Visited by a Legend
Spine Surgeon of Royce Gracie and MMA Fighters
Dr. Pasquale Montesano is somebody I have looked up to for many years, and I was truly honored to have him come out to train with me at the Elliquence LA lab, coming all the way from Florida.
He treats lots of martial arts patients and is one of Royce Gracie’s black belts. He emphasizes the importance of checking your ego and always being a student, which is why he’s always pushing the envelope in spine surgery.
Check out our full interview on YouTube!!
What Your MRI Does NOT Tell You
AN MRI THAT LOOKS TERRIBLE DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN YOU NEED SURGERY.
It happens a lot, a patient comes to me with MRI findings after an episode of pain that’s been resolved, and they immediately ask about surgery because they want to prevent it from happening again. That might be the right thing to do in most cases, but the spine is weird. Abnormalities are often asymptomatic and do not always require surgery. So what’s the deal?
If this sounds like you, watch my latest YouTube video where I break this down before jumping into any conclusions about needing surgery.
THE MYTH
About Cervical Fusions
People always ask me, “If I get a cervical fusion, will I be able to turn my neck?”
The answer is YES, cervical fusion does not mean you will lose the ability to turn your neck. Each motion segment in the cervical spine only moves about 10 degrees, even in a normal person. It’s not like an elbow or shoulder joint.
If you do a fusion to improve pain, stabilize an unstable spine, or correct a deformity, you can often move your neck MORE because it is no longer painful. That fear is more of an urban myth than it is reality.