Mark W. McFarland, DO In part one of this article series, we discussed what a cervical dislocation fracture is, how it can happen and exactly how serious of an injury it can be. In part two, I’d like to discuss the symptoms of a cervical dislocation fracture and how a tiny distance can make a… Read more »
Mark W. McFarland, MD One of the first things you learn in medical school is that human bones can withstand lots of punishment, but they also can break in a lot of different ways. Spinal bones (vertebrae) tend to break in specific ways, and some can be more serious than others. In this article, I’m… Read more »
Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD, CPE Since its beginning, spine surgery has been a very technologically advanced specialty. Surgery that involves such precision and delicacy in surgical skills and the confidence in one’s decision making to improve a patient’s neck or lower back function while working around the spinal cord and nerves has always been at… Read more »
Mark W. McFarland, DO The phrases that conjure up the worst-case trauma scenarios are “someone’s going to break their neck” or “step on a crack, break your mama’s back”. We can all recall images of TV shows of long ago, with hospital scenes of some unfortunate patient with a “broken” neck or back, lying in… Read more »
Mark W. McFarland, DO When I consult with patients about their spinal conditions, I often see them for pain which occurs in their limbs, shooting down an arm or a leg, perhaps even into the foot and toes. These patients are typically surprised when, after x-rays and a thorough physical examination, I tell them that… Read more »
Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD, CPE As a spine surgeon, I answer questions from patients daily having to do with spine-related issues. I also find that I must frequently correct misinformation or commonly held beliefs about pinched nerves and how they impact the body. In this article, I thought it would be prudent to address some… Read more »
Raj N. Sureja, MD The use of Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) or Neuromodulation has been a life changer for hundreds of thousands of individuals around the world – providing pain relief and a return to a better quality of life when medications, interventional procedures and even surgery may have failed. While there have been innumerable… Read more »
Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD A Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) or Neuromodulator is an effective device used by Interventional Pain Management Physicians for treating intractable chronic pain that has not responded to other conventional treatments, including surgery. In my practice, I have witnessed first-hand just how miraculous the results can be for some chronic pain… Read more »
Mark W. McFarland, MD This question came in over our web chat and it is a great one to answer. The human spine is made up of 26 vertebrae (bones) that go from your skull to your pelvis. In between these bones are discs that act as shock absorbers or cushions which help the bones… Read more »
Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD Over the past few months, you may have heard about a shortage of contrast dye used in some forms of diagnostic imaging studies. This shortage is due to COVID-19 pandemic manufacturing facility shutdowns in Shanghai, China where a specific type of contrast dye – iodinated IV contrast – is produced. Because… Read more »