Spinal Cord Stimulators for Chronic Back Pain Win FDA Approval On May 16, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved spinal cord stimulation (SCS) devices from the pharmaceutical company Abbott to treat chronic back pain in people who have not had or are not eligible to receive back surgery, per a press release from Abbott . Approval was granted after a six-month study of 200 participants showed that spinal cord stimulation provided significant relief and improvements in pain, function, quality of life, and mental health.Those enrolled in the trial had experienced an average of nearly 13 years of disabling chronic back pain. Participants were not eligible for corrective back operations because they were either medically frail or they had numerous degenerative changes in their spine, none of which were severe enough to qualify for corrective surgery but are nonetheless causing significant symptoms. After half a year, 85 percent of those implanted with Abbott’s SCS d
Atkins Diet: The Ultimate Guide The ketogenic diet may be the “it” low- carb diet for weight loss right now, but its predecessor, the Atkins diet, is the original version of this restrictive eating approach. “Atkins and keto are both low- carb diets that may benefit weight loss, diabetes management, and heart health,” says Vanessa Rissetto , RD , a nutritionist based in Hoboken , New Jersey. In addition to keto being much higher in fat than Atkins, a main difference between Atkins and keto is that you gradually increase your carb intake on Atkins, Rissetto says. Meanwhile, she adds, carbs “remain very low on the keto diet, allowing your body to stay in ketosis and burn ketones for energy.” Today, the diet, also called the Atkins Nutritional Approach, comes in three versions. ( 1) Atkins 20 is for people who: Want to lose more than 40 pounds (lb) Have a waist circumference of over 35 inches (women) or 40 inches (men) Have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes Atkins 40 i