Vertebroplasty Controversy

A few patients brought this to my attention and I saw this very insightful blog post on the topic. Here is the NYTimes article about it also.

Arthritis is one of the toughest diagnoses to deal with and to combine it with low back pain (another of the more difficult to manage) and you have a recipe for some controversy. Surgery, especially for the back, will be very interesting to follow as the technology changes so constantly and the current methods seem to be less than ideal. My solution... start young, exercise wisely and avoid back problems... easier said than done, eh? Naive? Maybe, but it is the best "treatment" we have at this time. This leads very neatly into my next project of beginning an injury prevention program for high school athletes here in NYC, stay tuned or contact me if interested in participating.

Have a healthy day!