Indiana Spine Group

Back Talk | A Comprehensive Review and Practical

Approach to Spinal Diagnosis and Treatment

Another concurrent continuing medical education session will be an interactive workshop and will provide an in-depth look at the patient exam. A live model will be utilized to discuss common patient complaints that are seen and evaluated in the primary care setting.

This session will address both the cervical and lumbar patient exam. During this session, the speakers will review clinical algorithms in the diagnostic triage of patients suffering from neck and back pain. Additionally there will be a review of the necessary documentation specific to patient complaints, diagnostics and treatment.

The speakers for this session are Alta Skelton, RN, MSN, NP-C (a nurse practitioner with Indiana Spine Group), and Jodi Hettermann Blume, PA-C (a physician assistant with Indiana Spine Group).

Back Talk | A Comprehensive Review and Practical

Approach to Spinal Diagnosis and Treatment

On Friday (November 11), Back Talk (Indiana Spine Group's fifth annual continuing medical education spine symposium) will include a few concurrent sessions. One concurrent session will provide a more in-depth look at spinal therapeutics and treatment modalities, and discuss their clinical indications and effectiveness. Spinal treatments that will be discussed will include nonoperative therapies such as physical therapy, TENS and therapeutic exercise. Additionally, minimally invasive treatments such as spinal injections, rhizotomy, IDET and nucleoplasty will be discussed. Presenters for this continuing medical education session include minimally invasive spine specialist John Arbuckle, MD, and and physical therapist Adam Ebbert, PT.

Back Talk | A Comprehensive Review and Practical

Approach to Spinal Diagnosis and Treatment

Another series of talks during the spine symposium Back Talk, Indiana Spine Group’s fifth annual continuing medical education symposium will focus on treatment options for spine patients and highlight medical, minimally invasive and spine surgery options. This includes their clinical indicators and expected outcomes.

These sessions include:

• Nonoperative and Noninvasive Therapies, which will be presented by minimally invasive spine specialist Jonathan Gentile, MD.

• Minimally Invasive Therapies, presented by Kevin Macadaeg, MD,  minimally invasive spine specialist.

• Common Surgical Procedures, which will be presented by spine surgeon Thomas Reilly, MD, FACS.

 For a complete spine symposium brochure, visit this link.

Paul Kraemer, MD, a spine surgeon with Indiana Spine Group, is featured in a video produced by Community Hospital. In this video, Dr. Kraemer discusses his philosophy of care and working with Community.

A few highlights of this video include:

• Dr. Kraemer’s working relationship with other physicians within Indiana Spine Group, to provide a comprehensive continuum of care to spine patients. In this section, he discusses the advantages of working in the same office with Jonathan Gentile, MD - a minimally invasive spine specialist.
• With the resources provided by Community Hospital, Dr. Kraemer is able to perform complex spine surgery; i.e. operating rooms, surgical equipment, staff expertise, ICUs, etc.
• There is a continued trend towards more minimally invasive spine surgery. This includes smaller incisions and less muscle movement.

Back Talk | A Comprehensive Review and Practical

Approach to Spinal Diagnosis and Treatment

One series of sessions at Indiana Spine Group’s continuing medical education / continuing education spine symposium will focus on the diagnosis of spinal disorders.  In one series of talks, speakers will highlight key issues and steps critical to spinal diagnosis. Topics will include:

• Spinal Anatomy – differentiating between normal and abnormal spinal anatomy (Speaker: Jonathan Gentile, MD, minimally invasive spine specialist with Indiana Spine Group)

• Diagnostic Pearls – identification of the critical components of the physical exam, and essential elements of the diagnostic work-up (Speaker: John Arbuckle, MD, minimally invasive spine specialist with Indiana Spine Group)

• Common Spinal Disorders – diagnostic indicators for disorders such as herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, spondylosis and more (Speaker: Kevin Macadaeg, MD, minimally invasive spine specialist with Indiana Spine Group)

• Disorders of the Bones – a review of conditions such as osteomalacia, Paget’s disease, spinal arthritis and osteoporosis (Rashid Khairi, MD, FACP, FACE, an endocrinologist with Diabetes & Endocrinology Associates) 

• Uncommon and Benign Disorders – a discussion of disorders such as infections and vascular disorders. (Kenneth Renkens, MD, FACS, spine surgeon with Indiana Spine Group)

•  The Role of EMG – the role and indications of EMG in the diagnosis of cervical and lumbar radiculopathy. (Larry Lett, MD, Center for EMG and Neurology)

Registrations are now being accepted for Indiana Spine Group’s fifth annual spine symposium Back Talk. Brochures were recently sent out. If a brochure is needed, please visit this link or call our office at (317) 228-7000.

Back Talk | A Comprehensive Review and Practical Approach to Spinal Diagnosis and Treatment is a continuing medical education / continuing education event focusing on the spine. This spine symposium will highlight the latest, evidence-based clinical information on the diagnosis and treatment of spinal abnormalities and disorders. 

We will begin a series of blog entries highlighting different sessions.

Fourth of July celebrations usually include picnics and fireworks. According to Trip Advisor, of individuals surveyed, 35% will travel over the weekend - of which 63% will drive. For individuals with back pain, even a short trip can be painful.

This spine wellness blog, will provide a few tips for preventing back pain while driving.

• Before you travel - stretch!
• If you are the driver, when possible try to switch periodically. As a passenger, you can ride in a more relaxed and comfortable position.
• If your car seat does not provide good lumbar support for your lower back, use a pillow or roll a towel to provide lower back support.

This blog entry highlights the services of one of the silver sponsors of Back Talk - Indiana Spine Group's fifth annual continuing medical education spine symposium. 

When it comes to medical research and training, experts agree that the use of human tissue is far safer and superior to textbooks, computer simulations or artificial substitutes. Science Care provides human tissue for research and training, they also offer safe, secure medical training facilities, continuing medical education, outcomes measurement and events management...all ultimately benefiting every patent's quality of life.

Because of Science Care's commitment to donors and clients, they operate using audited and controlled procedures performed by specially trained and certified staff, with an emphasis on safety, security, consistency and reliability. The goal at Science Care is to protect the public health and safety, honor the intent of donation and support our client needs.

This blog entry highlights the services of one of the silver sponsors of Back Talk - Indiana Spine Group's fifth annual continuing medical education spine symposium. 

Northwest Radiology Network (NWR) is one of the largest physician owned radiology practices in Indiana and has been providing diagnostic imaging services for more than 40 years.  NWR was formed in 1967, with a goal of providing Indianapolis with the latest, most convenient diagnostic imaging services at an affordable price.  NWR has 49 board certified, sub-specialized radiologists.  Their areas of sub-specialties are body imaging, musculoskeletal imaging, breast imaging, interventional radiology, neurointerventional radiology, neuroradiology, pediatric radiology, positron emission tomography (PET), and nuclear medicine.   The sub-specialization of NWR radiologists differs from other radiology practices that may require their radiologists to interpret radiographs across the board.  NWR's mission is to provide high quality patient care in a cost effective, efficient environment.  The physicians and staff of Northwest Radiology Network are committed to compassionate patient care, accurate results, and timely interpretations.

NWR has three free-standing, multi-modality imaging centers, and interprets images for 16 hospitals and 17 outside imaging facilities throughout the state of Indiana. Free-standing imaging centers include:

• Northwest Radiology at 10603 N. Meridian Street
• Northwest Radiology at 8260 Naab Road
• Meridian North Imaging Center at 12188-A N. Meridian Street 

Staff from Indiana Spine Group attended the 4th Annual annual spine run, sponsored by and benefiting The Spinal Research Foundation. The Spinal Research Foundation is a non-profit organization, who's mission is to improve spinal health care through research and education. Funds raised from the event will go directly to spinal research. 

This foundation was established by spine surgeon Thomas Schuler, M.D., F.A.C.S. in 2002. 
Since its inception, The Spinal Research Foundation has produced significant scientific research resulting in enhanced spinal care.  New technologies, treatments and techniques are the results of the research conducted by The Spinal Research Foundation.

For more information about The Spinal Research Foundation, visit this link.

Registrations are now being accepted for Indiana Spine Group's fifth annual spine symposium Back Talk. "This conference focuses on the latest information about spinal diagnosis and treatment, and is an excellent way for physicians and health care practitioners to get comprehensive information," states Kevin Macadaeg, MD, a minimally invasive spine specialist with Indiana Spine Group and co-chairman of Back Talk.

Recognizing that back pain is one of the most common reasons patients seek medical care, this continuing medical education conference will highlight the latest, evidence-based clinical information on the diagnosis and treatment of spinal disorders. Back Talk features general and concurrent sessions, and new this year are clinical and cadaver workshops.

Back Talk | A Comprehensive Review and Practical Approach to Spinal Diagnosis and Treatment | November 11 and 12, 2011

For more information, call (317) 228-7000 or visit the following links:

Registration Form | Accreditation | Agenda

The new Medical Academic Center (MAC), a premier, full-service educational conference center, will be located within the new Indiana Spine Group facility will also open in September. This conference center will provide a facility and environment that allows clients to host high quality educational/continuing medical education programs, meeting the needs of their guests.

The MAC will feature 9,000 square feet of meeting and conference areas, that will include:

• Bio-Skills Laboratory with ten fully equipped cadaver work stations.
• Amphitheater with tiered seating for 65. 
• Multiple meeting rooms. 
• Dining/reception area.
• State-of-the-art audiovisual technology, allowing for on-time communication and video capability.
• Full support services, including tissue acquisition, catering coordination, instrument sterilization, conference coordination and more.

The MAC is ideal for conferences, educational programs, clinical and/or hands-on training workshops, meetings, serving as a video-conferencing host site and more. A client can reserve the entire facility or just a room/area within the MAC. Sandra Haugo, MS, will be the manager of the MAC, and will be supporting clients and their conference requirements.

Reservations are now being accepted for the MAC. For more information, call (317) 275-1947 or send an email to info@medicalacademiccenter.com. For an event request form, click here.

A recent blogger submitted a few questions about degenerative disc disease, and asked about treatment options for the lumbar spine. 

The blogger asked the following:

What about dynamic stabilization devices as an alternative to lumbar fusion? I have been doing some online research, hoping to get plugged into a 522 study, or otherwise explore whether insurance might cover something like this in my situation. (2 degenerating discs.)

Paul Kraemer, MD, a spine surgeon with Indiana Spine Group responded to these questions.

First, there is no perfect treatment for degenerative discs. The technology of motion stabilization is still very much in its early infancy, and at this point that is probably not the best solution.

There are two categories of implants that exist, disc replacement and motion stabilization, but trials have had problems and neither is currently being implanted.  One motion stabilization implant, sought to minimize motion of the disc to prevent pain and decrease revision surgery, but no definitive proof for either of those claims exists, and they have run into recent trouble with the FDA for their longer term data. Another motion stabilization concept, facet replacement devices are motion preservation devices aimed at facet joints, and at least one recent trial was ended early by the FDA.

Disc replacement in the lumbar spine has been done for over 20 years and works well in appropriately selected patients.  This procedure is FDA approved, but insurance companies frequently refuse to acknowledge convincing data. The results for this surgery seem very reproducible, but it’s only approved for single level disease with healthy facet joints.

All of this skips over the point that back surgery is usually not the first or best answer for back pain, and many people with degenerative discs have little or no pain. It's always recommended to talk to a spine surgeon to see what your specific treatment options are.

In respect to web sites that provide spine specific information – a few very popular sites are Spine Universe and Spine Health.  

Construction on the new Indiana Spine Group dedicated spine center is progressing. In August 2010, Indiana Spine Group broke ground on this new 60,174 square foot facility, and in September 2011 they are projected to move. This new facility will be unique to Indiana, in that it will provide comprehensive care dedicated to spinal disorders in one centralized location. 

• Dedicated patient and visitor areas, with 16 patient exam/treatment rooms, waiting areas and a visitors cafe;
• Ambulatory surgery center, designed specifically for spinal and orthopaedic procedures;
• Imaging suite with MRI and CT scan;
• Physical therapy suite, with a complete gym and treatment rooms;
• Medical Academic Center that will house a bio-skills training lab, 65-seat amphitheater and other meeting areas;
• And more. 

Expanded Physical Therapy Services

The physical therapy center at the new Indiana Spine Group facility will be over 2,000 square feet. As you can see in the construction picture, it is a work in progress. This center will focus on physical therapy of patients with spine-related problems, as well as fitness models to improve an individual’s overall spine health. 

This physical therapy center is unique in that it will focus on the spine. According to Adam Ebbert, physical therapy coordinator at Indiana Spine Group, “we are excited about our expanded location in that we will be able to provide more comprehensive physical therapy services in one location.” In addition to physical therapy rehabilitation, therapists will also provide therapeutic exercise support. This program will provide patients with spinal problems, such as arthritis or osteoporosis, specific exercises to help them manage their spinal issues.

Patients are referred to physical therapy services by Indiana Spine Group physicians or their own physician.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment call (317) 228-7000.

Blog Entry: Annual AAOS Meeting

In February, Drs. Rick Sasso, and Paul Kraemer presented at the annual continuing medical education meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in San Diego.

Drs. Kraemer and Sasso co-presented a talked entitled, “Differentiating Cervical Spine and Shoulder Pathology: Common Disorders and Key Points of Evaluation and Treatment.” Additionally, Dr. Sasso co-presented other talks, of which a couple were: "The Degenerative Cervical Spine: What You Need to Know," and "Cervical Disc Replacement: Five Year Follow-up from the U.S. Prospective Randomized Bryan Trial." For a complete, continuing medical education program, visit this link.  

Congratulations to Dr. Rick Sasso for his recent publication! (Dr. Sasso is a spine surgeon with Indiana Spine Group). Dr. Sasso recently co-authored an article published in the recent issue of the SAS Journal. This journal is a publication of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery and the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery.

This article entitled, Lumbar Extraforaminal Decompression: A Technical Note and Retrospective Study Looking at Potential Complications as an Outpatient Procedure, published the results of a recent spinal study. This spine study retroactively evaluated the medical records of 100 patients from the same spine surgeon, who underwent spine surgery for lumbar disc herniation or stenosis. The spine surgical procedure was a type of decompression. This study concluded that extraforaminal lumbar decompression can safely be done as an outpatient spine surgical procedure.

As a part of our ongoing commitment to provide the best care to our patients, Indiana Spine Group routinely sends patient questionnaires. The purpose of these surveys is to ask our patients what we can do to improve our services, as well as recognizing what was done well. 

A recent survey provided the following comments about Dr. Jonathan Gentile:

• I came “hurting” he understood
• I explained – he listened
• We discussed – he started building a path
• He laid out alternatives and explained until I understood
• He took the time – I did not feel rushed in any way

This spine wellness blog entry will answer a frequent question asked about “toning” shoes, and if they really work. Most likely you have seen the advertisements or watched the commercials where shoe manufactures announce that their brand of toning shoes can help you lose weight or help you get into shape. According to Adam Ebbert, PT, CEAS, a physical therapist with Indiana Spine Group, the most effective way to get into shape is a dedicated exercise program. 
 

The design of these shoes is such that when individuals initially walk while wearing them, they are using muscles that they normally do not use. Additionally, with a few of the shoes – the sole is designed in such a way which forces the walker to balance themselves. Again, this uses muscles that are normally not used.

 A recent study, conducted by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), concluded that these shoes did not have greater impact than normal shoes when worn during walking. This study evaluated calories burned and muscle usage, while participants wore various toning and normal active shoes.

In this study, there were two groups. The first group consisted of 12 active women aged 19-24. While wearing a variety of shoes, their exercise response was monitored while they walked a series of five-minute intervals on a treadmill. The second group, also consisted of 12 active women aged 21-27 who also wore various shoes while walking on the treadmill. While this group walked their muscle usage was measured.

For more information about this study, visit this link. Additionally, an article on WebMD summarizes this study.