Smoking is just about the worst thing you can do to your body, and we have previously written blogs about tobacco/ nicotine’s direct detriment to the spine. Again, it is not just tobacco or smoking per se… nicotine in any form may be directly responsible for cell damage to the disc’s annulus and nucleus. Bone…
The human brain rapidly dissolves after death due to the break down of proteins and putrefaction. Decomposition often occurs within minutes after death, which is quicker than other body tissues, likely because the brain is about 80% water. Rotting starts in normal ambient temperature at about 3 days, and the brain is essentially vaporized within…
“College is as much about learning to live as it is about learning from books…” Gregory Farrington President of Lehigh University Last week’s Senate hearing discussed something none of us would have predicted just a few weeks ago… schools may not open in the fall. “The idea of having treatments available or a vaccine to…
We celebrated our Mother’s this past weekend. From giving us the joy of life to making it worthwhile, they are the true bearers of kindness and affection. Mother’s Day was conceptualized in 1905 by Anna Jarvis, who wanted to honor her mother. By 1911, all US states agreed to observe the holiday. As a neurosurgeon,…
In 2012, the Chicago Bull’s star point guard, Derrick Rose, left a playoff game with a knee injury. Little did Chicago fans know at the time, but this wasn’t just a single season playoff series loss… Rose was the #1 pick of the 2008 NBA draft, with high hopes of a Jordanesque Bulls revival. The…
“Life or death for a young child too often depends on whether he or she is born in a country where vaccines are available or not” – Nelson Mandela Worldwide, nearly 80% of people who have heard of vaccines say they “strongly” or “somewhat” agree that vaccines are safe. However, 28% of Americans do not…
Opioids and muscle relaxants have typically been used to treat spine pain. However, in the awareness of the opioid epidemic, medical marijuana has grown popular. According to the January 2020 data from Colorado’s medical marijuana registry, 30,000 Coloradans reported use for “muscle spasms” and 76,000 reported use for “severe pain”. These are the two most…
What do nearly all mammals have in common? Besides being carbon-based, warm-blooded, possessing fur and secreting milk… most mammals have 7 cervical vertebrae. That’s right, with the exception of sloths and manatees, from every giraffe to every mouse… we all have 7 cervical vertebrae. Most mammals who develop a different number of neck vertebrae usually…
“… If you’ve recently learned that you have a brain tumour, keep this in mind: YOU ARE A STATISTIC OF ONE. No two tumours are alike. No one else shares your genetic makeup and your unique brain structure. This doesn’t mean that you have to face this journey alone. It does mean that as…
Having school-age children during this quarantine, homeschooling has brought to the forefront of my awareness why measurements in a neurosurgery practice seem so much simpler than even elementary level math. When’s the last time you tried to add 3/16ths plus 4/5ths? Do you remember how to even start the algebra of complex fractions… I’ll be…