Dr. Sarah Mitchell, 470 Anzac Parade, Sydney (2025)

Dr. Sarah Mitchell is a highly regarded orthopedic surgeon based in the Australia, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, dedicating to improving patients' quality of life through personalized care.

07/01/2025

What is Facet Joint Arthritis?
The facet joints are cartilage lined joints in the spine. These joints normally stabilize the spine and prevent irregular movement. A lubricating capsule surrounds the joint and cartilage lines the joint to make bending and twisting movements possible. Facet joint arthritis, also called facet joint syndrome, facet joint disease, or facet joint osteoarthritis, is a condition in which the facet joints become deteriorated.
What causes Facet Joint Arthritis?
Facet joint arthritis is caused by stress and damage to the facet joints. This stress may be caused by intervertebral disc degeneration, but it may also be caused by back or neck injury or normal wear-and-tear over time.
The stress on the facet joint will cause the cartilage that covers the joint to wear away, leading the joint to become stiff and swollen. The vertebral bones will rub against one another, potentially leading to bone spur growth on the facet joint's edges.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Symptoms of facet joint arthritis vary depending on where the affected area is in the spine. If the cervical area of the spine is affected, symptoms may include neck, shoulder, and upper or middle back pain. Headaches may also occur. If the lumbar area is affected, symptoms may include lower back, buttocks, and back of thigh pain. Diagnosis of this condition may be confirmed through the use of a facet joint block to identify the source of pain.
How is Facet Joint Arthritis treated?
Treatment options may vary according to the severity of the condition, but options often start with conservative treatments like rest, ice, heat, medication to reduce inflammation, and physical therapy exercises. In addition to helping diagnose the condition, facet joint blocks may be used to help treat facet joint pain. If the condition is very severe or if conservative methods have no effect, surgery may be necessary. Procedures used to treat this condition typically include facet rhizotomy or bone fusion.

07/01/2025

Top 10 Tips for Spine Care
Neck, back, and spine problems have become a major health problem for a large portion of Americans. Almost eighty percent of Americans deal with lower back pain during their lifetime. Additionally, about forty percent of Americans that are over forty years old are suffering from degenerative disc disease.
Spine care can not only help to prevent future spinal problems, but it can also usually help with your current neck or back problems. Read on for 10 tips on spinal care.
1 - Shed that Excess Weight
We know, easier said than done. But staying at a healthy weight is perhaps the most important tip for spinal care. The less weight you place on your back, the less stress on it there is, and the less of a chance you'll injure your spine. In general, if you take care of your body, it will take care of you.
2 - Be Active
A large percentage of Americans have jobs where they sit most of the day, either in their office, a vehicle, or in front of a screen. Being active helps to counteract the negative effects of extended sitting. Getting regular exercise, even if it's as simple as walking, is important for spine health. However, it can also be very beneficial to incorporate strength training and regular vigorous exercise.
3 - Use Proper Form and Safety Equipment When Exercising
Now that you know how important strength training and vigorous exercise, it's also important to know that exercising, when done incorrectly, can do more harm than good for your spine. When exercising, be sure to use proper form. It's better for you to lift less weight with proper form, than it is to lift more weight with improper form.
4 - Drive Safely
Sometimes car accidents are inevitable, and unfortunately they can often cause damage to our necks or back. One of the best ways to prevent an accident from causing lifelong spinal problems for you is to simply wear your seatbelt. Other important tips to remember is to be an alert driver, stay at or under the speed limit, and don't let things like your phone or the radio take away your attention from the road.
5 - Keep Your Core Strong
Your core muscles, including your abs, obliques, and pecs are important in stabilizing your spine and providing support for the activities that you do. Exercises including yoga, pilates, planks, and various body weight exercises will help to strengthen your core.
6 - Proper Diet
Vitamins, especially vitamin D, and calcium are important for your body's ability to prevent osteoporosis. A balanced diet including vegetables, fruits, and various proteins along with multivitamins, sunlight, and dairy products are all potential sources for these nutrients. You should also try to limit the amount of processed food and drinks with high amounts of sugar.
7 - Avoid Sitting for Extended Periods of Time
When people sit for long periods of time they tend to slouch, cross their legs, or cross their ankles, all of which are detrimental to the health of you neck and back. Try to take regular breaks if you sit a lot during work, at least every hour, to stand up, stretch, and even walk around.
8 - Cut Out the To***co Products
It may seem unrelated to spine issues, but smoking is actually linked with chronic back pain. Smoking causes a condition known as spondylosis, which can damage and pinch the spine, causing chronic pain.
9 - Stress Management
Being stressed tends to cause people's backs to tense up and their muscles don't want to relax. Stress can also weaken your immune system, cause insomnia issues, and lead to unhealthy eating. Find ways to manage, balance, and relieve your stress. Common stress management techniques include exercise, reading, therapy, and stretching.
10 - Don't Ignore Chronic Pain
Last but not least, don't ignore chronic pain. Pain is your body trying to tell you that something is wrong. If you are suffering from chronic neck or back pain, visit your doctor to begin your diagnosis and treatment as ignoring chronic pain can often cause it to get worse.

16/11/2024

Gout occurs when urate crystals accumulate in your joint, causing the inflammation and intense pain of a gout attack. Urate crystals can form when you have high levels of uric acid in your blood. Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines — substances that are found naturally in your body.

Address

470 Anzac Parade
Sydney, NSW
2032

Website

https://brilliantlyouth.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dr. Sarah Mitchell posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Dr. Sarah Mitchell

07/01/2025

07/01/2025

16/11/2024

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category