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ADVISOR
For more information on care at Emerson
Hospital, call the toll-free Physician Referral Line:
1-877-9-EMERSON (1-877-936-3776) or visit the
hospital’s web site at www.emersonhospital.org.
Haran Ramachandran, MD
Neurosurgery
Lahey Spine Program at Emerson
Ana L. Jacobellis, DO
Internal Medicine
Westford Internal Medicine
Tania Bandak, MD, MPH
Internal Medicine
Concord Hillside Medical Associates
When should I consider seeking surgery
for my back pain?
Back pain can be due to many causes, including
muscular strain, herniated discs, bony fractures
and traumatic injury. Treatment options
include anti-inflammatory medications, a short
course of oral steroids, local injections and
physical therapy. Surgery is considered if medical
treatment fails or progressive nerve damage
is suspected.
You should almost always seek medical care
within a day or two of the onset of severe back
pain. Pain shooting down the leg is usually due
to a herniated disc pressing on a nerve; consultation
with your primary care physician may be
appropriate. However, weakness in the foot,
numbness in the toes or urinary incontinence
may indicate nerve damage and warrant a visit
to the Emergency Department.
Back pain due to muscular causes or a herniated
disc usually resolves with medications and physical
therapy. Further investigations like an MRI
scan of the back is necessary if nerve damage is
suspected or if symptoms do not resolve within
six weeks. If the symptoms are severe, you
may be referred to a back specialist. Surgery is
appropriate if the MRI scan definitively shows
the causative factor.
How can I protect myself from Lyme
disease this summer?
Wearing long sleeves, keeping your pant legs
tucked into your boots and using insect repellent
are all useful in the outdoors. However,
the most important thing is to be diligent about
checking yourself for deer ticks after you have
spent time in tick-infested areas such as woods
or fields. Ticks hide in grassy areas and on
leaves, waiting for a chance to attach themselves
to potential meal tickets in the form of passing
animals – and people.
Once a tick infected with the Lyme disease
bacteria attaches itself to your skin, it aims to
feed on your blood. The danger occurs during
the tick’s larval stage, when it is the size of a
poppy seed. As it feeds, its body swells. After
a full feeding, which takes 36 to 72 hours, it
can deposit the bacteria into your bloodstream,
causing Lyme disease.
If you find a tick that has only recently become
attached to your body, you can most likely
remove it safely. If it has been there for at least
36 hours, it may be prudent to see your physician
for a preventive dose of antibiotics.
I don’t have any diagnosed medical
problems. Why should I see my
physician yearly?
Our society has traditionally defined health as
the absence of disease. However, it is possible
to be healthy from a strict medical perspective
but to not feel healthy. Many people do
not have any disease, yet they do not feel well.
Other individuals may feel fine but are silently
developing the foundations for certain diseases
to take root.
This could be due to poor lifestyle habits, such
as an unhealthy diet, not exercising or sleeping
regularly or from stress at home or at work.
It may take years – even decades – of living
“unwell” for someone to develop medical
problems like obesity, heart disease or diabetes.
Why wait until disease develops, when treatment
can be cumbersome and intrusive, to seek
medical attention? I believe that through a
strong, trusting relationship with one’s primary
care provider, individuals can discover paths
to living and feeling well in all aspects of their
lives. This is the most powerful “prescription”
for living a full and meaningful life, and it
begins with an annual appointment.
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