The Spine Pod

The Spine Pod Conversations about Motion Surgery
New episodes every other Wednesday

Available on:
YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts

03/13/2026

It's not just preserving motion, it's restoring what's been lost.

Dr. Kamal Woods shares how his care philosophy has evolved over the last 12 years: many patients had lost significant movement, and he realized he could help restore it. Motion restoration expands what's possible for degenerative spine disease.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

03/12/2026

Social media presence doesn't make a great surgeon, but asking the right question does.

Dr. Jeffrey Larson's advice for finding motion-preserving care: get second opinions from credible sources and always ask, "Are there alternatives to what you're recommending?"

That one question opens the door to better options.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

03/11/2026

You shouldn't have to hit rock bottom to realize you've lost your quality of life.

Dr. David Yam explains why tracking outcomes over time matters, not just appointment snapshots, but how you're actually functioning. Too many people lose the ability to do what they love and think it's "just getting old."

Better data catches the window where conservative care stops working, before you lose too much.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

03/10/2026

Pain relief is only half the goal of spine surgery.

Dr. Alex Sielatycki explains: you could lock someone's spine together and eliminate the pain, but if they can't bend, twist, or move through daily life, that's not a complete solution. Function is motion.

If we can fix the problem and preserve mobility, that's a better outcome than just locking it in place.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

03/05/2026

The extended grabber claw: underrated recovery hero.

In this clip from The Spine Pod, Andrew, a police officer from San Diego who had both a microdiscectomy and a multi-level lumbar disc replacement, gives a shoutout to the most clutch tool in his recovery: the extended grabber claw. When bending over wasn't an option, that thing saved him. And honestly? He got so good at using it, he still keeps it around the house.

If you're heading into spine surgery, add this to your list. It's not glamorous, but it works, and sometimes that's all that matters.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

03/04/2026

The right spine care gives you back the person you were before the pain.

Dr. Kamal Woods shares what makes this work rewarding: seeing patients transform when they get treatment focused on outcomes that matter. Walker to dancing. Struggling to thriving.

Meaningful improvement is possible with the right approach.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

03/03/2026

Young athletes are getting stress fractures in their spines and the old approach of "just deal with it" isn't good enough anymore.

In this clip from The Spine Pod, Dr. Christopher Yeung, a spine surgeon in Phoenix, Arizona, explains how repetitive loading from year-round club sports is causing pars fractures in adolescent athletes. Historically, these were treated non-operatively with the hope that kids could manage the pain and finish their careers, but many fractures never heal, leading to instability decades later.

Now, minimally invasive percutaneous compression screws can fix these fractures early with minimal downtime and potentially prevent serious problems in their 50s and beyond. Treating young athletes properly today can radically change their future.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

02/28/2026

Pain relief matters, but function matters more.

Dr. Alex Sielatycki explains how spine care has evolved. It's not just about reducing pain anymore. It's about getting you back to work, back to sports, back to living the life you want.
Treatment should focus on what matters to you.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

02/27/2026

If you've ever felt pushed toward fusion when your gut was screaming "no," you're not alone.

In this clip from The Spine Pod, Dr. Kamal Woods, orthopedic spine surgeon in Miamisburg, Ohio, shares how patient preferences are driving real change in spine surgery. When patients consistently say "I don't want fusion," surgeons who listen are finding better ways to help—and that's exactly why motion preservation options have advanced so much.
The best care happens when surgeons and patients work together toward solutions you actually want.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

02/25/2026

Return to work after neck surgery: 28 days vs 72 days vs 120 days.

Dr. Jeffrey Larson (CDA Spine), neurosurgeon in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, shares data from his own practice comparing cervical disc replacement and spinal fusion recovery timelines.

Single-level cervical disc replacement: 28 days.
Single-level fusion: 72 days.
Two-level fusion: 120 days.

Preserving motion means getting your life back faster with less surgical burden. Which treatment option would you choose?

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

02/24/2026

Sometimes the most impactful work in spine care happens outside the operating room.

In this clip from The Spine Pod, Dr. Lali Sekhon (Reno, NV) shares why he founded ThinkFirst Northern Nevada, a nonprofit focused on preventing traumatic brain and spine injuries through education and helmet safety programs for kids and communities.

After seeing too many preventable injuries, he made it his mission to stop them before they ever reach the OR.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

02/19/2026

Cervical disc replacement has data that fusion will never earn.

Dr. Jeffrey Larson of CDA Spine breaks down the facts: less adjacent segment degeneration, fewer re-operations, and patients objectively move and feel better. True evidence-based spine care.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

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