Back Pain
Back pain is very common and will affect most of us in our life time. Some are unlucky and have lots of back problems, while others get away with the odd niggle. It is understandable how worrying and disruptive it can be when back pain occurs. Thankfully, most of the time, these episodes settle quickly. For many it can be reassuring to know what is (or is not) going on with your spine, and what you can do to keep it healthy. Sometimes you can fall into a spiral of pain and frustration with your back. A comprehensive review can allow you to break out of that cycle and get back to a normal life.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve is made up of a number of smaller nerve that arise from the bottom end of the spine. While the term sciatica is used to describe inflammation of the big nerve, it is generally one of the constituent nerve that is inflamed causing the pain. There are lots of reason this can occur. The typical reason are irritation from a disc prolapse or as a result of some extra bone formed around the small joints of the back. Just like back pain, most acute episodes are self-limiting but occasionally they can cause longer term pain which needs to be addressed.
Spinal Deformity
Spinal deformity is a very broad term used to describe an abnormal shape to the spine. This can be because the spine has developed in a different way, or the spine as become an abnormal shape due to wear and tear. The spine is made up of different bones cause vertebra. When these bones no longer align properly we call this a spinal deformity. This can range from a slight slippage forward of one bone on another, all the way to a large scoliosis or S shaped spine. Surgery in these cases generally involved using rods and screws to put the bones back into the position they should be.
Sports Injury
Sports can place a lot of strain on the spine. It is not uncommon for sportsmen and woman to injury themselves in pursuit of their goals, and the back is a very common site of injury. Some sports can cause very classical injury patterns. We understand how important sporting activity is to keep mind and body healthy and we aim to try to get you back to what you enjoy doing as quickly and safely as possible.
Spinal Tumour
Tumours of the spine are thankfully very rare. These can either be primary (arising from within the spine) or secondary (coming from other tumours in the body). Mr Quaye is the lead surgeon for metastatic cord compression in the Wessex Oncology Network and has undertaken extensive training in this field.
Spinal Trauma
Mr Quaye has an extensive practice in trauma surgery, dealing with all aspects of spinal trauma from right across the Wessex NHS network. In high energy trauma, Mr Quaye has access to NHS records to allow a detailed understanding of what injuries have occurred and has excellent working relationships with his Orthopaedic trauma surgeon colleagues both at University Hospital Southampton and across the region.
When an injury has occurred in a foreign country, it can be difficult to get a true understanding of what has happened. A review of both your injury and imaging can be helpful to allow you to fully understand what happened and what you need to get on the road to recovery.
