Blog Articles

Back pain is a common medical complaint for men and women of all ages. Steroid injections can play a role in relieving back pain, but they’re not always the best choice. Here’s how to tell if they’ll be effective for you.

Do you have back pain? If so, you shouldn't necessarily shrug it off. Read on to learn when you should see a spine specialist and how you can select the right one.

Spine surgery can be the perfect solution to your back pain woes, but the success of your operation doesn’t entirely depend on the skill of the treating surgeon. You may also be surprised to learn that it’s not just what you do during your post-op...

Traumatic brain injuries can have long-lasting effects on how our brain processes and interprets information. One common complaint among TBI sufferers is that they frequently feel hot or suffer from what’s known as heat sensitivity.

A spinal compression fracture develops when too much stress is placed on a vertebral segment, causing it to fracture in one of a few different ways. As we talked about in this blog,...

Memorial Day weekend is almost here, and the unofficial start of summer means that many Minnesotans will soon be taking their first road trip of the year.

The weather is warming up and the PGA Championship is under way, and that means there’s no better time for amateur golfers in Minnesota to head to the links to play a round of their own.

Every surgical procedure carries some risk, but when it comes to operating on a structure as intricate as your spine, just how safe is surgery? Advancements in both technique and technology have made it...

You’ve probably hear someone say that they’ve “thrown out” their back before, but what exactly does this mean? Is there a specific diagnosis associated with throwing out your back, or is it more of a catch all term for...

Back pain and its treatment takes a tremendous toll on our physical and mental health, and even when treatment goes exactly as planned, depression can develop after surgery.

As we’ve said on the blog in the past, caring for your spine needs to be a collaborative approach between the patient and provider. Your doctor may have decades of medical experience,...

Arthritis is oftentimes a natural part of getting older as our joints eventually start to feel the effects of time and physical activity. We’ve talked about ways you can slow and treat spinal arthritis on the blog in the past,...

Back pain can be an extremely frustrating condition to deal with, especially when it rears its ugly head at the end of the day when all you want to do kick back and relax.

Spine surgery is the first step in the right direction in terms of reducing pain and improving your physical function, but those rewards don’t happen as soon as the last suture is closed.

Spinal hardware is used in a number of different procedures to help increase stability or facilitate healing after an injury. Rods, screws and plates are all common forms or hardware that are inserted,...

Daylight savings time will happen this weekend, and we’ll lose an hour in the early hours of Sunday morning. When we spring our clocks forward in March, many people feel the effects of this lost sleep for a few days.

Everyone likes waking up feeling refreshed, but for many Americans, they dread getting out of bed in the morning because they know their first few steps will be accompanied by back pain.

Everyone wants to make a full recovery after their spinal operation, but it’s not enough to just want it, you have to actively work for it. However, if you go about it the wrong way, you can actually end up slowing...

Your spine is an intricate and complex structure, and all it takes is one area to crack or shift in order for the whole system to be thrown into chaos. One such area that can be affected is the pars interarticularis.

Spine surgery is a significant physical undertaking, but your physical health isn’t the only aspect that needs to be monitored and cared for in the wake of an operation.

You should always strive to make healthy choices when it comes to your diet, but that sentiment rings even truer after spine surgery. Your body is in a weakened state following a spine procedure,...

If you’ve been diagnosed with a bulging disc in your back, you may be wondering if that disc will eventually herniate. A bulging disc is certainly a precursor to a disc herniation, but does that make the condition an eventuality?

If you are slated for spine surgery or expect to need a procedure in the future, you may feel like the success of your operation is out of your hands. While the skill of the surgeon plays a big role in your recovery, it’s far from the only factor.

Many people don’t have a lot of experience with spine surgery, so if they get to the point in life where they need an operation, they often turn to friends, family or the internet for answers to some of their most common questions.

When correcting an issue in your spine, it is imperative that everything heals in precisely the correct location so that the spine remains stable. In order to ensure that structures heal where they should, artificial hardware is often inserted.

Back spasms are far from the most troubling spinal condition, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored. If your muscles routinely spasm, it means there is something causing them to perform suboptimally.

A spinal fusion procedure is designed to help limit movement in an area of your spine by fusing two spinal vertebrae together. Although plates, screws and other surgical instrumentation are used, what eventually holds the section in place is the...

There are a lot of moving parts in your spine, but even as it twists and turns it works hard to remain stable and provide support for other areas of your body. However, as time goes on, the vertebrae in our spine can become a little...

Alzheimer’s disease is an excruciatingly difficult condition for both an individual and their family. The condition can lead to cognitive decline and memory issues, but like many conditions,...

Winter is coming, and that means we soon expect to see an uptick in head injuries from certain activities here in Minnesota. From winter sporting activities to black ice,...

Even if your Thanksgiving will look a little different this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, odds are millions of Americans will still be filling up on turkey in some fashion.

A brain aneurysm is a potentially life threatening condition that involves the bulging or ballooning of a blood vessel in the brain. If this bulge ends up leaking or rupturing,...

Moyamoya disease is a little known neurological condition that has made the news in recent months after Vince Murdock, a professional MMA fight, was diagnosed and treated for the condition.

Even the smallest of surgeries can leave you feeling anxious, and the prospect of feeling stress is only amplified if your surgery is on a crucial area of your body, like your heart, brain or spine.

Neck and back pain are oftentimes caused by improperly firing nerves or from nerves that are regularly transmitting pain signals due to being compressed or damaged.

October is typically the month when most of the leaves drop off the trees in Minnesota, and while a lot of the state is currently covered in an early snow, odds are the weather will soon warm...

The sciatica nerve is the longest nerve in your body, so there are a number of different ways in which it can become compressed or damaged. Anyone whose ever dealt with sciatic nerve impingement or sciatica knows just...

Arthritis is one of the most common medical conditions that affects individuals over the age of 50, and while you’ve probably heard about the condition affecting the knee or hip, those aren’t the only joints prone to the arthritis.

Your spinal discs play a crucial role in helping to facilitate movement in your spine, but because of all the stress they handle on a daily basis, they can slowly start to erode.

If you need to undergo spine or brain surgery, you want to trust your care to the best in the business. But what makes a good neurosurgeon, and what factors should you be looking for when choosing who should perform your surgery?

A tethered spinal cord is a catch-all term for spinal conditions that restrict the cord’s movement at its base. If your spinal cord can’t move freely in the spinal canal, it can become damaged by its restriction.

A discectomy is a surgical procedure that helps alleviate issues caused by damaged spinal discs. Whether you’re dealing with radiating pain or nerve impingement caused by a shifted spinal disc,...

Ulnar neuropathy, sometimes referred to as ulnar nerve palsy or cubital tunnel syndrome, is a condition in which pressure or damage to the ulnar nerve causes symptoms and dysfunction in your hands and fingers.

You don’t realize how often you move, twist and turn your neck until you’re affected by stiffness and limited mobility in the area. Sometimes the reason behind your stiff neck is obvious,...

Spinal disc replacement is becoming more common as technology and surgical techniques improve, but that doesn’t mean you should just book your replacement operation and leave everything else to your surgeon.

Back to school season is in full swing, and although everything is up in the air because of COVID-19, we thought it would be prudent to share some tips to help take some pressure off your child’s spine this year.

As a person’a weight increases, so too does their risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, according to a new brain imaging study presented in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The novel coronavirus can have a significant impact on a number of different bodily systems. So far, we’ve mostly heard how COVID-19 impacts the heart, lungs and your respiratory system,...

They say that time heals all wounds, but the effects of a traumatic brain injury can sometimes linger for the rest of your life. For others, effective symptom management is key for treating and reducing the long-term effects...

In a time when good news is a little bit harder to come by, there’s this – head injuries in youth sports are on the decline.

While this summer may be a little different than normal, there’s a good chance your children can still get outside and stay active while still keeping their risk of catching the coronavirus on the low end.

Vertebral fractures typically occur as a result of significant trauma to the area, so they are not uncommon in actions like automobile accidents, falls and athletic activity.

In a perfect world, every health condition would be perfectly preventable, but alas, we don’t live in a perfect world. That being said, there are a number of spinal conditions that can either be prevented of have their likelihood mitigated by taking...

If you have a replacement operation to address a health issue, you hope that one surgery will do the trick for the rest of your life. Surgical hardware is getting more durable and lasting longer as modern medicine advances, but maintaining the health...

You may have heard the terms neurologist and neurosurgeon used interchangeably, but these are actually two separate positions that help patients with a variety of neurological conditions.

Your carotid arteries are two major blood vessels on either side of your neck that provide a critical blood supply to the brain and head. When fatty deposits develop in the area,..

If pain in the neck is being a real “pain in the neck,” you’re not alone. Millions of Americans deal with acute or chronic neck pain on a daily basis. Between physical activity, poor posture and natural degeneration as we get older, it should come...

If nerve irritation is causing you spine pain and physical therapy or similar conservative care techniques aren’t solving the problem, a surgical operation may be in your future.

Spine surgery is often viewed as the final option for treating a difficult spinal condition, but it shouldn’t be viewed as a magic solution that will rid of you all your pain.

If your neck pain has progressed to the point where it’s disrupting your daily life, or it’s simply not responding well to conservative treatment, it may be time to consider neck surgery.

A meningioma is a complex type of brain tumor that develops from the layers of membrane that cover the brain and spinal cord. This may sound scary, and while they are certainly serious,...

Your spinal nerves are part of a complex system that run throughout your spine and extend to your extremities. If any part of one of these nerves becomes compressed or irritated, it can lead to localized or shooting pain.

Head injuries can lead to a variety of symptoms, but one of the most common symptoms that often goes overlooked is the feeling of fatigue. Recovering from a traumatic brain injury can be both physically and mentally draining, and that can leave...

Cancer is oftentimes viewed as the most difficult health condition to treat, and this problem becomes amplified when it occurs in the most complex organ in our body – the brain.

Disc desiccation is a common factor that contributes to the onset of the larger issue known as degenerative disc disease. Desiccation refers to the dehydration of your spinal discs, which makes them prone to faster degeneration.

Your spinal discs play a key role in helping your spine stay mobile, but they have to absorb stress in order to facilitate certain movements. Over time, this pressure can lead to disc degeneration, which can make movements painful.

At Midwest Spine & Brain Institute, we are committed to providing the best care possible for every single patient and family member that walks through our door. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak,...

Your spine plays a key role in helping you displace stress and move around, so it needs to be up to the task. The best way to help your spine be prepared for the rigors of daily activity is by strengthening and conditioning the area and its supporting...

Brain surgery is often seen as the most complex and rare type of operation. After all, the phrase “Hey, it’s not brain surgery!” is rooted in truth. With that being said, brain surgery is more common than people imagine, as thousands of Americans...

Sciatica, also referred to as sciatic nerve impingement, is a condition in which damage or impairment of the sciatic nerve causes pain and related symptoms in your body.

Surgery can seem like an especially nerve-wrecking experience as your operation date nears, but we always tell patients to focus on all the things they’ll be able to do again assuming their operation is successful. For other patients, simply...

Active kids are often healthy kids, but all this activity during a stage in their life when their bodies are still developing can also lead to some injuries. If your child is complaining about back pain, inhibited range of motion and back stiffness,...

A stroke occurs when blood flow to your brain is inhibited, and if you suffer one stroke your chances of having another go up dramatically. Many people want to do everything in their power after a stroke to prevent the onset of another one...

When a muscle spasms, it’s your body’s way of telling you that something isn’t right. It could be a sign of a minor issue, or it could suggest a larger underlying problem.

Back pain is often seen as just a physical injury, but oftentimes there’s more too it than just that. Back injuries can prevent us form doing the activities we love, they can keep us out of work and they can leave us yearning for the mobility we once had.

When it comes to brain surgery, neurosurgeons want to be as precise as possible, but sometimes it’s difficult to know exactly where healthy tissue stops and tumor tissue begins during brain surgery.

Athletes twist and turn their spines during athletic competition, so it stands to reason that back injuries are pretty common, especially at the collegiate level. Recently, a study published in Spine decided to take a closer look at when,...

Smartphones are becoming more popular than they were even just a few years ago, and more people in the world own a cell phone than ever before. Because a large portion of the population is relying more heavily on these cellular devices, there’s also...

The new year is almost upon us, and that means it’s time to think about some of the healthy changes we want to make in 2020. When you’re thinking about your resolutions for this new year, we challenge you to keep your spine in mind.

Your spinal cord consists of a collection of nerves that relay incoming and outgoing messages between the brain and the rest of your body. The cord is covered by protective layers called meninges, but that doesn’t mean it’s unable to become damaged.

Doctors and medical staff work tirelessly to help every single patient that walks through their door, but sometimes treatment doesn’t go as planned. A misdiagnosis can happen for a number of different reasons,...

Myelopathy is a nervous system disorder that results from trauma or compression to the spinal cord. When the problem is housed in your neck, this is known as cervical myelopathy.

Thanksgiving is in the rearview mirror, and that means it’s time to get ready for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or the winter season in general. Maybe you’re getting a tree,...

When you break your arm or throw out your back, your response is to head to an emergency room or see your family physician. However, people don’t always follow this same line of care when it comes to head injuries,...

Winter is upon us here in Minnesota, and that means many Minnesotans have holiday visits or tropical vacations coming up in the near future. Spending time with family or exploring a new city can be fun,...

When we think of head injuries in high school sports, your brain probably immediately goes to the male football player. This makes sense on the surface, but even though they wear helmets to help protect their head during collisions,...

Halloween night is here! Whether you’re planning on dressing up and taking your kids Trick or Treating, heading to a Halloween party or just shutting the lights off and watching a scary movie, Halloween night has something for everyone.

Sports are a great way for teens to meet new friends and learn skills like teamwork and leadership, but athletic activity also puts their physical health at risk.

Compression in the spine is a common cause of pain for patients of any age. That compression can be the result of a bone spur that is causing inflammation, from the natural degeneration and narrowing of our spinal canal, or because a disc shifted and...

We love helping patients put their spine or brain condition in the past, and we love hearing from satisfied patients. We can tell you about the level of care we strive to provide each patient, but we know that hearing it from others who have gone...

Have you ever had a burning or stinging sensation in your neck, shoulder or arm after a fall or collision with a person or object? If so, you’ve likely suffered what’s known as a burner or stinger.

When our children get hurt, we want to do everything in our power to help them recover, and while every injury is different, most parents have a general sense of how to care for certain injuries, like a broken arm or a sprained ankle.

Spinal discitis is a medical condition categorized by the onset of inflammation between intervertebral discs of your spine. These discs are located between your vertebrae and act as cushions to facilitate movement, but when swelling develops in this...

When it comes to having a successful rehab after spine surgery, you’ll want to put in some work before you go under the knife to make your life a little easier post-op. One of the biggest things you can do to help your rehab along is to prep your house...

Professional football gets underway tonight when the Packers take on the Bears, so get ready for another news cycle of how concussions and head trauma can have significant effects on long-term brain health.

Everyone wants to have great spine health, but it’s easier said than done. That being said, there are some things you can do on a daily basis that can improve your spine health without greatly changing your regular routine.

Although medical technology continues to get better, there’s no guarantee that your surgery will go exactly as expected. However, if you know how to prepare for surgery and are aware of the potential obstacles in your way of success,...

Another school year is rapidly approaching, and soon kids will be throwing on their backpacks and traversing the hallways on their way to class. But with the new school year brings a number of potential causes of spine and neck pain.

New research centered around understanding the common causes of traumatic brain injuries in children found that roughly 3 out of 4 TBIs involve a consumer product registered with the US Consumer Protection Safety Commission.

For most individuals with back pain, they have the most discomfort at the end of the day after their spine has handled the physical stress each day brings. But for a smaller subset of individuals, their pain is heightened in the morning.