Kraus Back and Neck Institute in Houston, TX spinehealth.com

Relief from Lower Back and Neck Pain

 
surgery optionsavoid surgery
      At the Kraus Back and Neck Institute (KBNI), we specialize
                 in non-surgical as well as surgical treatments
                                of Back and Neck  Pain
     Conservative to Surgical Options: MINIMALLY INVASIVE SPINE SUGERY 
              
 "Applying Science to the Art of Medicine"                                                  
                              .....................................................................
  
                       
                 Dr. Kraus is available for Neurosurgery consultation (surgical and non-surgical) in Houston.
                      Offices:  1) West Houston Medical Center
                                    2) Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital
                                    3) Katy
           FILM REVIEW:  send an e mail                                       
                                                         
      To arrange  an appointment, call 281-870-9292,  visit  neurosurgerypa.com
or   send an e mail
              For national and international patients, we can help with  travel arrangements
                                
.......................................................................                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                         top doctors houston texas 2007 top docs united states neurosurgery spine   top doctors houston texas 2008 top docs united states neurosurgery spine  top doctors houston texas 2009 top docs united states neurosurgery spine   best doctors in america, united states neurosurgery spine
                                            Dr. Kraus is honored to be listed in
                                            "Best Doctors in America" (2001-2008) and
                                             "Top Doctors of Houston, Texas" (2007, 2008, 2009)     

                                           DISCUSSION GROUP
                         (please post only serious articles in order to help others with low back pain and neck pain
                                 We cannot continually monitor the discussion board, and are not responsible for,
                                 nor do we endorse postings:  We rely on the "honor system" for policing content)

                           Job Postings in the Medical Field
                    Join The Houston Back and Neck Pain Support Group    
                              For website, animation, CD or DVD needs,
                           or to create an entire PDA or Palm presentation, visit cyberacuity.com   
    

Please scroll down for remainder of page

low back pain ache houston texas united states
Low Back Pain, can be very debilitating.  The effects of Low Back Pain in the USA are staggering!!
    
 
   

home
directions to office
AVOID SURGERY
Kraus Back Neck Inst
backwatch
causes
anatomy
radiology
symptoms
diagnosis
treatment
back care
sex and back pain
weight loss
nutrition
motivation
exercise
sports
physical therapy
chiropractic
pain medications
pain management
Epidural Steroids
NEUROSURGERY
OSTEOPOROSIS
Trigeminal Neuralgia
interesting  cases
FAQ's
about us
ask us
THE EXPERT
DISCUSSION BOARD
contact
links to sites
disclaimer/privacy
sitemap
JOB POSTINGS

 low back pain, back pain, pain, back, best doctors, top doctors, top, best doctors america, america, MedX, medical, lumbar, cervical, spina, idd, idd therapy, therapy, accu-spina, accuspina, drx9000, drx 9000, lordex, traction, back, low back pain, back pain, pain, spine, leg pain, sciatica, lumbar, cervical, disc, herniated disc, slipped disc, disk, houston, texas, usa, america, united states, conservative, non-surgical, britain, france, saudi arabia, dubai, mexico, puerto rico


best doctors america

top doc doctor  houston texas  2007
   last updated
  June 19, 2009

top doctor houston  texas 2008top doctors houston texas 2009 top docs united states neurosurgery spine
................................

Other areas of
Expertise:

Gamma Knifegamma knife houston, texas united states

 



Normal Pressure-
Hydrocephalus

normal pressure hydrocephalus nph, houston, texas, united states

Osteoporosis: Prevent/Reverse It

osteoporosis, bone density, bone strength, houston, texas, united states






Trigeminal Neuralgia

trigeminal neuralgia, houston, texas, united states

Diagnosis of low back pain ("back attack")

 

lumbar sciatica and radiculopathy

 

The arrival at a diagnosis, in medicine, requires a history, physical exam, and tests.  Generally, 85% of the diagnosis relies upon the history.  When it comes to low back and leg pain, important questions include:

  1. when did the pain begin
  2. what precipitated it; was there an injury, or did it occur spontaneousluy?
  3. does it stay in the back, or does it travel down the leg, and it so, where in the leg does it go
  4. what makes the pain better, and what makes it worse
  5. is there any weakness associated with it
  6. is there any loss of bowel or bladder control

Next, the physical exam should contribute 10 % to the diagnosis.  During the exam, specific things the physician will watch for are:

  1. tenderness to palpation over the lumbar spine
  2. signs of "straight leg raising" or "crossed straight leg raising":   a straight leg raise is a test in which the leg is raised straight up in the air, extending the knee.  If pain shoots down the leg being raised, this is a positive indication that there is likely to be something (quite possibly a herniated disk) pushing on the nerve root.   A crossed straight leg raise test is a test where, when one leg is raised, the pain travels down the opposite leg.  This sign often has a 96% accuracy in predicting the presence of a herniated disk.
  3. weakness in the lower extremities.  The lumbar and sacral nerve roots each supply different muscle groups.  Pressure on a nerve root will often cause weakness in the muscle supplied by that root.  For example, the S1 root supplies the gastrocnemius muscle (calf muscle), and injury to or pressure upon the root may cause the patient to have difficulty walking on the toes.  Pressure or injury to the L5 root may cause difficulty picking up the big toe, and can result in foot drop.
  4. sensory changes in the lower extremity, in the distribution of the nerve being affected.  The S1 root supplies sensation the the lateral aspect of the foot, and injury to the root can result in numbness to the lateral foot and and little toe.
  5. reflex changes can also result from pressure on a nerve.  The S1 root is responsible for the achilles reflect, and injury to this root may result in an absent ankle jerk.

 

Finally, we tests are performed.  Typical tests a patient with low back and lower extremity pain may undergo, include lumbar spine x-rays (films), CT scans (computed axial tomography scans), MRI scans (magnetic resonance imaging), myelograms, post myelographic CT scans, EMG/NCV (electromyogram/nerve conduction velocity) studies, discograms, and bone density tests.  Lets go over the value of each.

  1. lumbar spine films:  these plain x-rays are good at showing alignment of the spine.  Any slippage, known as spondylolisthesis or subluxation, is easily visible on lateral x-rays.  Also, compression fractures of the vertebral bodies is easily seen.  Tumors eating away at the bony structure of the spine can also be detected, as the done defect (or lytic lesion) is often seen.
  2. CT scans: these show "cross sections" of the spine.  This can be thought of as slices of bread.  If we have something within the bread, perhaps a sausage, taking a picture of the bread won't show the sausage.  But, if we slice the bread, with each slice being 5 millimeters thick, and if we look at each slice laying down on its side, we will now be able to accurately figure out what is buried within the bread.  The same holds true for CT scans.  They are "bread slices" of the body, accurately revealing the anatomy within.  When used on the spine, they detail bone very well, but are not quite as good at showing soft tissue, such as herniated disks, nerves and tumors.  CT scans use x-rays, which are send through the area of interest in numerous directions, anud then a computer adds the images in 3-dimensions, to "calculate beam attenuation," and then display this in a manner, with pictures, that a human can understand.
  3. MRI scans: the images provided are similar to CT scans, in as far as these images provide serial slices through the lumbar spine, or other areas of interest.  They use magnetism, instead of x-rays, to abtain the images.  They can also provide images in other planes, beside the axial.  These other planes are sagittal and coronal.  Of interest, it is easy to remember what direction these other planes describe if one thinks about where the names were derived from.  A sagittal slice is a vertical slice through an object, and it comes from the vertical slice made by Sagittarius and his bow and arrow.  A coronal slice describes a slice taken from side to side, and comes from the slice made by the crown a queen would wear, from side to side on the hear (corona means crown). 
    Besides showing information in additional planes, the MRI gives much better detail of the soft tissue anatomy of the spine, than does CT.  Disks, nerve roots, and tumors are all seen much better.  On the other hand, bone is seen better on CT scans.
  4. myelograms: a myelogram is a study in which the radiologist performs a spinal tap, places a radioopaque dye (a dye which shows up on x-ray and CT scans) into the spinal fluid, and then x-rays and post myelographic CT scans are performed.  What is provided is an "outline" or "shadow" of the pathology.  For example, instead of seeing a nerve root sheath filling nicely from the dye in it, it may show nice filling to a point, and then show a bump in it.  These studies are often performed in patients where the MRI studies are ambiguous, or in patients who have a pacemaker implanted for the heart ( pacemakers cannot be used in the presence of an MRI machine).  Although they have been used very frequently in the past, MRI scans are obtained much more commonly now because they are non invasive.  Nobody likes to get a needle stick if they don't have to.
  5. post myelographic CT scans: with the dye in the spinal canal, w-rays can show the pathology of nerve root compression, but CT scans can show it with much more detail. 
  6. EMG/NCV studies: these studies monitor the electrical functioning of nerves and muscles.  The other studies mentioned monitor appearance or anatomy, but this study looks at function.  There is a difference.  Imaging taking a picture of a person.  You could tell how tall he/she was, and what color hair they had.  But you would be unable to determine whether they had diabetes or high blood pressure.  A blood sugar test or a blood pressure measurement would tell that.  They are tests of function.  In a similar way, an EMG/NCV is a test of function, looking at how well a nerve works.
  7. Discogram: A discogram is a test which looks at function and form (anatomy).  During the test, a needle is placed within the disk space, and dye is injected under pressure.  If this pressure injection of dye causes low back pain which is the same as the low back pain a patient typically experiences, this signifies that some of the low back pain may be coming from degeneration or micro-instability within the disk space, and the patient may potentially benefit from a fusion.  In addition, x-rays and CT scans are taken with dye in the disk spaced, and information is gathered about tears within the annulus of the wall of the nucleus polposus.
  8. Bone density tests: this test measures the density and strength of bones.  Osteoporosis is the leading cause of vertebral compression fractures.  A number of tests are available, but the most common is the DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) test.

 

lumbar sciatica and radiculopathy

 

 

                                                lowback-pain.com © GEK Consultants, 2003-2008; all rights reserved;  
                                                medical diagnosis and treatment require a history and physical examination;  the authors
                                                assume no liability for any losses, healthwise, monetary or other, arising from use of
                                                this site (lowback-pain.com)