DCOA New Orleans

12/27/2025

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas!🎄🎅🤶

12/24/2025

Doctors relied on cholesterol levels to assess heart disease risk for decades. In 2025, accumulated research led to more screening for C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, as a better predictor of heart attacks and strokes, a professor of family and community medicine explains:
https://theconversation.com/how-c-reactive-protein-outpaced-bad-cholesterol-as-leading-heart-disease-risk-marker-271143

12/12/2025

🧠 Neurons and the Essential Role of the Myelin Sheath

Neurons are the fundamental communication cells of the nervous system. Their job is simple in principle but incredibly complex in ex*****on: send electrical and chemical signals throughout the body so we can move, feel, think, and react.

To accomplish this, many neurons are wrapped in a protective, insulating covering known as the myelin sheath.

⚡ What Is Myelin? Why Is It So Important?
Myelin is a fatty, multilayered coating produced by:
- Oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system
- Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system

Myelin increases the speed of electrical signals-sometimes up to 100 times faster by allowing impulses to “jump” between gaps known as nodes of Ranvier.

Without healthy myelin:
Nerve signals slow down
Communication becomes inefficient
Symptoms such as tingling, weakness, numbness, cognitive issues, or pain can arise.

This is why conditions that damage myelin, like multiple sclerosis or peripheral neuropathies, can have such dramatic effects.

🧬 Myelin Is Made Mostly of Fat-Especially Cholesterol

One of the most important components of myelin is cholesterol. In fact:
Cholesterol makes up a significant portion of the myelin sheath.
The brain contains about 20–25% of the body’s total cholesterol, despite being only ~2% of body weight.

Cholesterol stabilizes myelin’s structure and allows neurons to function properly
This means cholesterol is not a “bad” substance-it’s a required building block for healthy brain and nerve function.

12/04/2025

Depression may slow post-surgery healing and increase complications. Supporting mental health before and after surgery can make recovery smoother.

12/02/2025

11/26/2025

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8UkT4v7/

11/12/2025

👀 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬?

👉 The lumbar intervertebral foramen is formed by the vertebral body, pedicles, intervertebral disc, superior and inferior articular processes, ligamentum flavum, and the zygapophyseal (facet) joint.

👉 𝑨 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒈𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆? subcompartments and stabilized by transforaminal ligaments, through which the nerve root, dorsal root ganglion (DRG), radicular artery and veins, and lymphatics pass. Nerve roots and the DRG exit the dural sac and course through the lateral recess to the superior and anterior region of the foramen.

🔎 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 & 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:

1. 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍:
• From L1 to L4, foraminal size gradually increases.
• At L5–S1, the foramen is significantly smaller—even though paradoxically, the L5 nerve root is the largest among all lumbar nerves → higher compression risk at this level.

2. 𝑵𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔:
• The L5 nerve root occupies 25–30% of the foramen’s volume, while others range from 7–22% → L5 is the most vulnerable to impingement.

3. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒅, 𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍.
𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅:
• It’s a dynamic space, oval or teardrop-shaped, segmented into compartments stabilized by ligaments.
• Nerve roots and the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) are not “fixed”; they can glide and “floss” within the space, adapting to postural changes and loading.
• Not all levels or sides of the spine have consistent transforaminal ligament presence.

📚 Nurmukhametov R. et al., Brain Sci. 2024

Disclaimer:
👉 Sharing a study is NOT an endorsement.
👉 You should read the original research yourself and be critical.

11/07/2025

🚗💥 Disc issues are a lot like tire problems.

Your car might still drive with worn tires, but waiting until they’re down to the metal before taking action would be crazy, right? The same goes for your spine.

If you’ve got a bulging or herniated disc but symptoms are only mild to moderate, you have options beyond pain meds and steroid shots. With today’s imaging and treatments, you don’t have to “just live with it” until it gets bad enough for surgery.

Instead, take a proactive approach - address the problem early with posture correction, laser therapy, and IDD Therapy to help relieve pain, restore function, and prevent further damage.

🧠💪 Your spine deserves maintenance too - don’t wait for a crash before you take care of it!

11/01/2025

💊 In many ways, Gabapentin has replaced oxycodone as the go-to drug for neck or back pain. While it may provide temporary relief, it’s still just a band-aid and it’s far from harmless.

The side effects can be significant, and new research is now showing a potential link to dementia.

It’s a reminder to always look for the root cause of pain and explore safer, more effective long-term solutions. 🌿

A drug widely used to treat nerve pain and epilepsy was linked with an increase in cases of dementia and mild cognitive impairment. https://www.sciencealert.com/dementia-linked-with-treatment-for-chronic-lower-back-pain

10/31/2025

💥 Did you know a disc bulge doesn’t always start with neck or back pain?

Many people are surprised to learn that a bulging disc can cause pain somewhere else entirely.
👉 A disc bulge in the neck can create pain, tingling, or numbness in the shoulder, arm, or hand - even if your neck feels fine.
👉 A disc bulge in the lower back can cause pain in the calf, foot, or toes - with little or no back pain at all.

A bulging disc is kind of like a cavity sometimes it causes immediate pain, and other times it stays quiet until it gets worse.

In the early stages, the bulge might not put enough pressure on a nerve to cause symptoms. Muscles help protect the spine and keep space between vertebrae, preventing irritation. Pain usually shows up once the disc starts to pinch or inflame a nerve root.

Movements like bending, walking, or lifting can temporarily increase pressure on the nerve - making pain come and go.

Over time, inflammation can build and lead to more consistent or severe symptoms.

⚠️ If you’re feeling:
Shoulder, arm, or hand pain
Calf or foot pain without clear injury
Numbness or tingling in fingers or toes
Or recurring pain that comes and goes
…it could be a sign of a disc issue.

📋 Had an MRI or thinking about one?
I can help you understand what your results mean and what options make sense for your specific case.

📞 to schedule an MRI review before symptoms get worse.

10/21/2025

🦴 Understanding Disc Herniation & Why Treating the Root Cause Matters

Back pain isn't always "just a strain." It could be a sign of something deeper like a disc herniation, which doesn’t happen overnight. It develops in stages, starting with subtle symptoms and gradually worsening as spinal discs weaken and press on nerves.

Yet far too often, the focus is only on suppressing symptoms with heavy drugs or steroid shots. This approach may offer temporary relief but often leads to worsening of the underlying condition. 😟

The good news? Advances in technology like IDDTherapy and Class 4 Laser allow us to treat the root cause the disc itself improving quality of life without drugs, shots, or surgery.

Here’s how disc herniation typically progresses:
🔹 Disc Degeneration – Loss of water and flexibility in the disc. Back pain may feel like a muscle strain.
🔹 Prolapse – Disc starts bulging; leg pain may begin as nerves get irritated.
🔹 Extrusion – Inner disc material pushes out, pressing on nerves. You may feel tingling, numbness, or weakness.
🔹 Sequestration – Disc fragments break off, causing severe nerve compression and possibly loss of function.

✨ Why this matters:
Early intervention with non-invasive options like IDDTherapy, Class 4 Laser, SoftWave, Matrix, Emsculpt Neo Functional Rehab, chiropractic care, posture correction, physiotherapy, and lifestyle changes can slow or even stop progression.

Yes, surgery might be needed in severe cases - but all other options should be explored first.

👉 Don’t ignore your back pain. Take action early and protect your spine for a stronger, healthier tomorrow! 💪