Dissection: A Spine Blog
Dissecting the latest in spine health and life at Dr. Katsuura’s Spine Clinic.
I try to share interesting and educational concepts in spine care and focus on the joy of medicine and surgery.
This blog is 100% human produced.
Imagine Having a Marble Stuck in Your Back
Dr. Katsuura, a board certified spine surgeon practicing in Marin, Novato, Sonoma, Mendocino and San Francisco treats a wide range of back and neck conditions in his spinal clinic. He is an expert in minimally invasive, reconstructive and motion preserving procedures.
Here we recount the story of a patient with a marble sized disc herniation in her back causing extreme pain. Learn how we restored her back to full mobility.
Fire Chief Conquers Cervical Stenosis
In this post we learn about a Fire Chief who battled with a condition known as cervical stenosis that resulted in the loss of use of his arm.
Dr. Katsuura, a board certified spine surgeon practicing in Main, Novato, Sonoma, Mendocino and San Francisco treats a wide range of back and neck conditions in his spinal clinic. He is an expert in minimally invasive, reconstructive and motion preserving procedures.
“I Couldn’t Put on My Jewelry”
In this post we learn about a condition known as cervical myelopathy which can result in devastating neurological consequences if left untreated.
Dr. Katsuura, a board certified spine surgeon practicing in Main, Novato, Sonoma, Mendocino and San Francisco treats a wide range of back and neck conditions in his spinal clinic. He is an expert in minimally invasive, reconstructive and motion preserving procedures.
Feeling 30 Again.
Dr. Katsuura, a board certified spine surgeon practicing in Marin, Novato, Sonoma, Mendocino and San Francisco, discusses his approach using the microdiscectomy procedure for the treatment of lumbar disc herniations.
Is it Possible to Get a New Neck?
Dr. Katsuura, a board certified spine surgeon practicing in Main, Novato, Sonoma, Mendocino and San Francisco also discusses his treatment approach using the artificial disc replacement (ADR/CDR) for cervical disc degeneration and cervical spinal cord compression (cervical myelopathy).
Simple or Sinister?
Dr. Katsuura is a board certified spine surgeon practicing in Main, Novato, Sonoma, Mendocino and San Francisco explains common conditions that cause neck pain.
Does neck pain indicate normal muscular pain or something more sinister?
In this post and video Dr. Katsuura discusses some common ailments that affect the neck (cervical spine) and cause pain. Learn what symptoms to look out for and when you should seek medical attention.
We learn about the anatomy of the cervical spine and some of the ways things can go wrong.
First Day In the OR
In this Post and Video, Dr. Yoshihiro Katsuura, a board certified orthopedic spine surgeon practicing in Marin, Mendocino, Novato, San Francisco, Sonoma shares the first impressions of his premedical student entering the world of surgery.
The Bad Guys: The Evil Cast of Characters Hell Bent on Taking Down your Spine
In this Post and Video, Dr. Yoshihiro Katsuura, a board certified orthopedic spine surgeon practicing in Marin, Mendocino, Novato, San Francisco, Sonoma explains the evil cast of characters that are hell bent on taking down your spine. They include conditions such as stenosis, spondylolisthesis, myelopathy, osteoporosis and radiculopathty. He also describes the amazing treatments that are available to fight back.
Preventing “Burnout”
Dr. Yoshihiro Katsuura, a board certified orthopedic spine surgeon practicing in Marin, Mendocino, Novato, San Francisco, Sonoma explains how the structure of the lumbar vertebra can be used as a tool to help prevent burnout in patients and physicians.
Exercises for Acute/Chronic Low Back Pain/Injury Prevention
Dr. Yoshihiro Katsuura, a board certified orthopedic spine surgeon practicing in Marin, Mendocino, Novato, San Francisco, Sonoma explains a simple exercise routine to help keep your back healthy. In this video we explore why exercise is so critical for low back health, common pitfalls and the three components of a low back exercise program. Please check with your doctor before starting a low back pain program. If you have had prior surgery, please check with your surgeon if these exercises are right for you.
Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI): What Your Surgeon Wants You to Know
Dr. Yoshihiro (Yoshi) Katsuura, a board certified orthopaedic spine surgeon serving Marin, Mendocino, Novato, Sonoma, and San Francisco explains epidural steroid injections and how they are used to treat spine pain.
Epidural steroid injections are commonly used, but patietns have many misconceptions about what they can and cannot do. Here I provide a summary on their use from the perspective of a spine surgeon.
The Spine Encyclopedia is Now Available at Clear Lake, Sonoma and Mendocino County Libraries
Dr. Yoshihiro Katsuura MD, a spine surgeon serving Mendocino, Marin, Novato, Sonoma,Clear Lake and San Francisco is excited to announce that the library how has copies of The Spine Encyclopedia available. Now the community will have free access to high quality spine educational material.
Top 5 Causes of Low Back Pain
Dr. Yoshihiro Katsuura, a board certified orthopaedic spine surgeon serving Marin, Mendocino, Novato, Sonoma, and San Francisco explains the most common causes of low back pain.
In the post we discuss, lumbago, spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, spondylosis, scoliosis, flat back and more
A New Lease on Life
Dr. Katsuura, a spine surgeon serving Marin, Sonoma, Novato, San Francisco, and Mendocino uses minimally invasive techniques to get an 83 year old man back to what he loves to do most.
How Pain Works
Pain is often frightening and difficult to deal with. Dr. Yoshihiro Katsuura, a spine expert, explains how pain works to the patients he treats for spinal disorders in Novato, Marin, San Francisco, Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino.
One Year Down!
Spine surgeon serving Marin, Novato, Mendocino, San Francisco and Sonoma counties in California celebrates first year down in solo private practice.
Osteoporosis, The Silent Killer
Learn about why osteoporosis is so dangerous from a spine surgeon who treats patients in Marin, Sonoma, San Francisco and Mendocino counties.
Spine 101: Why Your Spine Matters
In this video Dr. Katsuura discusses some of the basics of back and neck pain and covers topics such as:
-Why your spine matters.
-What happens to your spine as you age.
-What are some of the common treatments for typical spinal issues.
Dr. Katsuura breaks down and demystifies some of the misconceptions in spinal treatment. Enjoy!