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Back surgeries are some of the most common operations in Florida, but also the most risky and often unnecessary. New research proves why anyone suffering from back pain should approach surgery cautiously and choose a surgeon selectively. Classic back surgery has one of the highest failure rates of any operation (36%), and in a newly released analysis of Medicare data, Florida ranks the highest in the country for the number of low-value and unnecessary back and spine surgeries performed on seniors. Spine surgeons say too many Florida doctors are operating without expertise and outcomes are predictably poor, leaving patients in...

Luigi Mangione, the suspect arrested in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, fell out of touch with some of his friends and family earlier this year, according to multiple media reports. The loss in contact seemed to align with a back surgery Mangione underwent to treat chronic pain linked to a pinched nerve. R.J. Martin, the founder of a co-living space in Hawaii called Surfbreak, told the Honolulu Civil Beat that Mangione lived in the community, near Honolulu’s Ala Moana Beach Park, for six months in 2022.

Local officials in Coachella, California, who support former President Donald Trump are pushing back at elected officials who say he is not welcome and who describe him as a “threat.” Area news outlet KESQ reported Monday that Trump will be speaking at a rally in the area on Saturday evening. Supporters are expected to come from California and swing-state Arizona, as well as from the local community. KESQ noted that Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez, Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Coachella Councilmember Frank Figueroa, and Indio Councilmember Waymond Fermon — who once worked security for Trump at a local casino — are...

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Tuesday night local time that it would respond to the Iranian missile attack “in the place and in the time that we determine.” IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari addressed the nation in the immediate aftermath of an Iranian attack, the second since April. Iran reportedly fired 400 missiles, almost all of which were intercepted, with just a few missiles falling in Israel. Israelis across the entire country had been ordered into bomb shelters; shortly after Hagari’s briefing, the Home Front Command said that people could leave their shelters. Hagari said that there had...

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) on Thursday refused to endorse Kamala Harris’s bid for president one day after saying it is more important to elect her than his own reelection as Montana’s senior senator. Tester hosted a press conference in Missoula and revealed he does not want to endorse Harris because he does not want to “nationalize” his reelection. “I’m not going to endorse for the presidential, and I’ll tell you why, because — two reasons — because I’m focused on my race, and number two, people want to nationalize this race, and this isn’t about national politics. This is about...

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Ali Bagheri Kani on Sunday that the Chinese Communist Party supports Iran “defending its sovereignty, security and national dignity” prior to an expected Iranian attack on Israel. The Iranian Islamist regime has been threatening a large-scale attack on Israel for nearly two weeks in response to the killing of Hamas “political” leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. An explosion in Haniyeh’s lodgings eliminated the terror chief during a visit to Iran for the inauguration of current President Masoud Pezeshkian. The elimination of such a high-ranking terrorist leader under the...

MSNBC host Joy Reid said Tuesday on her network’s special “Decision 2024” coverage that former President Donald Trump “really does want to bring back fascism.” While discussing Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), Reid said, “The line that I wrote down from Coach Walz, I guess we’ll have to now call him, ‘Thank you for bringing back the joy.’ I think that’s part of what it is. I’ve gotten so many text messages from people who have been locked in this just cycle of terror and fear about what is to come, right? This fear of...

President Joe Biden said he would help Africa “build back better” in a second term, if reelected, during an interview on Tuesday. A Time reporter asked Biden, “If you do win in November, Mr. President, with a mandate to continue your approach to foreign policy, what would your goals be in the second term?” Biden said, in addition to building NATO “both politically and economically,” he is “desperately focused on making sure that we deal with the…what they are calling the south now.”

President Biden in a Saturday interview doubled down on his commitment to stand by Black Americans and pointed to his record of support for Black-owned small businesses and to strong job creation numbers. “You promised Black America that … you’d have our back. Do you feel you have our backs?” MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart asked Biden in a clip that aired Sunday. “I have your back, as much as any president has in American history since Lyndon Johnson,” Biden responded. “Black wealth has increased by 60 percent, across the board.”

QUEMADO, Texas — Some twenty miles north of the Texas-seized border park in Eagle Pass, Texas, hundreds of rallygoers congregated on a private ranch in the small border community of Quemado. A crowd of what appeared to be more than 500 people gathered and listened to inspirational speeches and Christian music on a warm Saturday afternoon. One of the event organizers told Breitbart Texas the group intends to carry out a peaceful demonstration with a message of prayer for the security of the United States.

Researchers have unveiled crucial insights into the factors that might influence Intervertebral Disk Degeneration (IDD). IDD is a predominant cause of lower back pain, impacting millions worldwide. The focus of this research revolved around nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs), pivotal in IDD, and how oxygen levels and the HIF1A gene could influence them. Employing advanced RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), the team meticulously captured a comprehensive transcriptome of NPCs exposed to different oxygen conditions and instances of HIF1A deletion. The study leveraged tissues sourced from patients who had given informed consent before undergoing surgery. The efficacy of HIF1A modifications was authenticated using q-PCR,...

Patients who first seek physical therapy or chiropractic care have better outcomes and shorter episodes of acute care for low back pain, according to research. The findings show that for patients with acute episodes of low back pain, the first point of entry to the health care system is associated with utilization and total cost of care in the following year. Clinical practice guidelines prioritize nonpharmacologic and nonsurgical treatments. Patients are often prescribed opioid pain medications or referred to specialists for procedures—including surgery, imaging or steroid injections—that do not address the root causes of their pain. By combing through nearly...

Former Arkansas governor and 2024 presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson (R) says former President Trump has “taken us back to bitterness,” urging the GOP to move on as Trump campaigns for another White House term. “Why does the party need to move on from Donald Trump?” NBC News correspondent Vaughn Hillyard asked Hutchinson in an interview aired Tuesday. “Because Donald Trump has taken us back to bitterness. He’s taken us back to what’s a personal vendetta. Whenever you look at what he wants to do as president, it’s more about getting even with his political enemies than leading our country, and...

Nearly every adult ICU bed in Oregon is occupied, driven by an uptick in respiratory viruses. Portland-area hospitals are operating at a “crisis” level for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. The dire picture has prompted state health officials to implore people to slap their masks on, once again, to protect against a triple threat of covid, flu and RSV as people travel and gather indoors this holiday season. But like nearly every community confronting a third pandemic winter, the entreaty is just that — a plea. Not a mandate. Health officials in a state that was among...

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears (R) said on Thursday that she would not support former President Trump running again for the White House if he declares his candidacy, as he is expected to do next week. Sears told Fox’s Neil Cavuto that Trump had numerous accomplishments with the economy and with public safety, but she said voters said in the midterm elections that they want the Republican Party to have a different leader. “I could not support him. I just couldn’t,” she said. Republicans were hoping for a red wave to lead the party to significant gains in the House...

OK, its been a little over 21 months. On 2020 election day we got home after voting. In an hour or two I had a premonition that Trump was not going to be allowed to win. I told the family that I am going to disconnect myself from all news on TV, radio, internet and anything else including FR of which I've been a member forever. Given the results I'm sure FR went beserk that day. My first 2 years in the Air Force I did statistics. Some years ago I thought....... if a program had all the election data...

Have been looking into massage chairs. Anyone able to answer some questions please? 1. What are some good ones and ones to avoid? 2. Does a good chair help with sciatic nerve pain? 3. Why do people sell them if they are so good? 4. Private message me if you know of a good one available in Houston/SA/Austin areas. 5. Any other input on the subject? Thanks in advance.

Spine-related pain is increasingly common in older adults. While medications play an important role in pain management, their use has limitations in geriatric patients. Now a new review study has found acetaminophen is safe in older adults, but ibuprofen may be more effective for spine-related pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories should be used short-term in lower dose courses with gastrointestinal precaution while corticosteroids show the least evidence for treating non-specific back pain. Additionally, nerve pain medications (gabapentin and pregabalin) can be used in older persons, with caution to dose and kidney function. Among their findings: Pain medicines gabapentin and pregabalin may cause...

Low back pain seriously affects the quality of life and increases the economic burden on families and society[1,2]. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the main pathogenic factor of low back pain, but its pathological mechanism has not yet been elucidated[3]. Therefore, exploring the pathological mechanism of IDD and seeking new methods for the prevention and treatment of degenerative disc diseases is of great significance to human health. Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells play an important role by secreting a large amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) such as aggrecan and collagen type II to maintain the normal physiological function of the intervertebral...

Background/Aim: Increased oxidative stress plays a crucial role in pathogenesis of various diseases. The present study aims to investigate glutathione reductase (GR) and malondialdehyde (MDA) enzymes as markers of oxidative stress mechanisms in lumbar disc degeneration disease (LDDD). Patients and Methods: The study group consisted of 39 patients diagnosed with LDD and 37 healthy individuals in the control group. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to determine serum GR and MDA levels in the two study groups. Results: Serum GR levels were significantly lower (p=0.008), while MDA levels were significantly higher in the patient group compared to the...