Cervical Spine
The cervical spine, comprised of seven vertebrae in the neck region, is crucial for supporting the head and enabling movement. Despite its flexibility, it’s prone to injury and degenerative issues. Disorders in this area can cause neck pain and neurological symptoms. Understanding cervical spine anatomy is vital for effective diagnosis and management.
Subscribe to the BlogIs Your Snoring Being Caused by Your Neck?
In medicine, we know that snoring or what we call “Obstructive Sleep Apnea” is really bad for you. It reduces your oxygen levels, puts stress on your heart, increases your chance for diabetes and stroke, and is in general one of the biggest untreated problems in modern society. However, what you may not have ever…read more
Can a Large Cervical Disc Bulge Be Treated with Platelets?
Just 5 years ago, the spine cases that I would accept for treatment with precise image-guided orthobiologics were determined by the severity of the MRI. Meaning more severe cases of disc bulges, stenosis, and degeneration were turned down and told to seek surgery. However, as time when on, some cases seemed to break that mold…read more
What is Intracranial Hypertension? What Does It Have to Do with the Neck?
Since we see many patients with neck pain and headaches, the topic of intracranial hypertension seems to be more common these days. So what is intracranial hypertension and what does it have to do with headaches? Is it caused by internal jugular vein (IJV) compression? What is IJV compression? Can neck problems make it worse?…read more
What Is a Proper Diagnostic Block Headache Work-up?
There are so many structures in the neck and head that can cause headaches that it’s almost tough to find them all and put them on a big list. However, after having many patients with chronic headaches come into the office and claim that after a simple Occipital Nerve Block that they have had a…read more
What Are the Intertransverse Ligaments?
As I have said many times, ligaments are the red-headed stepchild of the spine. Meaning they are often ignored by 99% of the physicians treating spine problems. However, they are important and ubiquitous throughout the spine. Today we’ll review the Intertransverse ligaments, what they do, and why they could be causing you problems. Let’s dig…read more
Surgically Damaging the Neck
Surgery is damage to accomplish a goal. I say that to patients all the time, but it always helps to have a visual. This morning we’ll go over a patient who had multiple neck surgeries that left her with clear and visible damage on her neck MRI. Let’s dig in. Damage to Accomplish a Goal…read more
What Is Cervical Medullary Syndrome?
What happens when the neck bones impinge on the upper spinal cord and brain stem? This is called Cervical Medullary Syndrome. Let’s explore what this is and why it happens. Let’s dig in. The Background Anatomy The normal upper neck anatomy is unique in that nature has built in quite a bit of space around…read more
What Is a Dural Leak?
We’ve seen many patients through the years with chronic dural leaks. What is that? How is a dural leak diagnosed? Can it be treated? Let’s dig in. What Is a Dural Leak? The dura is the covering of the spinal cord and nerve roots. It forms a sac of sorts that contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF),…read more
