North Jersey Spine Group - Patient Success Story in New Jersey - Hanny Successful Return to Activity After Spine Surgery for cervical herniated discs in New Jersey

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Spine Surgery Recovery

Hanny

With her neck pain behind her, it’s finally time for a walk in the park

enjoys staying physically active, some of her favorite activities include walking her dogs and hiking. She began experiencing neck pain about a year ago when she woke up to excruciating pain in the back of her neck that radiated into her left arm. While it was startling to wake up to the pain, she wasn’t overly concerned about it at first.

As the days and months went by though, Hanny found that the neck pain symptoms lingered. “After that first night, my symptoms never completely went away,” Hanny remembers. “At times my left arm would go numb and I would feel a burning sensation, like my arm was on fire.”

One night, her neck and arm pain was so severe that Hanny went to the ER for relief. The ER doctor first ruled out a cardiac condition and then ordered Xrays of her neck. After viewing the Xrays, the doctor suggested Hanny visit an orthopedic specialist.

She made an appointment with an orthopedic physician. After the doctor examined her and viewed diagnostics, he suggested she try some epidural steroid injections to help relieve her symptoms. He also prescribed some pain medication. Hanny tried injection therapy but didn’t get much pain relief.

Her neck and arm pain symptoms were interfering with her daily life, including work. Hanny’s job involves computer data entry and her symptoms worsened when sitting at the computer. Her pain level was not as bad when standing, so to continue working, Hanny stood at her desk for data entry.

Hanny had a friend who had suffered similar symptoms. Her friend told Hanny about her physician, Dr. Rajnik Raab, a Board-Certified Neurosurgeon at North Jersey Spine Group. She encouraged Hanny to visit Dr. Raab for a second opinion.

Hanny knew she wanted to get back to her normal lifestyle. She had given up many activities she enjoyed because of her condition — including walking her dogs, hiking and going to the gym.

Hanny made an appointment with Dr. Raab. The neurosurgeon examined her and ordered diagnostics. After viewing the results, Dr. Raab explained to Hanny that she had two herniated discs in her cervical spine. He next discussed with her the treatment options. Dr. Raab talked with her about continuing nonsurgical care. Because she had tried conservative care for at least six weeks, Dr. Raab also discussed with Hanny the spine surgery and fusion that would treat her condition.

Hanny decided to move forward with the spine surgery and fusion. She had spent the last year struggling with the pain and numbness and was ready to get back to life.

Dr. Raab performed the spine surgery and fusion. Her surgery was successful and she felt immediate relief of her arm pain. Hanny was able to go home the day after surgery. She was careful to follow the post surgery instructions and wore a neck brace for six weeks after her surgery. She returned to work on a limited basis two weeks following surgery. She knew walking would be an important part of her recovery and she gradually increased the duration of her walks.

Hanny can now walk her dogs in the park, something that wasn’t possible before her surgery. “Before my surgery, a tug on the leash by one of my dogs would have meant spending time at home recovering from the excruciating neck pain,” she explains. She has returned to work full time where she can once again sit at her desk to complete data entry. Hanny is no longer limited in her activity level — she is free to enjoy walking her dogs and hiking once again.

Click here to download a PDF of Hanny's successful recovery from spine surgery to relieve cervical herniated discs..

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