Complimentary Back Pain Booklet
Offered by New CINN Clinic in Vernon Hills

Booklet Offers Information on Prevention and Treatment for Back Pain

Responding to a recent increase in back pain patients, the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch has introduced a new back pain booklet available at the new Vernon Hills clinic. The booklet includes tips for reducing an individual’s risk of back pain and describes available treatment options.

Because of an increase in aging baby boomers, the number of people with osteoarthritis is on the rise. Current estimates of those living with chronic back pain range from 50 to 60 million people. Eighty percent of people over 30 will experience back problems at some point in their lives. In people younger than 45 years, back pain is the most common cause of limiting activities. It also is the second most common reason people visit a physician, right behind the common cold.

“These alarming statistics were in part the impetus for offering this booklet as a public service for anyone suffering from back problems,” says Leonard Cerullo, M.D. noted Chicago neurosurgeon who, with several of his neurosurgical and physiatry colleagues, is opening the new clinic for patients from Lake County with back and brain disorders.

The comprehensive “how to” booklet contains facts and misconceptions about back pain, descriptions of common spine conditions and treatment options, and instructions for proper body mechanics while standing, sitting and taking care of children. Risk factors such as smoking and obesity are also discussed.

“We hope people will realize that by making lifestyle changes, they can significantly reduce back problems,” says Daniel Hurley, M.D., physiatrist for CINN who also sees patients in the Vernon Hills office. “We are seeing an increase in chronic back pain from osteoarthritis and other painful conditions, in part because of an aging population that is living longer and a tendency to live more sedentary lives because of computers and electronic equipment. We want people to understand that when a problem persists, help is available.”

The clinic is located at the Mercatus Physician Center at 565 Lakeview Parkway in Vernon Hills. Dr. Cerullo anticipates he and his team will see patients initially on Fridays and Saturdays and expand to daily clinics beginning in May.

Currently, Lake County is experiencing tremendous growth, yet the number of neurosurgeons in the region has not kept pace, Cerullo said. According to the Census Department, the population of Lake County increased by approximately nine percent in the five-year period between 2000 and 2005, from more than 644,000 to 702,000 people.

The new CINN clinic will offer CT and MRI imaging, physical medicine (physiatry) and neurosurgery consults as well as physical therapy.

CINN has a history of opening satellite clinics as a way to bring excellent neurosurgery services to patients who cannot always drive short distances to Chicago-based hospitals, Dr. Cerullo said. The Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch medical group (CINN) is one of the nation’s leading organizations for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of people with brain and spine disorders. Originally founded in 1987, CINN is one of the Midwest’s largest teams of neurosurgeons known for their pioneering treatments and minimally invasive techniques. Currently, the Chicago based neurosurgery practice has clinics in Highland Park, Elmhurst, Skokie and Harvey. In the past, Cerullo’s neurosurgeons have staffed clinics as far away as Kankakee and Peru, Ill. For more information, call 1-800-446-1234 for more information.