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…
Denver neurosurgeon, Dr. Adam P. Smith, MD, discusses different cervical spine surgery options, including ACDF for cervical myelopathy. Check out the video below for more on these treatments. Also, for more information on our specialties and the conditions we treat, click here! Visit and subscribe to the Rocky Mountain Brain and Spine Institute Youtube channel…
We have not yet posted on the COVID-19 pandemic, despite it being the greatest healthcare and global economic shock in recent history. Rocky Mountain Brain & Spine Institute blogs have tried to focus on neurosurgical topics, and while other coronaviruses have affected the central nervous system, COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory illness. We will leave…
The minimally invasive tubular decompression is a workhorse procedure for spine surgeons. Patients complaining of leg symptoms with a focal disc herniation who have failed conservative options can undergo this procedure with great success. Most patients go home the same day, just a few hours after surgery. Good results are achieved in 80-90% of patients…