Dr. Lipetz has been appointed to the position of Chief of the Spine Medicine Division in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at North Shore LIJ.  In this role, Dr. Lipetz will direct strategic plans and quality initiatives for spine care that focus on developing multidisciplinary spine centers, collaborating with colleagues in the Orthopedic and…
Continue reading…Increased Risk of Back Injuries In Young Athletes
Young athletes have become much more involved in sports, playing on multiple teams during a season and throughout the year.  Specializing in one sport has become more commonplace as well.  A recent study in the Journal of Sports Health featured on NPR found that in most sports, specializing in a single sport led to higher rates of back…
Continue reading…Exercise Can Improve Back Pain
Back pain has been known as one of the most common injuries people suffer from.  In an NPR segment this week, various treatments for lower back pain were discussed.  The article notes that many clinicians are finding that more conservative treatments can help to improve people’s symptoms without the need for aggressive treatments. Spinal injuries can be…
Continue reading…Physical Therapy & Neck Surgery Demonstrate Similar Long Term Outcomes
A new study in the journal Spine has found that patients undergoing conservative care with physical therapy did as well as those who underwent neck fusion surgery followed by physical in the long term. Â The surgical group was noted to have a more rapid recovery in the first 12 months, but those improvements waned by…
Continue reading…PEMF Therapy May Improve Shoulder Pain
A recent study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation highlights the potential utility of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy in the treatment of patients with shoulder pain due to shoulder impingement syndrome. In this well-designed placebo controlled study, patients were randomized to three weeks of PEMF treatment vs. placebo, followed by an active shoulder…
Continue reading…Major Study Reports Acupuncture Helpful for Pain
A nationally recognized study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a leading medical journal, provides the most rigorous evidence to date showing the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating patients suffering from chronic pain.  Researchers reviewed 29 high quality, randomized controlled trials involving almost 18,000 people and investigated the role of acupuncture in the treatment of neck and back pain,…
Continue reading…Vitamin D Supplementation of No Benefit to Healthy Individuals
Vitamin D is a key vitamin that the body absorbs from food and produces when exposed to sunlight.  It has also  been advocated as a supplement by many people in helping to prevent several conditions, most notably osteoporosis in adults.  However, a new study published in The Lancet medical journal found no significant improvement in the bone…
Continue reading…Is Your SI Joint Causing Your Back Pain?
SI (sacroiliac) joint pain has been often cited as a source of lower back pain.  In the 19th century, the SI joint was often cited as a cause of patient’s lumbar symptomatology.   Given that a patient’s clinical history, physical exam findings, and imaging studies cannot reliable assess SI joint pain, such a diagnosis has been a…
Continue reading…Bracing Beneficial for Adolescent Scoliosis
A new study from New England Journal of Medicine shows benefits of spinal bracing in high risk patients in preventing .  The two year study followed 240 adolescents with spinal curves (20-40 degrees) who either underwent rigid spinal bracing for at least 18 hours daily or observation and showed significantly improved outcomes in those who underwent…
Continue reading…Drs. Lipetz, Beer, and Lee Named Top Doctors
Drs. Jason Lipetz & Jeffry Beer have both been recognized as Top Doctors in the New York Metropolitan area by Castle Connolly.  Their selections come from nominations by peer physicians and independent review by Castle Connolly.  Dr. Joseph Lee has also received an award again as one of America’s Top Physicians from the Consumers Research Council of America.
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