Understanding a Pain Management Approach to Spine Care

Dr. Grant Shifflett’s patients know they are in expert hands when they are under his care. As an orthopedic spine surgeon specializing in minimally invasive and microscopic surgery, Dr. Shifflett...

Herniated discs are quite common, especially in the lumbar spine (lower back). When patients with herniated discs come to see me, they are often in quite a bit of pain and anxious to start feeling...

With lumbar back pain being so prevalent, it’s a dilemma you are likely to face—should you go see a doctor for the pain, or should you wait it out at home? Most cases of back pain will resolve...

Some people live with lumbar back pain for years, worried that a visit to a specialist will ultimately lead to surgery. But as a spine surgeon, I have some good news … Most of the time, surgery...

Your spinal cord and spinal nerves are responsible for “communicating” messages between your brain and the rest of your body. Your spinal cord runs through and is protected by small bones called...

When you are searching for an orthopedic surgeon, you’ll probably notice that some physicians refer to themselves as “board-certified” or “board-eligible”. While you likely recognize that it’s a...

The landscape of healthcare is changing. Rather than simply focusing on a patient’s symptoms, physicians and other medical professionals are increasingly addressing the patient’s overall...

If you do a quick internet search for spine surgeons in your area, you are likely to come up with a list of physicians. And if you live in a large metropolitan area, that list will probably be...

When it comes to scheduling an elective medical procedure, such as fixing the herniated disc in your back, sometimes the biggest challenge is deciding when to do it. As the end of the year...

You may think recovering from neck surgery is a passive process: the surgeon performs the operation, and your job is  simply to heal. But neck surgery, like any surgical procedure, should not be...

If you are one of thousands of people across the U.S. who suffer from back pain, you know how debilitating it can be. Moving your torso is impossible without engaging your back. Every bend, twist,...