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Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion Cervical fusion phoenix Spinal disc

What’s the Difference Between Spinal Fusion and Disc Replacement Surgery?

Spinal disc replacement surgery

Nearly half of all working Americans suffer from back pain every year, and it’s not just due to heavy lifting. Office workers can face back problems at the same rate, mostly due to inactivity and slouching in office chairs for long periods of time. If you visit a doctor’s office, you’re likely to be recommended a course of physical therapy and possibly pain medications to deal with your discomfort in the meantime.

But what happens when standard exercises simply aren’t enough to fix what’s wrong, and the back pain persists? In cases like that, you may become a candidate for spinal surgery — but make no mistake, that’s not a light diagnosis by any means. Modern surgeons today have two procedures they rely on to correct spinal issues and alleviate back pain: spinal fusion and artificial disc replacement. And both have their pros and cons.

Cervical Fusion Surgery

The Benefits: Fusion has long been the typical procedure to help treat pain brought on by spinal disabilities and disorders. That’s because it seeks to stop the vertebral discs from moving altogether, ceasing the pain in the process. To accomplish this, surgeons need to “fuse” the bony vertebrae surrounding the damaged disc(s).

The Drawbacks: The pain stems from the disc itself, and fusion aims to bypass it so that you no longer have to feel in pain whenever it moves. However, cervical surgery of this kind doesn’t do much to “fix” the disc in the traditional sense, meaning your damaged disc remains in your spine permanently.

Artificial Disc Replacement Surgery

The Benefits: Unlike fusion, disc replacement will actually remove the damaged disc entirely and replace it with a prosthesis. This spinal “implant” (as it’s called) can help to eliminate the pain completely via removing the disc itself. For this reason, replacement surgery is quickly growing in popularity — and the disc replacement surgery recovery time might be shorter because the patient doesn’t have to wait for any bones to heal.

The Drawbacks: No matter how popular it’s getting, disc replacement is still a new surgery, having been approved less than a decade ago. Additionally, the disc replacement surgery recovery time might be quicker, but there’s still no guarantee that the procedure itself is as beneficial as fusion surgery. In another 10 years or so, we may know those answers.

For more information on any kind of major spinal surgery (fusion, replacement or otherwise), it’ll help to have a long talk with your physician. Read more: www.artificialdiscinstitute.com

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Benefits of breast augmentation Breast augmentation enlargement Breast lift and augmentation

Studies Show Women Prefer Breast Lifts Over Implants 2 to 1

Memorygel® breast implants

A new study from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons is showing that more women are turning to breast lift procedures, mastopexy, rather than investing in breast implants. The ASPS study also confirms that lifts have outpaced implants two to one, and that since 2000, breast lift surgery has grown by 70%.

There are still plenty of women that cite reasons to get breast augmentation, such as aging, and post-breast feeding sagging, and implants are still considered the most popular cosmetic surgery in America. But women are increasingly electing to have breast lifts over implants because mastopexy utilizes their existing natural tissue to aid the lift, tightening the surrounding tissue in the process.

One of the main reasons to get breast augmentation or a lift is that women feel more confident with breast implants. As skin loses its elasticity with age, the tissue surrounding the breast begins to loosen, and as a result, the breasts begin to sag. This is especially true for post-menopausal women who no longer produce a large amount of estrogen, which affects the breast tissue. There are mild and more severe forms of ptosis, or sagging breasts, depending on a woman’s individual collagen production as well.

But for women who have enough breast tissue left, breast lifts could be a less invasive, more natural procedure. Breast lifts are also ideal for women who are not interested in necessarily enlarging their breasts, but would rather give them a more organic, raised look. The ASPS is careful to note that breast lifts do not round out the breasts or reshape them in any way, but only pull them up to the appropriate location in relation to the infra-mammary fold.

As this procedure is not right for every woman, a doctor will be able to determine whether having breast implants or mastopexy is the proper treatment. For more than 90,000 women in 2013, breast lifts were their first choice. In either case, these procedures are helping women feel more at east with their body, and confident enough to start dressing in their favorite clothing once again.
More research here: www.fountainofyouth.com

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Collagen benefits skin Natural facial cream What is the best collagen cream

Lesser Known Truths About Healthcare and Skincare

Collagen cream for body

Half of Americans believe that medical conspiracies are true, NPR reports. Up to 20% believe that the government asks us to vaccinate children knowing it will cause autism, and another 20% think they’re likely to get cancer from their cellphones. It is safe to say there is a lot of misinformation about healthcare and nutrition. Many Americans have difficulty picking apart what is and isn’t true. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most recent and popular healthcare tips on the web:

Collagen Anti Wrinkle Creams Or Supplements Improve Skin’s Firmness and Elasticity: True

With age, loose skin and wrinkles are inevitable. “Wrinkles are the result of a loss of collagen, the main structural protein of the skin. As you age, the body begins to produce less of it, which keeps skin from being as firm as it was when you were younger,” ABC News explains. Collagen skin care products typically contain peptides. The peptides in collagen anti wrinkle creams and collagen face creams stimulate the natural production of collagen, restoring skin’s firmness and greatly reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

Kids Are Smoking Coffee: False

Rumors that teenagers are smoking coffee may be an internet hoax (just in time for April Fool’s Day!), Time magazine reports. “While a viral string of ‘websites popping up online that will teach kids step-by-step on how to roll their own caffeine stick’ appears to be a little over-dramatic, there are a few how-to sites, and those that exist are often satirical, Time continues. In all likelihood, teens are getting their caffeine fixes the “normal” way: Starbucks and Red Bull.

Eating Five Fruits and Veggies Per Day Prolongs Your Life: Kinda True

Five portions may actually be a little too low, BBC News reported Tuesday. BCC adds, “Eating seven or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day is healthier than the minimum five currently recommended and would prolong lives.” According to a new study, eating seven to 10 portions of fresh fruits and vegetables decreased the chances of death — at any age — by 42%. Fresh vegetables were most effective. Eating canned fruits actually increased risks of death.

Don’t base your choices and lifestyle on misinformation and medical conspiracy. Know what is and isn’t true. Collagen anti wrinkle creams restore skin’s elasticity, you don’t have to worry about your teens smoking coffee, and upping daily portions of fruits and vegetables is likely to increase your overall health.