Blog Archive

Acute pain is brutal but temporary. Chronic pain keeps you in agony day in and day out, constantly reminding you of your lack of mobility and limited life.  That’s no way to live. When simple measures like over-the-counter medications don’t do the trick, you need next-level pain relief, but you...

Your spine does more than just keep you upright — it’s your health's backbone (pun intended).  If that sounds like a stretch, take it from Patrick S. McNulty, MD, FABSS, FABOS at McNulty Spine, our award-winning, double board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a computer engineering, electrical engineering, and chemistry background. There’s...

If the mere sound of the term sciatica sends literal shivers down your spine, then you know what it’s like to feel that sharp, shooting pain that runs from your lower back down your leg. You also know that physical activity can trigger the symptoms.  How can exercise be both...

Back pain affects millions of people worldwide. If you’re one of them, you’ve probably tried everything you can think of to ease your aching back. If you’ve been told surgery is the next step, there might be a middle-ground procedure that can save you from a major operation — decompression...

Your spine has natural curves from front to back that maintain alignment, balance, and movement. The outward curve in the middle of your back is called kyphosis, and the inward or forward curves at your neck and lower back are called lordosis. While small curves are necessary, extreme curves can...

An estimated 619 million people worldwide live with persistent lower back pain. If you’re one of them, you know how physically and emotionally draining it can be. You also know that the medical community often struggles to pinpoint the problem. Many frustrated back pain patients nationwide seek answers and life-changing...

Your body’s architecture influences your overall health, so scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, could cause problems beyond the visible spinal deformity and bodily asymmetry.  Whether you or your child has scoliosis, understanding how the condition affects the rest of your body is crucial. Here, renowned, double-board certified orthopedic surgeon...

Electing to undergo spinal surgery is a weighty decision. If you’re at this point, you’ve probably had countless visits to physical therapists, a string of specialist consultations, and a long file of diagnostic images.  However, when conservative treatments have proven ineffective, spinal fusion surgery is often the best choice. Dr....

Pregnancy is one of life’s most joyful experiences, but it’s not without its challenges. One is sciatica — a severe pain that travels from your lower back through your hips and legs. It usually occurs with a herniated disk or spinal bone spur, but a growing baby can put pressure...

Neck pain can be more than just a nuisance. For many professionals, it’s a constant companion — a byproduct of long hours spent in front of a screen or hunched over a workstation.  It’s a common issue with severe repercussions for your comfort, productivity, and overall health. If this sounds...

The World Health Organization estimates that 250,000-500,000 people worldwide suffer from spinal cord injuries. Sadly, those who do are 2-5 times more likely to die at a younger age than those with healthy spines, and they tend to have lower levels of education and income.  The good news is that...

As a double-board certified orthopedic surgeon, Patrick McNulty, MD, FABSS, FABOS, sees many patients grappling with chronic pain at McNulty Spine in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada.  If you can relate, you’ve probably tried just about everything to relieve the pain to no avail.  This is the perfect time to...

As one of the country’s leading spinal surgeons, Dr. Patrick McNulty has performed countless spinal fusion procedures. His expertise and experience give our patients peace of mind ahead of their surgeries and outstanding results afterward. If you have a spinal fusion procedure scheduled at McNulty Spine in Las Vegas or...

Physical therapy appears on nearly every post-injury and post-surgery to-do list for a good reason — it’s the best way to retrain your body to use the injured part and restore full function. In fact, our McNulty Spine board-certified, award-winning, nationally renowned orthopedic surgeon, Patrick S. McNulty, MD, FABSS, FABOS,...

Mild scoliosis isn’t typically painful, but it can lead to physical issues, such as off-kilter shoulders and hips, uneven breasts, and protruding shoulder blades — all of which can make adolescence even more challenging.  If your teen has scoliosis, Dr. Patrick McNulty can help you navigate the physical problems associated with the condition and...

For all the joys of pregnancy and childbirth, they come with a good share of less-than-comfortable side effects, such as nausea, swelling, fatigue, and general achiness. And many women can add sciatica to the list. At McNulty Spine in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada, renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Patrick McNulty...

Nearly 21% of American suffer from chronic pain, but pain medication isn’t necessarily the best solution. That practice kicked off in the 1990s when doctors prescribed OxyContin, a powerful addictive opioid painkiller. Addictions to the legal prescription led to a shift to illegal opioids like heroin, which led to the current crisis...

Kyphosis is more than bad posture — it’s a spinal change that makes it difficult or impossible to stand up straight.  If it’s happening to you, don’t delay seeking treatment. Dr. Patrick McNulty, our double board-certified, award-winning orthopedic surgeon at McNulty Spine, specializes in spinal conditions, including kyphosis, and he can...

Poor posture not only looks sloppy, but it can also significantly impact your spinal health, leading to a degeneration of your intervertebral discs.  Here, Patrick McNulty, MD, FABSS, FABOS — renowned, double board-certified orthopedic surgeon at McNulty Spine — discusses the link between poor posture and spinal degeneration. He explains...

It’s National Osteoporosis Awareness Month and a great time to review the causes and complications of this progressive problem.  Since osteoporosis often attacks the spine, Dr. Patrick McNulty — one of the country’s leading spine experts — is uniquely qualified to discuss how osteoporosis can lead to a debilitating back condition called kyphosis. Here’s what...

Neck pain stems from various conditions and sources, including degenerative spinal disease, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, and herniated discs, to name just a few. Whiplash and sports injuries are other common culprits.  But if you haven’t been in a recent accident and your spine is otherwise healthy, you may be a...

Sciatica describes the pain you feel when something compresses your sciatic nerve. This is the longest nerve in your body; it starts in your lower back, branches off, and travels through your buttocks and down each leg. You may feel: Radiating lower back pain Pain in one leg Pain that...

Spinal pain affects nearly everybody at some point in their lives. About 80% of American adults experience symptoms from mild aches and strains to severe pain in their spine, anywhere from their neck to their tailbone. If you’re among the millions suffering from spinal pain, there’s hope for a pain-free future.  At McNulty...

Statistically, low back pain is one of the most common causes of disability worldwide. In many cases, the problem is unavoidable as the underlying culprit may be disease, traumatic injury, or genetic issues.  On the other hand, we see many patients who unknowingly bring on their own back pain. At McNulty...

Your head and your neck are inextricably linked — and you want to keep it that way. But when neck pain starts to radiate up to your head, you might be wishing there was a way to buffer the connection. Fortunately, Patrick S. McNulty, MD, FABSS, FABOS can help. Here...

Dr. Patrick McNulty, our double board-certified specialist at McNulty Spine, has dedicated his career to stopping pain and improving the lives of our patients throughout Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada.  As an award-winning and highly respected spinal surgeon, Dr. McNulty diagnoses the underlying source of your pain and offers the...

If the thought of having spinal surgery is unsettling, we understand. Your spine is a delicate and complex area that requires a surgeon with skill and experience.  That’s why so many patients trust Dr. Patrick McNulty at McNulty Spine in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada. He’s a double board-certified, award-winning...

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...