1) According to the National Institutes of Health (2015), 8 out of 10 Americans will be affected with back pain and spent at least $50 billion each year on low back pain treatments and therapies. Low back pain is a common reason for patient office visits with some studies stating that nearly 20 million people go to the doctor for acute and chronic low back pain.
Lumbosacral radiculopathies are a common causation to low back pain that cause moderate to severe pain and loss of function. What are some of the causes to lumbosacral radiculopathies? Research the various treatment options for lumbosacral radiculopathies, including surgical. Are surgical therapies the best treatment for patients with chronic lumbosacral radiculopathies? Why or why not? Is there a most effective treatment protocol for lumbosacral radiculopathies?
2) In the recent years, concussions within children and young adults during sporting events has been getting more and more attention due to the complications of them. What are concussions, how do they occur, and what are the short and long-term complications and concerns associated with them?
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a major long-term concern associated with repeated brain trauma, such as concussions. Does the research on CTE provide enough evidence for more action to be taken regarding concussions that occur during junior high, high school and college sporting events? For example, should an athlete suffers two or more concussions, should he/she be restricted or banned from playing that sport? After this research- do you or would you have concerns about your child/ren playing a sport where concussions could commonly happen, such as football, hockey, or soccer?