Dr. Eck received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Catholic University of America in Biomedical Engineering, followed by a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University. Following this he worked as a research engineer conducting spine biomechanics research. He then attended medical school at University of Health Sciences. He is board eligible in orthopaedic surgery.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
The spine has a series of normal curves when viewed from the side. These curves
help to better absorb the loads applied to the spine from the weight of the
body. The cervical spine (neck) and lumbar spine (lower back) are have a normal
inward curvature that is medically referred to as lordosis
or "lordotic" curvature by which the spine is bent backward. The thoracic
spine (upper back) has a normal outward curvature that is medically referred to
as kyphosis or the "kyphotic" curve by which the spine is bent forward.
The spine is normally straight when looking from the front. An abnormal curve
when viewed from the front is called
scoliosis. Scoliosis can occur from design at birth or from rotation or an
abnormal twisting of the vertebrae as from pain.
The normal curves of the spine allow the head to be balanced directly over the
pelvis. If one or more of these curves is either too great or too small, the
head may not be properly balanced over the pelvis. This can lead to
back pain, stiffness, and an altered gait or
walking pattern.
What are the symptoms of kyphosis?
The most common symptoms for patients with an abnormal kyphosis are the
appearance of poor posture with a hump appearance of the back or "hunchback,"
back pain, muscle fatigue, and stiffness in the back. Most often, these symptoms
remain fairly constant and do not become progressively worse with time.
In more severe situations, the patient may notice their symptoms worsening
with time. The kyphosis can progress, causing a more exaggerated hunchback. In
rare cases, this can lead to compression of the spinal cord with neurologic
symptoms including weakness, loss of sensation, or loss of
bowel and bladder control. Severe cases of thoracic kyphosis can also limit the amount of space in the
chest and cause cardiac and pulmonary problems leading to
chest pain and shortness of breath.
Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, warmth, swelling, redness and pain. There are over 100 types of
arthritis including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, gout,
and pseudogout.
Learn about osteoporosis, a condition characterized by the loss of bone density, which leads to an increased risk of bone fracture. Unless one experiences a fracture, a person may have osteoporosis for decades without knowing it. Treatment for osteoporosis may involve medications that stop bone loss and increase bone strength and bone formation, as well as quitting smoking, regular exercise, cutting back on alcohol intake, and eating a calcium- and vitamin D-rich balanced diet.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes chronic inflammation of the spine. The tendency to develop ankylosing spondylitis is genetically inherited.
Scoliosis causes an abnormal curvature of the spine. When the cause of scoliosis is unknown the disorder is described based on the age when the scoliosis develops (infantile, juvenile, or adolescent idiopathic scoliosis). In functional scoliosis, curvature develops due to a problem somewhere else in the body. With neuromuscular scoliosis, there is a problem when the bones of the spine are formed. Treatment typically involves observation, bracing, and surgery and is dependent upon the severity of the curvature.
A common form of short stature, achondroplasia (dwarfism) is a genetic condition causing a disorder of bone growth. Complications of achondroplasia that need monitoring include (this is not all inclusive) stenosis and compression of the spinal cord, a large opening under the skull, lordosis, kyphosis, spinal stenosis, hydrocephalus, middle ear infections, obesity, and dental crowning. Achondroplasia is caused by mutations of the FGFR3 gene.
Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of disease. Regular exercise can also reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety. There are fitness programs that fit any age or lifestyle.
Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by a decrease in the density of bone, decreasing its strength and resulting in fragile bones. Osteoporosis literally leads to abnormally porous bone that is compressible, like a sponge. This disorder of the skeleton weakens the bone and results in frequent fractures (breaks) in the bones. Osteopenia is a condition of bone that is slightly less dense than normal bone but not to the degree of bone in osteoporosis.
Normal bone is composed of protein, collagen, and calcium, all of which give bone its strength. Bones that are affected by osteoporosis can break (fracture) with relatively minor injury that normally would not cause a bone to fracture. The fracture can be either in the form of cracking (as in a hip fracture) or collapsing (as in a compression fracture of the vertebrae of the spine). The spine, hips, ribs, and wrists are common areas of bone fractures from osteoporosis although osteoporosis-...
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