Spine Specialist
Dr. O’Neill specializes in the treatment of a wide variety of spine conditions and injuries
If you are experiencing pain related to a spine condition, Dr. O’Neill can help. At your consultation, Dr. O’Neill will listen to your symptoms, perform an examination and order any necessary studies to diagnose your condition. An accurate diagnosis is essential to determining the most effective treatment for you. The best available treatment options will be given based on your individual condition and goals.
Some of the most common conditions that Dr. O’Neill treats are shown below.
Learn the basics about the spine and spine anatomy! Understanding the spine and how it functions will give you a better understanding of your condition, the treatments being offered, and how they are intended to help get you feeling better.
This is a condition in which narrowing (stenosis) develops around the spinal cord or nerves right next to where a previous fusion was performed. This can be caused by disc degeneration with associated bulging or herniation of disc material, bone spurs from arthritis, or overgrowth / folding of the connective tissues between the bones (vertebrae).
The disc is a rubbery material that separates individual vertebral bones and functions somewhat like a shock absorber. The outer material of the disc is tough and strong, while the inner material is softer – which makes for a cushion. When a disc herniates, the strong outer material opens, allowing the softer disc material to be expelled out. In the cervical spine, that disc material can compress the spinal cord and/or nerves.
The disc is a rubbery material that separates individual vertebral bones and functions somewhat like a shock absorber. The outer material of the disc is tough and strong, while the inner material is softer – which makes for a cushion. When a disc herniates, the strong outer material opens, allowing the softer disc material to be expelled out. In the lumbar spine, that disc material can compress the one or several nerves.
This is a condition caused by compression of the spinal cord, either in the neck (cervical spine) or back (thoracic spine). Common symptoms of spinal cord compression include numbness or tingling in the arms or legs, weakness, trouble with balance and walking, and difficulty using your hands (dropping things). When these symptoms occur along with spinal cord compression, surgery is generally indicated to alleviate the compression and stop symptoms from getting worse.
This condition is caused by compression of one or more nerves in the neck. Some common causes of nerve compression include disc degeneration and bulging, a disc herniation, bone spurs from arthritis. These can all narrow the space that a nerve needs to enter / exit the spine. This narrowing is called stenosis. When a nerve is compressed, it can cause pain down the arm, numbness or tingling, and weakness of the arm muscles.
This condition is caused by compression of one or more nerves in the lower back. Some common causes of nerve compression include disc degeneration and bulging, a disc herniation, bone spurs from arthritis. These can all narrow the space that a nerve needs to enter / exit the spine. This narrowing is called stenosis. When a nerve is compressed, it can cause pain down the leg, numbness or tingling, and weakness of the leg muscles.
Scoliosis is when the spine curves from side to side, back and forth. This can occur during childhood development or can occur later in life as a result of degenerative changes in the spine that allow it to curve. Unless the curves are getting worse or at high risk for getting worse, scoliosis by itself (without nerve or spinal cord compression) usually does not require surgery.
The spinal canal is a tube that allows passage of the spinal cord and nerves through the spine. When this canal or tube becomes narrowed, it is called stenosis. The narrowing can be caused by disc bulging, a disc herniation, bone spurs from arthritis, cysts, or even slight instability between bones in the neck. In the cervical spine, the narrowing or stenosis can compress the spinal cord and/or nerves. Spinal cord compression can cause cervical myelopathy, while nerve compression can cause cervical radiculopathy.
The spinal canal is a tube that allows passage of the spinal cord and nerves through the spine. When this canal or tube becomes narrowed, it is called stenosis. The narrowing can be caused by disc bulging, a disc herniation, bone spurs from arthritis, cysts, or even slight instability between bones in the back. In the lumbar spine, the narrowing or stenosis can compress the nerves together. This can cause back pain that radiates down the leg(s), and is typically worse with standing and walking while being relieved by bending forward or sitting down.
The spine is made of individual vertebral bones that stack up and align with each other. When one of the bones shifts forward relative to its neighbor vertebrae, it is called spondylolisthesis. This most commonly is caused by natural degeneration of the spine and resulting disc degeneration and arthritis. It can cause narrowing of the spinal canal, which is called spinal stenosis.
Each vertebral bone is connected to its neighbor vertebrae by discs in the front of the spine and joints in the back of the spine. During development, the spine sometimes does not complete its formation of the area connecting the front and back of the vertebrae together, which is called a spondylolysis – or more commonly – a pars defect. This can allow the vertebral bone to shift out of place, called a spondylolisthesis.