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20 Jun Back to Living: Lisa’s Journey to Relief from Back Pain
“Two times now, Dr. Levine has really saved my life. If I had any pains – even those not in my spine – I would go to him for his guidance. I trust him and I trust his opinion.”
Trenton Resident Triumphs Over Her ‘Worst Pain’ with Spine Surgery
If you’ve ever suffered from spinal pain, you’re in good company.
Back pain tops the list of pain complaints in the U.S., with neck pain not far behind. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans 45 years old and under.
Lisa, a resident of Trenton, was on the verge of becoming part of these statistics. At 45, she was enduring unbearable pain and feared she might spend the rest of her life on disability.
“Initially, I thought I’d done something to my shoulder because that’s where the pain started. So I made an appointment to see a shoulder specialist,” Lisa recalls.
However, within days, her pain worsened significantly. Her doctor ordered an urgent MRI, revealing that the issue lay not in her shoulder, but in her neck.
“It was the worst pain of my life. It wasn’t even just pain. I began losing my faculties. I couldn’t work,” said Lisa.
Lisa was then referred to board-certified spine surgeon Dr. Marc J. Levine. This wasn’t her first visit to Dr. Levine; several years earlier, he had performed spine surgery on her for a degenerative disc in her lower back.
Spinal Anatomy 101
Although both injuries were debilitating, Lisa describes the ruptured disc pain in her neck as worse, as it also caused functional loss in her upper extremity.
So, what causes a ruptured disc? Between the vertebrae bones of the spine are small, rubbery discs that provide flexibility and shock absorption. Each disc has a thick, dense outer layer with an inner layer of gel-like material.
“The disc is almost like a slice of an orange, with an inside pulp and an outside rind. When the pulp gets out through the rind it is herniation,” Dr. Levine explains.
While this can happen due to traumatic injury, it can also be related to the disc’s condition. A healthy disc is well-hydrated and spongy. Over time, like a kitchen sponge, discs can dry out, becoming hard and brittle, which contributes to disc degeneration.
Taking the Surgical Leap
Within five days of her MRI, Lisa found herself in the operating room with Dr. Levine due to her persistent pain and loss of strength and function in her left arm.
Despite her concerns about the pain, Lisa was relieved to know she could trust Dr. Levine once more to address the problem.
Dr. Levine performed a cervical decompression and fusion, a surgery that alleviates pressure on the spinal cord and the affected nerve root.
Each year, hundreds of thousands undergo spine surgery. However, as Dr. Levine notes, these surgeries are not taken lightly.
“Different diagnoses have different timelines for surgery. Someone with low back pain who has no nerve involvement should have at least six months of non-operative treatment before considering surgery,” says Dr. Levine.
“However, the timeline for surgery in someone with functional loss from nerve irritation may be much sooner, as it was with Lisa.”
“A key component to successful surgery is having the right diagnosis.”
Sweet Relief
“Before this surgery, on a good day I would go to work, come home, and just get in bed. My quality of life was absolutely nothing. I just tried to get through it every day,” says Lisa.
Today, Lisa feels more like herself. She can walk her two beloved bulldogs, Fiona and Chumlee, and enjoy work and social outings with her husband, Eric.
“Two times now, Dr. Levine has really saved my life. If I had any pains – even those not in my spine – I would go to him for his guidance. I trust him and I trust his opinion,” Lisa affirms.