.

As long as a water program meets your needs, it can provide relief from minor back or neck soreness or pain in a low-impact fashion. If you have severe or chronic pain, call us to discuss whether The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute can provide you a quality lifestyle free from back or neck pain!

We understand your fears, and will help you every step of the way so that your minimally invasive back or neck surgery is as stress-free as possible. First, know that minimally invasive laser procedure complications are generally considered very low compared with an open back surgery. We pride ourselves in always using the smallest incision possible with a procedure, often requiring only a Band-Aid at the incision site. Plus, because of the laser surgery technique that we follow, typically no general anesthesia is required. Instead, we mostly always only need to use a local anesthesia, which is less risk to patients because they are awake during the procedure.

Another positive is that the type of surgery we typically perform involves much less time on the operating table. While every surgery is unique and specialized to repair a person’s very specific condition, on average the non-traumatic procedure that involves the use of a specially-designed probe takes about 45 minutes to an hour. You’ll feel little, if any pain or discomfort at all, and then will be able to quickly recover from the affects of anesthesia.

Of course, we know that you’ll want and need very specific details about the preparation for a surgery, the surgery itself, and the recovery following a surgery, and we’re available to answer all your questions, allay your concerns, and hopefully make you feel even excited about how this surgery can become a positive life-changing event. We will spend all the time you need in helping you decide whether a back or surgery is right for you, and so you’ll be informed about the specific process that is involved that will uniquely help you on your journey to become pain-free.

The first step is to schedule a consultation. We look forward to meeting with you! In the meantime, take a look at this testimony from a recent patient at The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute.

Glenn Jones from Carrolton, Texas recently had back surgery at The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute with Dr. Won and he’s excited to share his story. Glenn has been a personal trainer at the Addison Athletic Club for nearly 8 years. Shortly after the surgery he sent us this story about his experience and the difference it has made in his life.

Dear Minimally Invasive Spine Institute,

A little over 24 hours ago, I was in back surgery. I have been sitting at my computer all day and I have no pain down my leg. I feel wonderful.

What a great surgery. I went in at 7:00 am and they released me at 10:30 am and I am up and working on my two businesses.

20 years ago, I had the same kind of back surgery and I was in the hospital for 5 days with a TENS unit on my back for pain. Right now, I am drug free feeling like a champion because of the minimal invasive back surgery.

Dr. Won checked me out to make sure he could help me. I did an MRI and then Pain Mapping to see exactly which nerve was being pressed on. He told me a lot of people tell him that they wish he would have done this years ago.

Dr. Won even checked out the area where I had surgery 20 years ago and found some bone spurs touching the spinal cord and he removed them.

My daughter just said to me, “Dad, it is kind of weird not seeing you limp.” I had been limping for almost a year.

Damn, I feel great.

Glenn Jones
Carrolton, Texas

He said that many people in Addison have been watching him limp around for about a year so he’s excited to spread the news about minimally invasive spine surgery. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Glenn!

If you would like to learn more about our minimally invasive procedures take a look at our main website ZeroSpinePain.com or contact us using this form.