What Is Foraminal Stenosis?

What is foraminal stenosis?  Is it necessarily the cause of your back or neck pain, and does foraminal stenosis require surgery?  Let’s start from the beginning… Your spinal column, or backbone, is made up of vertebrae, stacked one on top of the other, with a disc between each level to provide cushion and absorb shock.…read more

A Maximally Damaged Ankle and Surprising Results

When I first met Don and he showed me his ankle, I think I said or thought, “Wow!” It was twice as big as his other ankle due to the surgical free flaps, and his MRI looked like a bomb had gone off in his talus bone. When we discussed whether stem cells could help,…read more

What Is an Annular Tear?

Many patients don’t know that it’s possible to tear the disc in their neck and back. When this happens it’s called an annular tear. So let’s explore what happens. The annulus is the tough, fibrous outer covering of our spinal discs. The spinal discs live between each of the bones that make up our spine,…read more

Using MRI to Measure CSF Flow in Patients with CCJ Instability

We will learn more about the human neuromusculoskeletal system in the next few decades than we have learned in the last several hundred years. If you need proof of that, just take a look at some truly inspired technology being used in upstate NY by Scott Rosa and Dave Harshfield. Dr. Rosa and I have worked…read more

Hip Labral Tear? Causes of Pain After Hip Arthroscopy

On this page: Increases in hip arthroscopy rates Portal syndrome Other things that can cause hip pain Patient story of hip pain after surgery The animated GIF below may drive you a bit nutty if you watch it long enough, but it’s crucial nonetheless. Arthroscopic hip surgery to treat a labral tear is frequently billed…read more

Culture Expanded Stem Cells for Knee Arthritis

I evaluated an interesting patient down at our Cayman Islands advanced stem cell practice site recently in that his MRI changes were fascinating. While I see patients every day who are improving and have great stories, many times I just don’t have the time to write up what’s happening. However, every once in a while,…read more

How to Heal a Torn Tendon Naturally: The Type of Tear Matters

On this page: What is a tendon or ligament made of? What are the types of tendon and tears? A patient story The patient’s MRI above is from clinic yesterday. It’s of an ankle tendon, but it might as well be a shoulder, knee, or hip tendon or ligament. The problem was that this patient…read more

Spondylolysis Recovery Time: Avoiding the Knife

Spondylolysis is common in disturbingly young athletes who are born with weakened or disconnected areas of their spine. Sometimes this break in the spine bone heals, and sometimes it doesn’t. When the spot doesn’t mend, the patient usually undergoes a big surgery that can cause serious problems. So if your spondylolysis recovery time is taking too…read more