Patient Education

Sports Concussion - Your Silent, Invisible Opponent

Web Chat with Dr. Richard Figler and Robert Gray, MS, ATC

Archived health chat from Friday, August 12, 2011

Richard Figler, MD

By some estimates, as many as 3 million sports-related concussions occur annually in the United States, affecting youth, college, amateur, and professional athletes alike. Every athlete faces the potential of a sports-related concussion.

Richard Figler, MD, is a primary care sports medicine physician. He is board-certified in family medicine with a Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine. Dr. Figler is the primary care sports medicine team physician for John Carroll University and Solon High School.

Robert Gray, MS, ATC, received his undergraduate degree from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, in 1975, and in 1977 he received his MS in Athletic Training from Indiana State University.

View the complete sports concussion web chat transcript below.

• Dr. Richard Figler and Robert Gray, MS, ATC – Sports Concussion - Your Silent, Invisible Opponent
• Visit the Cleveland Clinic Concussion Center

• Back Pain Treatment Guide

Watch or listen to free audio and video files from Cleveland Clinic's Center for Spine Health about patient experiences, non-surgical options to relieve back pain and how to improve your posture.

Osteopathic Manipulation for Back and Pelvic Pain

Web Chat with Fredrick Wilson, DO

Archived health chat from Friday, January 14, 2011

Fredrick Wilson, DO

Osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT) is a system of evaluation and treatment designed to achieve and maintain health by restoring normal function to the body by balancing body structure with manipulation. Manipulation is the therapeutic application of manual pressure or force. Oftentimes, structural problems in the spinal column can affect the nerves that radiate out to the various organs, thus contributing to disease.

Fredrick Wilson, DO, is Director of the Cleveland Clinic Solon Center for Spine Health. Dr. Wilson is an osteopathic medical specialist who treats patients with back and neck pain. He uses traditional conservative medical treatments and incorporates osteopathic spinal manipulation when appropriate. He has been on staff at Cleveland Clinic since 1997 and has been the Director of the Solon Cleveland Clinic Center for Spine Health since 2000. He is part of the teaching faculty for Cleveland Clinic medical spine fellows and internal medicine residents. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine for the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he teaches medical students, interns, and residents.

View the complete osteopathic manipulation web chat transcript below.

• Dr. Wilson – Osteopathic Manipulation

Pain in the Neck! Management and Treatment Options for Cervical Spine Disorders

Web Chat with Thomas Mroz, MD

Archived health chat from Friday, July 10, 2009

Thomas Mroz, MD

Neck pain and symptoms caused by cervical (neck) spine disorders are very common among adults. In fact, studies show that nearly 50 percent of adults have evidence of degenerative changes in their cervical spine by age 50. The different parts of the cervical spine, including the muscles, bones, ligaments and joints, are normally well balanced and able to handle the stresses and strains of daily movement. However, when injury to the cervical spine occurs, the neck can be a significant source of pain and discomfort.

Thomas Mroz, MD is a board-certified spine surgeon in Cleveland Clinic's Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery, Neurological Surgery and the Center for Spine Health.

View the complete neck pain web chat transcript below.

• Dr. Mroz – Neck Pain

My Aching Back! Medical Management of Back Pain

Web Chat with Daniel Mazanec, MD

Archived health chat from Monday, November 10, 2008

Daniel Mazanec, MD

Ninety percent of American adults will experience an episode of back pain during their lifetime. In people under the age of 40, back pain is the most common reason for inability to perform daily activities. Fortunately, there are many nonsurgical treatments available for patients including medication, pain management, acupuncture or physical therapy.

Daniel Mazanec, MD is an expert in the evaluation and management of back pain.

View the complete back pain web chat transcript below.

• Dr. Mazanec – Back Pain

Osteoporosis and Vertebral Fractures

Web Chat with Tagreed Khalaf, MD

Archived health chat from Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Tagreed Khalaf, MD

Osteoporosis affects millions of people each year. Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones where bone density is decreased and leads to a higher risk of fractures. Causes include hyperparathyroidism, where the parathyroid gland does not regulate calcium and phosphate levels properly, the over consumption of dietary protein, or low calcium intake, along with others. The majority of people who suffer from osteoporosis are post-menopausal women, but it is possible for younger women and males to be diagnosed with it as well.

Tagreed Khalaf, MD, is a medical doctor at Cleveland Clinic's Center for Spine Health with a certification in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and specialties in Musculoskeletal Medicine, non-operative management of spine, Osteoporosis, and sports medicine. She completed her medical degree at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin, held an internship in internal medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and her residency there as well, in physical medicine and rehabilitation. She then completed her fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

View the complete osteoporosis web chat transcript below.

• Dr. Khalaf – Osteoporosis

What is good posture?

Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or laying down. Good posture involves training the body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments.

Proper posture:

• Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles are being used properly.
• Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces.
• Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together.
• Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions.
• Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy.
• Prevents backache and muscular pain.
• Contributes to a good appearance.

Adult Scoliosis: Staying Ahead of the Curve

Web Chat with R. Douglas Orr, MD

Archived health chat from Friday, December 5, 2008

R. Douglas Orr, MD

Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. It is most commonly found in children and teenagers who have not yet reached skeletal maturity, but scoliosis is also frequently diagnosed in many adults. The causes and treatment of scoliosis is often much different for adult patients, especially when deciding which medical treatments are the best options in managing this spinal disorder.

R. Douglas Orr, MD is an expert in the evaluation and treatment of adult scoliosis and other spinal deformities.

View the complete web chat transcript below.

• Dr. Orr – Adult Scoliosis

• Lumbar Facet Injection
• Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection
• Sacroiliac Joint Injection
• Lumbar Radiofrequency Ablation to Treat Lumbar Facet Joint Pain

Understanding Spinal Stenosis

Web Chat with a Cleveland Clinic Physician

Archived health chat from Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Spinal stenosis generally affects middle-aged or elderly adults. Spinal stenosis occurs when bulging discs, arthritic spurs, and thickened tissues combine and causes a narrowing of the lumber (back) or cervical (neck) spinal canal, which leads to the compression of the nerve roots.

View the complete spinal stenosis web chat transcript below.

• Spinal Stenosis

Help Me Fix It: Dr. Besser Goes in Search of Back Pain Relief

Edward Benzel, MD

Spine surgeon Edward Benzel, MD, Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, is featured in Dr. Richard Besser's report, speaking on how spine surgery should be a last resort for relieving back pain.

• ABC Good Morning America story with Dr. Edward Benzel