Managing inflammation and back pain goes beyond taking medication and undergoing surgeries or therapy. It requires overhauling your lifestyle to one that will support your healing, which involve taking care of your mental well-being, regular exercise, and a nutrition-dense diet. One of the food plans that is known for its anti-inflammatory benefits is the Mediterranean Diet, of which olive oil is a key component. In this episode of Back Talk Doc, Dr. Sanjiv Lakhia speaks to Mary Mori, director f...
Jun 01, 2020•40 min•Ep. 15
If you are experiencing lower back pain or sciatica, it’s important to determine its cause for proper treatment and better pain management. However, there are some cases where patients, who reported to have issues in this region, find out through medical diagnosis that the cause is not rooted in bulging or degenerative lumbar discs. In this episode of Back Talk Doc, Dr. Sanjiv Lakhia dives deep into the top 5 reasons behind your lower back pain. These are the piriformis syndrome, sacroiliitis, l...
May 18, 2020•31 min•Ep. 14
It’s pretty common to have your posture be significantly affected by a spine condition. Whether you’ve had congenital scoliosis as a child or went through an accident that caused the deformity, it’s important to have an understanding of these so you know your options are towards recovery. In this episode of Back Talk Doc, Dr. Sanjiv Lakhia speaks with Dr. Matt McGirt, a partner doctor at the Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates. Dr. McGirt dives deep into spinal deformities that occur in a...
May 04, 2020•35 min•Ep. 13
Did you know that nutrition plays an important role in contributing to your better quality of health and overall well-being? According to research, about 700,000 deaths and 15% disability cases have a correlation to poor nutrition. It’s not just diseases, but the pain that you’re feeling right now in your back and other parts of the body may be because of high levels of inflammation. And as clinics are not operating at full-capacity with the COVID-19 pandemic still underway, you can make a diffe...
Apr 20, 2020•31 min•Ep. 12
The world has shifted to a new normal due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Everyone is encouraged to stay at home, resulting in the medical community not operating at full capacity. You may not have the same access to your medical practitioner, but you can empower yourself and manage your pain while waiting for the storm to pass. In this episode of Back Talk Doc, Dr. Sanjiv Lakhia shares 8 apps that can help you deal with pain in your back and in other parts of your body. Although these won’t provid...
Apr 06, 2020•24 min•Ep. 11
Dr. Tony Asher, who specializes in brain and spine surgery, talks about the science of practice in this episode of Back Talk Doc. He introduces this concept, that’s being done on a national level, in order to accomplish three goals: boosting healthcare, cost efficiency and patient satisfaction. These outcome science programs aim to collect quantitative data based on studies and experience, and analyze that information, leading to better care for patients. He also shares how physicians can be inv...
Mar 23, 2020•38 min•Ep. 10
Not to be mistaken with the epidural administered during pregnancy labor and prior to childbirth, injecting medication to the spine has been an option widely considered by patients with low back pain. Whether they experience leg pain or not, or if their inflammation is related to disc herniations, more people are asking for this type of treatment. But did you know that, in particular, epidural steroid injections are not the best course to treat back pain? This week’s episode features Dr. Andrew ...
Mar 02, 2020•47 min•Ep. 9
You don’t need to be a professional athlete to know that it’s important to give your body the rest and recovery it needs after a grueling workout or training session. Some people forget this and push themselves beyond their limit, increasing the risk of sustaining serious injuries. Even those who regularly exercise, no matter the age group, are as susceptible to getting injuries as an elite athlete. This episode of Back Talk Doc features Dr. Joshua Kollman, chiropractor at Carolina Sports Clinic...
Feb 17, 2020•56 min•Ep. 8
Very often you hear this saying in the fitness world and athletic arena, “No pain, no gain”. It’s as if pain should be expected when you do exercise or undergo training for a sport and if you don’t, whatever you’re doing isn’t going to be effective. This kind of misinformation that exists in this field is one of the main reasons why injuries, particularly on the back, are prevalent among athletes. Because the truth is, the most you should feel while training is a little soreness or muscular disc...
Feb 03, 2020•41 min•Ep. 7
One of the toughest conditions to treat is nerve injuries, particularly when it’s related to spinal conditions such as sciatic nerve injury. There are a lot of options for treatment when it comes to these conditions, which often involve a lot of pain relief medications, for instance. However, there is growing evidence on the effectiveness of the inclusion of herbal and alternative medicine and systems in treatment plans for patients suffering nerve damage. And a growing number of doctors are con...
Jan 20, 2020•46 min•Ep. 6
Correcting structural spinal problems involves techniques that will take years to practice and master for any neurosurgeon. Procedures not only need to effectively fix the issue, but make sure that no additional damage is done to adjacent areas, the skin and to the spine itself! Nowadays, patients are recommended a specific variety of surgery that does the job with lower risks compared to an open spine surgery. This episode of Back Talk Doc features Dr. Mark Smith, a practitioner who has been wi...
Jan 06, 2020•38 min•Ep. 5
The statistics surrounding back injuries among adults is alarming and reflects how grave this problem is in society today. About 80% of adults will experience this type of injury, and at least 1 million of recorded cases are caused by manual labor, with trailer truck drivers as the top type of workers suffering from it. Even employees who sit still at their desks for at least 8 hours in a day can sustain these injuries too. Low back pain, which is the leading cause of disability, is common among...
Dec 23, 2019•20 min•Ep. 4
The things that you do in a single day, no matter how minor you think they may be, is going to have a profound effect on your body soon. Are you feeling sharp pain in your legs, for instance? It may be because you’re putting too much pressure on your spinal cord or your unhealthy habits are already taking a toll on your spine. In this episode of Back Talk Doc, neurosurgeon Joe Cheatle, MD – whose interests spans brain tumors and degenerative spinal disorders to name a few – dives deep into spina...
Dec 06, 2019•41 min•Ep. 3
Have you ever heard of gluteal amnesia or dead butt syndrome? Did you know that this can happen when you sit for long periods of time without standing or moving around? Many of us are in this same situation every day, our backs hunched over the computer finishing tasks and projects at work. And if your glutes are weak, chances are you’re experiencing pain in your lower back. In this episode of Back Talk Doc, Ryan Klomparens – who is a Physical Therapist at the Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Ass...
Nov 25, 2019•34 min•Ep. 2
Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates welcome you to Back Talk Doc, a podcast dedicated to empowering you to take control of your back pain and enhance your quality of life. On this inaugural episode, we introduce our host, Dr. Sanjiv Lakhia, a board certified physiatrist and specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates. Dr. Lakhia is passionate about educating patients on how to care for their back by combining the best of holistic an...
Nov 11, 2019•26 min•Ep. 1
Here on Back Talk Doc you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions about back pain and spine health. Brought to you by Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates , where providing personalized, highly-skilled, and compassionate spine care has been our specialty for over 75 years. And now, it’s time to understand the cause of back pain and learn about options to get you back on track ! If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Lakhia and treatment options for back issues, go to BackTalk...
Oct 21, 2019•48 sec
