Blog Archive

Spinal discs provide shock absorption and spacing for the vertebrae of the spine. Sometimes, these discs can fail, particularly in the lower back and neck, with the inner gel escaping the sturdy outer ring.   This failure, called disc herniation, can cause pain as well as compromise the mobility of...

Back pain is universal, something that virtually everyone experiences in their lifetime. However, many people rest and change their routines, and the pain is gone. It’s different for those with chronic pain.  Sanjay Khurana, MD, specializes in the surgical treatment of chronic pain related to the spine, conditions that conservative...

You might be surprised to learn that the first endoscope, a vital tool used in minimally invasive surgeries, dates back to the mid-19th century. Endoscopic surgical techniques didn’t blossom until the miniaturization of video equipment arrived in the late 1980s.  A field still undergoing advances and refinements, endoscopy remains critical...

Tumors occurring in the spine are often hard to diagnose since the symptoms they create are typical of many other non-related conditions. Because space in the spine is at a premium, both benign and malignant tumors can cause significant problems.  Spine specialist Sanjay Khurana, MD, has the background to diagnose...

When you suffer from a cut or scrape, you may put a bandage on the wound to control the initial bleeding, but otherwise, you count on your body to carry out repairs that leave your skin seamless and flawlessly healed.  Natural healing is crucial to any illness or injury, and...

As many as 3% of American teens may be affected by adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, appearing alongside the growth spurt associated with the teen years. Scoliosis is an abnormal sideways curve to the spine.  Mild cases often need only observation since they cause no symptoms. Partnering with a spinal specialist like...

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)  estimates that 75 to 85 percent of people experience episodes of back pain in their lifetime. The majority of cases resolve on their own or with conservative treatment like rest and physical therapy. In rare cases, however, chronic back or neck pain conditions...

Spinal discs are the soft but tough cushions between the vertebrae of your spine. As well as acting as shock absorbers, these disks also provide the space necessary for the vertebrae to move.  Deterioration of spinal discs can cause neck and back pain, depending on the region of the spine...

Lower back pain is the most common cause of disability worldwide, affecting nearly 620 million people, almost twice the population of the United States, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).   A frequent reason for lower back pain is a condition called spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebrae moves out...

Without question, your body can be a powerful and versatile healer. From simple cuts and scrapes to recovery after major surgery, your regenerative abilities are essential. Orthobiologics is a field of medicine that harnesses these natural healing advantages.  Spine surgeon Sanjay Khurana, MD, uses orthobiologic therapies to help you recover...

Herniated discs also have names like bulging, ruptured, or slipped discs. As one of the most common causes of back and neck pain, it’s even more surprising that you can have a herniated disc without any pain symptoms at all.  About 90% of all herniated disc cases with pain symptoms...

Spinal discs play a crucial role in your ability to move, spacing the vertebrae and cushioning the bones of the body support structure. When discs begin to deteriorate, you can feel pain, lose range of motion, and your quality of life starts to suffer.  Sanjay Khurana, MD, is a spinal...

As the primary communications conduit between the brain and the body, your spinal cord carries information for virtually every system in your body. When a tumor affects the spine, you could experience a wide range of symptoms, depending on the nerves and other tissue affected by the tumor’s mass.  Any...

Any side-to-side curve in the spine is unusual, a condition called scoliosis. People with cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy may show this spinal curvature as part of their condition, or scoliosis may be a disease medically known as idiopathic scoliosis.  The sideways curve ranges from mild to severe between patients....

According to doctors with the renowned Mayo Clinic, endoscopic surgery represents “the next enhancement of minimally invasive spine surgery.” The endoscopic approach represents a change from traditional open surgery.  As one of the leading spine surgeons in the Southern California area, Sanjay Khurana, MD, uses conservative, non-invasive treatment techniques whenever possible to...

Damage or disease can cause deterioration of one or more spinal discs, the cushioning pads between the vertebrae of your spine. These discs provide the space needed for spine movement and absorbing the loads typically borne by this central pillar of your body.  In the past, spinal fusion was often the...

Treatment for any condition usually starts with the most conservative intervention, moving to another level when more gentle treatment can’t produce satisfactory results. In the case of the spine, surgery becomes necessary only when all less aggressive options fail.  The spine is an extremely complex structure, the foundation of both...

When scoliosis is mild, no treatment may be necessary. However, the condition sometimes progresses, and the sideways curvature characteristic of scoliosis becomes severe enough to cause complications like chronic pain, breathing issues, and distortions of anatomy that may make patients self-conscious about how they look.  Severe scoliosis could require surgery when it...

One of the time-consuming aspects of any surgery is the time spent in recovery. Traditional spine surgery often included long, deep incisions to expose the region in the spine where your practitioner performed the work. Surgeons in decades past relied on these large incisions to see the spine components to...

The spinal column is the central support for your body, keeping you upright while allowing wide-ranging movement and protecting the spinal cord, the central processing system connecting body and brain. Like virtually every other system in the body, the spine can be struck by tumors.  Not all spinal tumors are...

While most everyone has back pain from time to time, it’s usually a temporary problem that goes away with rest and conservative care. Degenerative diseases like arthritis and certain injuries, however, can leave you with back pain issues that never vanish.  The cushioning discs between two vertebrae play an important...

In most cases, the reasons for a sideways curvature of the spine, called scoliosis, are unknown. Typically diagnosed in a person’s adolescent years, scoliosis is usually mild, but sometimes it can progress with time. Severe spinal curvature can cause other health complications and medical conditions.  As a scoliosis specialist, Sanjay Khurana, MD, diagnoses...

The most advanced healing system you’ll encounter is your own body. Consider how you watched the progress of a cut or scrape where first, a scab appears before it finally falls away, and ultimately, there’s no sign of the original injury, with or without a doctor’s intervention.  Aiding the natural...

Tumors affecting the spine can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous), primary (originating in the spine), or metastatic (developing elsewhere and spreading to the spine). Classed by the section of the spine in which they occur, they may be either the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spine.  Four other types...

The advantages of endoscopic surgery and other minimally invasive surgical techniques make these the choice of both patients and surgeons. Faster, safer procedures are just the beginning. As a patient, you have less healthy tissue damage when compared with traditional open surgeries. That means less pain, fewer complications, and fast recovery.  When...

The disadvantages of conventional open surgery stem from the size of the incisions necessary to see the work performed. That’s a big reason behind the development of endoscopic surgical techniques. Spine surgeon Sanjay Khurana, MD, specializes in endoscopic approaches, choosing these whenever possible. When you know the benefits offered by endoscopic surgery,...

Degenerating discs in the spine create several issues, including limited mobility, bone-on-bone contact, and nerve compression, each placing restrictions on daily living. In the past, spinal fusion was one of the few treatments available when a disc completely deteriorated. Artificial discs can now replace natural discs that no longer perform their...

A child’s teen years are filled with great change, and it’s normal for them to feel self-conscious of these changes, even when their friends endure many of the same events. When scoliosis adds a non-standard dimension to adolescent changes, the blow to a teen’s self-esteem can be substantial.  The first...

The best and most advanced medical healer is often your own body. Anyone who has witnessed the magical transition that takes place with a cut or scrape knows the incredible power the body has. With the current resurgence in the field of regenerative medicine, the use of orthobiologics spreads across many medical disciplines. ...

Back pain is a common and often troublesome condition that leads to lost time at work as well as making it difficult to get through simple everyday tasks. It’s one of the most costly medical conditions in the United States.  While back pain is temporary for most Americans, there are still 16...

It’s only been about 40 years since minimally invasive surgical techniques began as a serious alternative to conventional open surgery, and the last two decades saw an explosion of popularity for this newer option. Driven by innovations in diagnostic imaging and endoscopic techniques, the advantages of these approaches appeal to patients and...

Tumors of the spine aren’t always cancerous nor do they always cause symptoms. Usually though, a spinal tumor creates pain at some point. Nerves produce sensations, control muscles, and oversee autonomic responses, so you may experience other symptoms like tingling or numbness, muscle weakness, or other neurologic issues. Symptoms may occur...

Almost 65 million Americans report that they’ve had a recent episode of back pain. While in most cases, this pain clears on its own, with treatment or without, 8% of adults have chronic back pain that’s severe enough to interfere with everyday living.  When conservative and intermediate treatments fail to relieve...

Back pain is one of the most common medical complaints among American adults, with data suggesting as many as 80% of men and women will have back pain at some point during their lives. While back pain is often caused by traumatic or overuse injuries (like a car accident or...