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
Yoshihiro Katsuura Yoshihiro Katsuura

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.

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Feeling 30 Again.
Yoshihiro Katsuura Yoshihiro Katsuura

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.

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The Bad Guys: The Evil Cast of Characters Hell Bent on Taking Down your Spine
Yoshihiro Katsuura Yoshihiro Katsuura

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.

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Preventing “Burnout”
Yoshihiro Katsuura Yoshihiro Katsuura

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.

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Exercises for Acute/Chronic Low Back Pain/Injury Prevention
Yoshihiro Katsuura Yoshihiro Katsuura

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.

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Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI): What Your Surgeon Wants You to Know
Yoshihiro Katsuura Yoshihiro Katsuura

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.

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Top 5 Causes of Low Back Pain
Yoshihiro Katsuura Yoshihiro Katsuura

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

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A New Lease on Life
Yoshihiro Katsuura Yoshihiro Katsuura

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.

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How Pain Works
Yoshihiro Katsuura Yoshihiro Katsuura

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.

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Treating Neck and Back Pain 🩻
Yoshihiro Katsuura Yoshihiro Katsuura

Treating Neck and Back Pain 🩻

Spine surgeon treating patients in Marin, Novato, San Francisco, Sonoma and Mendocino discusses the latest treatments in neck and back pain.

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