John Arbuckle, MD

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

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)

At Indiana Spine Group’s Back Talk continuing medical education symposium, as highlighted in a previous blog entry , there are two educational tracks that will be available for conference attendees on day one.  In addition to the general track discussed in the prior blog, there is a more in-depth track entitled, More Specifics | Spinal Diagnostics and Treatment. 

In this education track there will be a few sessions focusing on the diagnosis of spinal disorders and abnormalities.  One session titled Spinal Imaging | Technology and Diagnosis, will be presented by Stephen Pomeranz, MD. Dr. Pomerance is a radiologist. In this session, Dr. Pomeranz will provide an in-depth look at spinal imaging technologies and highlight the latest developments in spinal imaging technology and their applications in spinal diagnostics.  Additionally, using case studies, he will review radiological finds and diagnostic indicators. 

The second session of this educational track will focus on The Electrodiagnostic Evaluation, and will be presented by physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Shashank Dave.  During his presentation, Dr.Dave will discuss the role and application of electromyography in the diagnosis of spinal disorders and diseases.  Additionally, he will review case studies which utilize electromyography and identify specific diagnoses. 

Another session presented for the in-depth track will focus on Diagnostic and Therapeutic Injections of the Spine.  This will be presented by minimally invasive spine specialist John Arbuckle, MD.  During this session Dr. Arbuckle will review and differentiate between the different type of therapeutic injections and will review the treatment efficacy of injections, the clinical protocols, indications and expected outcomes. 

The last session of this continuing education track will highlight spine surgery, and is entitled Surgical Perspectives | Fusion vs Arthroplasty, presented by spine surgeon Rick Sasso, MD.  During this session, Dr. Sasso will provide a detailed analysis of spinal fusion and arthroplasty and he will discuss motion preservation modalities for the treatment of generative disc disease.  He will highlight lumbar and cervical artificial discs as well as review research studies and discuss patient selection, indications and expected outcomes. 

Planning continues for Back Talk | Comprehensive Concepts in Spinal Diagnosis and Abnormalities, Indiana Spine Group’s 4^th annual spine symposium. For this year’s conference there will be two educational tracks. One track will provide more general information and one in-depth. These tracks will be held the morning of day one. 

The general track is entitled: Spinal Care Boot Camp | Diagnostics and Treatment. There will be a session on spinal anatomy, entitled Spinal Anatomy 101, presented by minimally invasive spine specialist Kevin Macadaeg, MD.  During this session, Dr. Macadaeg will discuss the functional anatomy of the spine, normal aging process, the spine’s degenerative cascading process and normal and abnormal spinal anatomy.

Another general session which will be presented by minimally invasive spine specialist John Arbuckle, MD, The ABCs of Spinal Diagnostics. In this session, the etiology of spinal pain and common spinal disorders that cause back pain will be reviewed. Additionally, Dr. Arbuckle will discuss the indications and applications of spinal testing, evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis of lower back and neck pain, and he will highlight the red flags of spinal pain. 

Two other sessions in this track include Understanding Spinal Therapeutics and The Spine Surgery Patient. In the spinal therapeutics session, presented by minimally invasive spine specialist Jonathan Gentile, MD, he will discuss the pharmacological management of acute and chronic back pain, review common noninvasive and minimally invasive spinal therapies and their indications. Spine surgeon Paul Kraemer, MD, will discuss the spine surgery patient and will provide an overview of common spine surgery procedures, their indications and expected outcomes. Additionally, Dr. Kraemer will discuss the applications and limitations of spine surgery, and when referral to a spine surgeon is indicated. 

For a complete Back Talk agenda, link here. 

Learn more about spinal / back pain with this education video. This video features Dr. John Arbuckle as he discusses back pain; including the definition, diagnosis and early treatment.  Dr. Arbuckle is a minimally invasive spine specialist with Indiana Spine Group. 

Generally when a patient’s spinal pain is longer than four to six weeks, and the pain is not relieved with the passage of time, anti-inflammatory medications or even physical therapy – a minimally invasive spine specialist will see the individual to evaluate the cause of this pain. 

Minimally invasive spine specialists with Indiana Spine Group include John Arbuckle, M.D., Jonathan Gentile, M.D., and Kevin Macadaeg, M.D. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced a new diagnostic tool in the fight against fractures resulting from osteoporosis.  This new risk assessment tool – call FRAX (fracture risk assessment tool), was created to provide a way to assess the risk for osteoporotic fractures more accurately.   FRAX provides the 10-year probability that an individual may have a major osteoporotic fracture; including hip, clinical spine, forearm, hip or shoulder.  FRAX takes into consideration the results of the FRAX questionnaire and bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck (part of the thigh bone that connects to the hip joint).

If you were not able to attend Indiana Spine Group’s continuing medical education conference, Back Talk | Comprehensive Concepts in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Spinal Disorders -  educational sessions are now available on-line.

Educational Sessions include:

• The Fundamentals of Spinal Diagnostics | Kevin Macadaeg, MD
• Common Spinal Disorders | Paul Kraemer, MD
• The Uncommon and Difficult | Part One: Benign | Michael Stack, MD, PhD
• The Uncommon and Difficult | Part Two: Urgent | Kenneth Renkens, MD
• The Basics | Spinal Imaging | Thomas Reilly, MD
• Non-Operative Care: An Evidence-Based Overview | Jonathan Gentile, MD, and Jeff Hebert, DC, PhD (c)
• Minimally Invasive Spine Treatments | John Arbuckle, MD
• The Surgical Patient | Part One: Cervical | Rick Sasso, MD
• The Surgical Patient | Part Two: Lumbar | Kenneth Renkens, MD

To view these continuing education sessions, click here.  Additionally, if you would like to receive continuing medical education credits for viewing theses sessions, visit the St.Vincent Distance Education Site and view from there. Registration is free.

 
(A very special thank you to St.Vincent Spine Center for making these videos possible.) 

Another session at Back Talk, the continuing medical education symposium for physicians and health care practitioners will address the failed back. Sometimes called failed back syndrome, failed back surgery or post-laminectomy syndrome – these patients continue to have ongoing back pain following spine surgery. 

This session will be presented by minimally invasive spine specialists Jonathan Gentile, MD, and John Arbuckle, MD, and spine surgeon Paul Kraemer, MD. With Indiana Spine Group, these physicians treat patients at our offices located on the north side of Indianapolis. 

During this continuing medical education session, the tools for physicians and health care practitioners to perform a diagnostic assessment of patients with chronic back pain following spine surgery will be highlighted. This diagnostic assessment will help caregivers to understand the underlying causes of ongoing back pain, and the mechanism of failed back. Additionally, medical and interventional treatments for failed back will be discussed – their indications and expected outcomes.

Another session at the continuing medical education symposium “Back Talk” will highlight case studies.  With these case studies, conference attendees will review specific patient complaints of neck and back pain, and the recommended diagnostic studies.  Spinal imaging studies will be reviewed and radiological findings will be highlighted.  Additionally, the facilitators of this educational session will review different applicable minimally invasive treatment options based on the clinical and radiological results.  A few minimally invasive treatment options that will be discussed will include radiofrequency, IDET and percutaneous discectomy. 

Indiana Spine Group has three minimally invasive spine specialists treating patients with back and neck pain.  The goal of minimally invasive spine specialists is to diagnose the cause of a patient’s neck / back pain – and to treat this cause. Many times medical management and/or minimally invasive spine treatments can effectively eliminate a patient’s neck or back pain.

To learn more about our minimally invasive spine specialists, Kevin Macadaeg, MD, Jonathan Gentile, MD, and John Arbuckle, MD, visit their biographies. Additionally, their videos provide insight into their treatment philosophy and expertise. 

For more information about Indiana Spine Group or to schedule an appointment call:  (317) 228-7000 or toll-free (866) 947-7463.

One of the videos on the updated educational resource section of Indiana Spine Group’s web site is about back pain. In this video, minimally interventional spine  specialist John Arbuckle, MD, defines spinal/back pain, and he provides an overview of diagnosing back pain and treatment. To view this spine wellness education video on spinal / back pain, click here. 

Dr. John Arbuckle, will give a presentation entitled "Minimially Invasive Spine Treatments".  This presentation at our continuing medical education program for primary care physicians and practitioners, Back Talk, will address minimally invasive spine treatments. When medical and non-operative treatment options are ineffective or not a treatment option for back pain and spinal problems – interventional therapies may be a treatment option.

During this presentation Dr. John Arbuckle, a minimally invasive spine specialist with Indiana Spine Group, will highlight the different minimally invasive treatment options. He will discuss the indications and efficacy of these treatment options; including IDET, epidural steroid injections and rhizotomy. 

To learn more about how spinal cord stimulators are placed, click here – (when on the spine education page, then scroll down to "spinal cord stimulator", and click "procedure overview".  Prior to the placement of a spinal cord stimulator, the patient will go through a trial period - where the spinal cord stimulator is temporarily placed. After the trial period, if the patient feels the treatment is effective to minimize their back pain, then the implant is placed underneath the skin.

Physicians with Indiana Spine Group presented at the fall conference of the Indiana State Chiropractic Association this past weekend, on November 1 and 2. 

On Saturday Dr. Kevin Macadaeg, a minimally invasive spine specialist, spoke on minimally invasive techniques used to help manage spinal pain.  Additionally, he addressed diagnostic and therapeutic spinal injections.  Spine surgeons - Dr. Thomas Reilly, Dr. Kenneth Renkens and Dr. Rick Sasso also spoke on Saturday.  Dr. Reilly discussed when spine surgery is a potential treatment option.  Dr. Renkens’ talk entitled “Understanding Lumbar Surgery”, focused on the lower back and reviewed spine surgery options and indications for the lumbar spine.  Additionally, he discussed the different types of lumbar fusions and their applications.  Dr. Rick Sasso focused on cervical surgery, and his talk was entitled “The ABC’s of Cervical Surgery”.  In this talk, he discussed common cervical surgical procedures; including spinal fusion and cervical artificial disc replacement. 

On Sunday, minimally invasive spine specialists Dr. Jonathan Gentile and Dr. John Arbuckle reviewed case studies of minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic techniques.  Spine surgeons Dr. Thomas Reilly and Dr. Paul Kraemer also reviewed case studies of surgery patients.

For more information about this conference, click here. 

Minimally invasive spine therapies are one treatment option for spine problems and disorders.  At this session, case studies will be highlighted and the minimally invasive therapies used for treatment discussed.  Also included will be the decision triage for the applicable treatment modalities.  A few minimally invasive spine treatments that will be discussed include radiofrequency rhizotomy, percutaneous discectomy and IDET. 

At this special interest session Drs. John Arbuckle and Jonathan Gentile will discuss what to do with patients that continue to have back pain despite spine surgery and/or ongoing treatments.  A diagnosis that remains a challenge to phyiscians, this session will define what a failed back is and what the warning signs are.  Additionally, treatment options will be discussed including pharmacological therapy and implantable therapies; i.e. spinal cord stimulator. 

Another session on spinal therapeutics will focus on minimally invasive treatment options.  For this session, Dr. John Arbuckle will provide an overview of the different treatment options and discuss their effectiveness.  Dr. Arbuckle is a minimally invasive spine specialist with Indiana Spine Group.

Presentation objectives include:

·        Review of back and neck diagnoses clinically appropriate for minimally interventional treatments.

·        Guidelines, indications and efficacy for specific treatments, including spinal injections, percutaneous discectomy, radiofrequency rhizotomy, IDET and nucleoplasty.

A minimally invasive spine specialist is a physician that specializes in the treatment of patients with spine disorders.  The focus of their patient care is to diagnose the cause of the spine problem, and then to treat the specific cause of the problem which will usually alleviate the symptoms; i.e. back pain.

A physician who is a minimally invasive spine specialist is usually board-certified in anesthesia as well as pain management.  Other terms used for this specialty include pain management, interventional spine specialist or minimally interventional spine specialist.  Regardless of the term used, key is physician’s board certification.