Wayne Magazine Back-to-School 2015 | Page 13

BACK OR NECK PAIN HOLDING YOU BACK? Get Back to Life in 2015 Haide, a Patient Success Story of North Jersey Spine Group HAIDE’S neck pain symptoms in 2013 and 2014 had ultimately worsened to the point that they prevented her from enjoying most of her favorite activities, including travel or even driving to the store. “The numbness and weakness I felt in my left leg had me fearful to go to the grocery store,” Haide remembers, “because I was afraid of falling.” As time passed, instead of her symptoms getting better, they worsened over the year. Simple activities such as driving, getting dressed and walking stairs became impossible for her to complete on her own. She met with Dr. Raab at North Jersey Spine Group where an MRI revealed that Haide’s neck pain was caused by cervical stenosis — a narrowing of the spinal canal, which can occur with age. While some back and neck pain problems respond to non-surgical treatment options, stenosis involves bone spurs that compress the nerves in the spinal canal, much like a ring around Spine surgeons Dr. Sundstrom & Dr. Raab. a swollen finger. Dr. Raab explained to Haide that the only permanent way to relieve the pressure on her spinal cord would involve surgery to remove the bone spur. The other serious issue is that if a person is involved in a car accident before the spinal cord compression is relieved, an accident could lead to paralysis. Dr. Raab performed the surgery in February and Haide felt spine surgeons: david sundstrom, md; rajnik raab, md non-surgical spine care: monte haber, md on - line spine enc yclopedia with symp tom charts and pain - relie ving home remedies at : w w w.n orth j er sey s pine g roup. com immediate relief from her pain, numbness and weakness symptoms. Spine therapists at the spine center also helped her regain her active lifestyle. Now she can walk stairs and shop again without the fear of falling. Three months after surgery, she traveled on a tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco. “After being in pain for so long, I just didn’t expect to feel so good so quickly after my surgery,” Haide reflects. “While I was reluctant to go to the doctor for fear that I had a serious problem — I knew I wanted to get back to my active life.” If back or neck pain is keeping you away from the things you enjoy, call us at 973-633-1122. Learn more at NorthJerseySpineGroup.com and request our free Home Remedy Book. 973-633-1122 Main location: 1680 Route 23 North, Suite 250 Wayne, New Jersey 07470 Satellite clinic: 1 West Ridgewood Ave Ave, Suite 207 Paramus, New Jersey 07652