Spinal fusion surgery has become a standard procedure for degenerative spine conditions that leave the cervical (neck) or lumbar (low back) area painful and unstable. There are many different ways to fuse the spine -- not only in types of materials available, but also approaches (from the front, side, back, or combination of directions) and techniques (with bone grafts, bone substitute, titanium cages, metal plates, screws).

Have you ever heard the expression What's good for the goose is good for the gander?

You may have a condition called cervical spondylotic myelopathy sometimes shortened to cervical myelopathy. Disc degeneration and vertebral compression reduce the normal height of the spine. This puts increased pressure on the discs and facet (spinal) joints, which can lead to the formation of bone spurs.

CSM is a degenerative condition that occurs with aging. Adults affected most often are 50 years old and older. The term myelopathy refers to any problem that affects the spinal cord. Cervical tells us the area affected is the cervical spine (neck region). Spondylotic or spondylosis describes a narrowing of the spinal canal where the spinal cord is located.

The natural history of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the topic of this article. Natural history refers to what happens to a person with this type of problem as time goes by. Do they get better, worse, or stay the same?

You wouldn't really be able to purchase a traction machine for home use like you use in the physical therapist's clinic. But home traction units with a head harness or halter that hang over the door are available and seem to help some people manage their symptoms.

Yes! Although the study you mentioned showed no difference in results for patients receiving manual therapy with and without traction, there were quite a few yes buts expressed by the authors.

First, they used 15 minutes of intermittent (on/off) traction. They started with a traction force (generated by the machine) of 10 per cent of the person's body weight. The treatment was delivered twice a week for four weeks.

Physical therapists often treat patients with neck and arm pain from cervical radiculopathy. A variety of modalities are used. Modalities are treatment tools. For cervical radiculopathy these modalities include traction, postural education, exercise, or manual therapy. In this study, physical therapists attempts to find out if manual therapy and exercise work better when cervical traction is part of the treatment plan.

Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) is not uncommon after anterior cervical spine fusion. In the process of cutting through skin and soft tissue around the throat, damage can be done to some of the nerves in that area. The nerves are tiny and not always visible.

Your surgeon may not have communicated his or her knowledge and understanding of dysphagia as a postoperative complication in a way that would have made a better connection with you as the patient.

Many people suffer from headaches triggered by various food substances. Sometimes the reaction is a delayed food intolerance with a variety of symptoms including headache, joint pain, fatigue, skin rashes, acne, and so on. In other cases, a full-blown migraine can begin.