When back pain needs a neurosurgeon, which headaches need investigating, how to prepare for surgery and what to expect from recovery.
When back pain needs a neurosurgeon, which headaches need investigating, how to prepare for surgery and what to expect from recovery.
Spine
Eight in ten adults will have low back pain at some point. Almost none of them need surgery. These are the signs that separate one case from the other.
Brain
Most headaches are migraine or tension-type. A handful of features, however, change what should be done next entirely.
Patient guide
What to ask before signing, what to take to hospital, which medications to stop and what to expect in the first days. What is organised beforehand hurts less after.
Spine
The question asked most often in clinic. The answer depends on three things, and the size of the herniation on the MRI is none of them.
Patient guide
Asking for a second opinion is not distrust. In brain and spine surgery it is normal practice, and there are five situations where it is particularly worthwhile.
Patient guide
How long each stage takes, what is normal and what is not, and why rehabilitation weighs as much as the operation in the final result.
One consultation with your MRI or CT in hand is worth more than ten internet searches. Book by phone or through the form and you will be told what is there, what it means and what your options are.
