If you’ve been suffering from debilitating back or neck pain for any length of time, you owe it to yourself to explore artificial disc replacement as a treatment option for getting back to the activities you love. In this post, Dr. Jessica Shellock, a spine surgeon on the medical staff at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery, provides an overview of the procedure and what you can expect before and after surgery.…

Dr. Jessica Shellock, a spine surgeon on the medical staff at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery, talks about the common spine condition, spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis can be treated in a variety of ways including physical therapy, medication, and surgical intervention like artificial disc replacement, endoscopic spine surgery or spinal fusion.…

Between 60% and 80% of people will experience low back pain at some point their lives. One of the most common causes is a herniated disc. Also called a ruptured, protruding or bulging disc – this condition typically occurs in the lower back, and may also cause leg pain or sciatica.…

Like most other body parts, the spine changes as we age. The discs in the spine – which act like shock absorbers between the vertebrae -- can show wear and tear. Like gray hair or wrinkles, these changes affect almost everyone who lives long enough. But when they cause pain or other symptoms, the medical diagnosis could be degenerative disc disease.…

2021 was another strange year, but that didn’t keep Drs. Blumenthal, Guyer, Shellock, and Zigler, co-directors of the Center for Disc Replacement at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery, from continuing their research and educational activities involving spine arthroplasty.…

When a spinal condition got to the point of preventing Marine Corps. veteran Frank Tagle from enjoying his family, he knew he needed to do something. Frank had been told he needed to have spinal fusion surgery, but he didn't want that. He wanted to retain motion and continue to perform his physically active job. Frank took matters into his own hands and sought out disc replacement surgery at the Center for Disc Replacement at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery in Plano, Texas.…

When you are caring for a loved one the last thing you need is to suffer from a back injury. Dr. Jessica Shellock, an orthopedic spine surgeon understands this and shares tips for how you can care for your loved one and protect your back.…

If you find yourself saying, “Oh my nagging back!” … or … “I can’t take this neck pain anymore!”—and more conservative forms of treatment are no longer working—you may want to find a spine specialist nearby to discuss your back or neck surgery options. In order to get the most out of your appointment, why not come prepared with a list of questions? We asked Jessica Shellock, M.D., a board certified orthopedic spine surgeon with the Center for Disc Replacement at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery, to share 10 essential questions to help you get started.…