Indiana Jones’ whip is made of strong fibers that can endure the violent force of a high-velocity snapping action — your neck is not. Although the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your neck can support the equivalent of a bowling ball (your head) while you twist and bend throughout the...
When your back hurts, you start replaying the last movements you made to figure out what caused it: carrying groceries, gardening, or slumping over your computer. While any of those activities can certainly lead to back pain, you may be overlooking the role your diet plays in your spine health....
Your spine — the intricate column of stacked bones and discs held together with ligaments, cartilage, and muscles — is the ultimate multitasker. It keeps you upright, allows you to twist and bend, and protects your vital central nervous system. From behind, your spine should appear stick-straight. A side-to-side curve...
You heard it said countless times — bend your knees and use your legs when you lift. And you usually do your best to follow this sage advice. Why, then, did that last lift tweak your back and leave you in pain? As a double board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Patrick...
Your spine is rigid enough to keep you upright, flexible enough to enable bending and twisting, and so intricately designed that it can protect your central nervous system as countless nerves, the spinal cord, and vessels run in and out of the spinal column. Given all your spine does, imagine...
As a parent of a teenager, you do your best to steer your kid in the right direction as they become more independent and start navigating social relationships, grades, career path choices, acne, and body image issues. If you’ve noticed a curve in your daughter’s spine, you may need to...
Your neck supports the full weight of your head, which is about 10-12 pounds on average. Every time you bend your neck to text a friend or tilt it down to read a book, the angle effectively increases the weight of your head and, therefore, the pressure on your neck...
It makes sense that an orthopedic surgeon who tripled-majored in electrical engineering, computer engineering, and chemistry would master the latest surgical technology to deliver the best care to his patients. And that’s exactly what Dr. Patrick McNulty, our double-board certified spine specialist at McNulty Spine in Las Vegas and Henderson,...
Almost everyone suffers from back pain at some point in their life. Experts estimate that about 80% of Americans feel the stabbing, aching, debilitating effects of spinal trouble, and about 16 million of them end up with chronic pain that lasts for months or years. At McNulty Spine in Las...
Your spine is a complex system of bones, ligaments, muscles, and nerves that interlock in an intricate pattern that allows for rigidity and flexibility at the same time. To pull off this amazing biological feat, it contains gentle curves that slope from front to back from your neck to your...
Any spinal abnormality can quickly become problematic. Not only does it cause an aesthetic issue, it affects your gait, your posture, and your overall health. Dr. Patrick McNulty at McNulty Spine in Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada, is one of the nation’s leading spine experts. As an award-winning, double board-certified...
If your legs become weak or suddenly go numb, there are several possible culprits, and some of them require immediate medical attention. The problem can stem from a neurological source, a lack of blood supply, or a brain malfunction, which is why you should never ignore unexplained leg weakness. Dr....
Traditional open surgery is a mainstay in orthopedic medicine, and it’s still the standard treatment for many conditions. But technological advances have made it possible to correct several spinal conditions without creating a large incision and damaging a lot of internal tissues. One of the country’s leading experts in both...
Every year, about 65 million Americans suffer from a bout of back pain, and for about 16 million of them, the pain sticks around for months or years, according to a study from Georgetown University. Chronic back pain in this country leads to more than 83 million lost work days...
If you scrape your knee, your knee hurts, and if you sprain your ankle, your ankle hurts. So, it’s logical to assume that when your arm or hand hurts, you’ve likely injured your arm or hand. But sometimes arm/hand pain originates in a far away location — your neck. In...
Whether you’ve lived with back or neck pain for years or have recently developed it, there’s no denying that it can be utterly debilitating. And you’re not alone in your struggle against back pain — nearly 85% of people will experience some degree of back pain in their life. Unfortunately,...
It’s easy to think of bones as solid structures, but a closer look through a microscope shows that they’re actually quite porous. Bones are living tissues, constantly growing and renewing. But as you age, those tiny holes may get bigger, which weakens their structure. This is called osteoporosis, and while...
Under normal circumstances, pain occurs when you injure a body part, and then it goes away when the injury heals. This is called acute pain. Chronic pain, on the other hand, persists long after (six months or more) its cause has resolved. But chronic pain isn’t always linked to a...
Your spine is a complicated area with many delicate moving parts. It’s an ingenious design that enables you to bend, twist, and stand upright, all while housing countless nerve roots that supply the rest of your body with movement and sensation. The problem is, it’s a really crowded space, and...
Sciatica describes the pain and tingling you get when the root of your sciatic nerve gets pinched, damaged, or irritated. It happens when the vertebrae in your lower back suffer from an abnormality, like spinal narrowing (stenosis), herniated or degenerated discs, injury, infection, a tumor, or inflammation that impinges on...
If you were to look at an X-ray image of your spine from the side view, you’d see some natural gentle curves that ease inward (lordotic curve) and outward (kyphotic curve) from your neck down to your tailbone. These sways are critical to the normal movement and function of your...
Sciatica is a well-known condition, but that doesn’t mean it’s well-understood. Even though about 40% of adults will suffer from some type of sciatic pain during their lifetime, many remain in the dark about why they have it and what they can do about it. To clear up the confusion...
If you were to look at a side view of a healthy spine through an X-ray, you’d see a gentle S shape with a slight curve near your neck and another one in your lower back. The upper and lower regions have a C-shaped bend, and the middle has a...
Surgery of any kind is never the first course of treatment, and always comes with at least some risks. Plus, the bigger the incision and the longer it’s open, the higher your risks become. So it stands to reason that if you’re facing spinal surgery, you want to keep the...
We’ve all had to change the way we live due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And we’re all doing our best to keep ourselves and one another safe and healthy. But you still may have questions about what’s okay — especially if you have spinal issues. While there is no direct...
Nerves, vertebrae, joints, and muscles make up the intricate and complex system of your spinal column. Any deviation along the length of it — like a bend or curve caused by scoliosis — can cause pain and loss of function. Double board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Patrick McNulty at McNulty Spine...
Hearing your child is hurt or sick rocks your world. And if your child has just been told they have scoliosis, it probably triggered a rapid-fire list of questions you need answers to right away: Is this disabling? Are they in pain? Will it get worse? Is there a cure?...
Your spine is meant to run in a straight line from your neck down to your tailbone. Your spinal column is made up of 33 vertebrae, and each has two pairs of facet joints on either side of them. These vertebrae and joints stack upon each other to form your...
Acute pain (what you feel after an accident, surgery, or injury) and chronic pain (the type that persists long after the cause is healed) each have the potential to change your life dramatically. They can stop you from participating in the level of exercise necessary to maintain your overall health,...
Neck pain is a serious and pervasive problem in the United States. According to a 2017 study, 10-20% of adults will report neck pain symptoms during their lifetime. Unfortunately, the condition could easily be caused by a number of different issues, and it can be hard for us to pinpoint...
Many people use the term sciatica interchangeably with lower back pain. However, sciatica is actually a collection of symptoms that are caused by sciatic nerve compression, causing far more problems than low back pain. In fact, it’s a common cause of pain in the legs, thighs, and buttocks. At McNulty...
Have you ever awakened and realized your lower back was sore? If so, you’re not alone. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that nearly 80% of individuals experience back pain at some point. Even worse, back pain is the No. 1 cause of missed work days. Back...
Scoliosis is a condition in which the spine curves to the left side of the body or the right side. While many cases can be mild, others can require surgery. For teens who have cases that are somewhere in the middle, a back brace may be able to help. While...
What is kyphosis? Kyphosis, an excessive spinal curvature, is marked by slouched or hunched posture. The rounding of the spine associated with kyphosis can cause pain, , loss of function, embarrassment, and low self-esteem for its sufferers. If you have kyphosis, we have good news for you at McNulty Spine....
If you’re a candidate for spine surgery, the minimally invasive technique may be a better treatment option because it can return you to normal activities faster with less pain and reduced recovery time afterward. Not every spine problem is treatable with minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) but the benefits of...
