Dr. Stephen William Bartol M.D.

What is rheumatoid arthritis (RA)?Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, wherein the immune system mistakenly attacks the joints leading to stiffness, pain, and inflammation. Gradually, RA can lead to physical deformities. Rheumatoid arthritis is known to affect around 2 million Americans....

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...

Arthritis is one of the oldest diseases known to humans. Arthritis can affect people and children of all ages. The pain and stiffness of the joints are serious symptoms indicating that the person may have some serious type of arthritis that needs urgent treatment. If the person delays the visit to...

Spinal surgery usually requires that the surgeon makes a relatively huge incision on the patient’s back in order to have complete access to the spinal vertebrae. This is the usual procedure in dealing with defects of the spine, and it has been so because of the delicate nature of the...

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...

Yes. Arthritis is one of the major causes of back pain and can cause long-term effects in an individual. Back pain is a common problem which affects 4 out of 5 of us at some point. Back pain is a type of pain experienced mostly through the spine. Back pain can last for a short time, but there are...