Back and Neck Health: Mayo Clinic guide to treating and preventing back and neck pain

by Mohamad Bydon M.D.

Overview

When you think of all of the work the back and neck do each day — constantly moving, bending and twisting as people go about their day-to-day activities — it's not surprising that problems develop. But just as doing too much can put back and neck health at risk, so can doing too little. Decreased physical activity is a major contributor to poor spinal health. 

In the Mayo Clinic book Back and Neck Health, acclaimed neurosurgeon Mohamad Bydon, M.D., evaluates the primary back and neck conditions plaguing working adults today and identifies everyday actions that may exacerbate the pain. The book also outlines the variety of treatment options available to those living with chronic back and neck pain, including home treatments, physical therapy, interventional approaches, and different types of surgery. Finally, Dr. Bydon reviews specific lifestyle changes that can help individuals improve and maintain good back and neck health as they age.

The book is organized as follows:
Introduction

Part 1: Understanding your back and neck

Chapter 1: Your spine

Chapter 2: Back and neck pain

Chapter 3: Common back problems

Chapter 4: Common neck problems

Part 2: Relieving your pain

Chapter 5: Identifying the problem

Chapter 6: Home treatment

Chapter 7: Physical therapy

Chapter 8: Nonsurgical interventions

Chapter 9: Surgery

Chapter 10: Living well
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781893005631
Publisher:	Mayo Clinic Press
Publication date:	02/02/2021
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	127,645
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Mohamad Bydon, M.D., is a professor of Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, and Health Services Research at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minn. As a neurosurgeon, he specializes in the areas of complex spine surgery, spinal oncology, and minimally invasive spine surgery. After graduating from Dartmouth College and Yale UniversitySchool of Medicine, Dr. Bydon completed his medical residency and a clinical fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. In addition to his work as a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic, for which he has received honors for his exceptional delivery of patient care, Dr. Bydon also serves as Assistant Dean of Education in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and Medical Director of the Mayo Clinic Enterprise Registry, a real-time patient safety and outcome platform that integrates data from Mayo Clinic’s hospitals and clinics nationwide. Dr. Bydon is also the principal investigator of the Mayo Clinic Neuro-Informatics Laboratory, where he leads a team dedicated to advancing neurologic patient care and safety. Dr. Bydon has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is currently the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Neuroscience. Dr. Bydon currently sits on the executive boards of three national neurosurgical societies.

Table of Contents

Introduction viii

Part 1 Understanding your back and neck 12

Chapter 1 Your spine 13

Vertebrae 14

Disks 16

Facet joints 16

Nerves 17

Ligaments 19

Tendons 20

Muscles 20

Your spine in action 23

Age and your spine 24

Chapter 2 Back and neck pain 27

What puts you at risk? 27

Understanding pain 30

When to see a doctor 33

Chapter 3 Common back problems 35

Muscle-related conditions 36

Disk conditions 39

Degenerative disease 41

Nerve-related conditions 47

Joint inflammation 51

Spinal deformities 52

Trauma and fractures 54

Infections and tumors 55

Chapter 4 Common neck problems 59

Muscle-related conditions 60

Disk conditions 63

Degenerative disease 64

Nerve-related conditions 66

Malalignment and instability 69

Trauma and fractures 71

Part 2 Believing your pain 78

Chapter 5 Identifying the problem 79

Describing your pain 79

A physical exam 81

Imaging tests 83

Enhanced imaging tests 88

Beyond imaging 90

Getting a second opinion 92

Chapter 6 Home treatment 95

Self-care at home 95

How to ease the pain 96

Movement and exercise 97

Massage 98

Common questions 99

Chapter 7 Physical therapy 103

Seeing a physical therapist 104

Formulating a therapy plan 105

Back exercises 106

Neck exercises 108

Posture and ergonomics 126

Aerobic exercise 128

Chapter 8 Nonsurgical interventions 131

Chiropractic care 131

Acupuncture 133

Injections 135

Radiofrequency ablation 141

Nerve stimulation 142

Traction 143

Medication 143

Stem cell treatments 146

Chapter 9 Surgery 149

Surgery basics 150

Decompression surgery 152

Spinal fusion surgery 154

Tumor surgery 161

Spinal deformity surgery 161

Motion preservation surgery 162

Limitations after surgery 164

Continued pain 166

Failed back surgery syndrome 168

Chapter 10 Living well 171

Exercise and physical activity 171

Improving your posture 176

Improving your weight 181

Getting enough sleep 183

Limiting stress 187

The big picture 188

Index 190