Spinal cord injury

Ultrasound of the Living Spinal Cord

This morning I would like to share a video of an ultrasound of the Spinal Cord. I happened on this unique view last year and I finally asked my assistant to save a video clip. Let’s dig in. What Is the Spinal Cord? The Spinal Cord is often thought of as the main bundle of…read more

How Axolotls Repair a Spinal Cord

You probably know that we humans are bad at repairing our own spinal cords. However, the little salamanders known as axolotls can regenerate theirs. Now scientists have figured out how that works in more detail. Let’s dive in. Axolotl 101 These little guys can regrow whole limbs. Understanding how that works has always been a…read more

Stem Cells and SCI: Placebo or the Next Best Thing Since Sliced Bread?

I have gotten many emails through the years from patients who know someone who has a spinal cord injury (SCI) and who ask if we could help. My answer has always been the same. We only treat orthopedic injuries. However, a study on stem cells and spinal cord injury was just published in February that’s…read more

Surgery for Tethered Cord in Adults?

One of the trends I have seen these past few years is a number of people getting diagnosed with a tethered cord and getting surgery for this issue. So what is this and why would surgery be needed? Are these patients getting needed procedures or exposing themselves to serious risks they don’t need to take?…read more

An Update on Our Novel Alar and Transverse Ligament Injection Procedure

Way back when my career was just starting, I got a job with a physician who was involved in auto-accident managed care. This meant that there was a steady stream of neck-injured patients. While many of these patients could be helped, some couldn’t. While it would be attractive to say that these few had psychological…read more