Dr. John A. Papa M.D.

What Is a Laminectomy?The lamina is the back part of your vertebra covering the spinal canal. Your doctor could decide to eliminate your lamina or the bone spurs around it when either causes compression of your spinal cord or the roots of your nerves. Pressure on the roots of your nerves can cause:...

The word "osteoporosis" means "porous bone", and it occurs when bones become weak due to loss of minerals. Thus, the affected bones become more prone to break compared to the healthy bones.Bones are made up of different minerals, and calcium is one of those main minerals. It strengthens the bones...

When people suffer from a whiplash, they experience severe pain in the lower neck region, which can spread over their shoulders, arms, and head. They can also suffer from headaches, numbness, and a painful stiff neck. The pain gets accelerated faster in the area around the neck, which needs to be...

Bursitis is a condition that can affect just about anyone, depending on different conditions such as the environment, regular activities the person engages in, or even the current health status of a person. The condition more commonly affects the elderly, women, and people with very weak...

What is spinal stenosis?Spinal stenosis is a disorder of the spine in which the spinal chord narrows. Congenital spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spine is already narrowed at birth. Factors that can result in spinal stenosis are herniated discs, osteophytes, which are ingrown bones or...

What is muscular dystrophy?Muscular dystrophy is a group of disorders that cause skeletal muscle degeneration, decreased flexibility, and progressive weakness. In muscular dystrophy, the abnormal mutation of genes interferes with the production of proteins, which are needed for healthy muscle...