For our patients, their families, and our colleagues, Dr. Jason S. Lipetz comments on the recent New England Journal of Medicine and New York Times articles on the role of spinal injections in the treatment of spinal stenosis. Summary of Comments: The findings of this study do not correlate with those of our practice or…
Continue reading…Findings Of New Study on Back Pain Questioned
A New York orthopedist is questioning the findings in a new study that suggests that epidural steroid injections may not help relieve back and leg pain from spinal stenosis. “This is another study that we need to take very seriously, but my experience is that patients do benefit,” said Dr. Thomas Mauri, vice chairman of Orthopedic Surgery at Long…
Continue reading…Dr. Lee Selected to New York Super Doctors
Dr. Joseph Lee has been selected by his peers to the Super Doctors New York Rising Stars Edition. After being nominated by professional colleagues in the community, Super Doctors candidates are further reviewed by a Blue Ribbon panel of top physicians. The Super Doctors list represents the top 5% of the physicians within the respective state or region….
Continue reading…Dr. Lipetz Appointed Chief of Spine Medicine at North Shore LIJ
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. 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…
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