by Dr. Larry Shannon | Sep 14, 2026 | Blog
Pain that appears or worsens when you look up or down is sometimes called neck flexion pain. It is a symptom, not a diagnosis. The movement alone cannot reveal whether the discomfort comes from sensitive muscles, a joint or disc, a nerve root, the spinal cord, or...
by Dr. Larry Shannon | Sep 14, 2026 | Blog
A spine X-ray reported as normal or unremarkable means the radiologist did not identify a notable abnormality on the views obtained. It does not mean your pain is imaginary or that every possible cause has been ruled out. X-rays are useful, but they have limits. They...
by Dr. Larry Shannon | Sep 8, 2026 | Blog
When a pinched nerve won’t go away, the calendar is only part of the picture. Some symptoms improve within several weeks, while numbness or tingling may linger after pain begins to ease. What matters most is whether the symptoms are improving, staying the same, or...
by Dr. Larry Shannon | Sep 8, 2026 | Blog
Your spine includes bones, discs, joints, muscles, ligaments, the spinal cord, and nerve roots. Understanding that anatomy can make back and neck symptoms less confusing. Still, pain location, intensity, movement triggers, and MRI findings cannot identify the source...
by Dr. Larry Shannon | Jul 17, 2026 | Blog
A patient-friendly guide to when cervical artificial disc replacement may be considered – and when another treatment may be safer. Answer at a Glance You may be a candidate if one or two cervical discs are clearly causing nerve or spinal cord compression and...
by Dr. Larry Shannon | Jul 17, 2026 | Blog
Most back and neck pain improves without surgery. The key is knowing when symptoms are routine, when primary care is the right first stop, and when a change in function means it is time to be seen. Back pain and neck pain are extremely common, and the odds are usually...
