If you’re older than 60, chances are you’ve developed arthritis in a place that might surprise you — your spine. Most think of hands or knees as arthritis hot spots, and they are, but about 95% of men and 75% of women have some amount of spinal osteoarthritis.
Not only can the pain gnaw at you and affect how you feel both physically and emotionally, but this type of discomfort can also limit your mobility.
Dr. Benjamin Cohen provides experience and skilled care, including minimally invasive procedures to eradicate back pain and restore your quality of life. As a board-certified neurosurgeon, he balances his meticulous attention on you and your symptoms with great sensitivity to your medical journey and goals for a pain-free life.
If you suffer from spinal pain related to osteoarthritis, you’re likely very familiar with these symptoms:
You may also have audible symptoms that accompany spinal arthritis, such as cracking or grinding noises when you move. A combination of these symptoms can make you feel vulnerable and uncomfortable.
Many find relief from conservative treatments, including pain medications, physical therapy, and steroid injections. However, some cases call for a surgical solution.
Fortunately, Dr. Cohen offers state-of-the-art minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery to relieve the challenging and life-altering symptoms of spinal arthritis. During this procedure, he applies a bone graft to your affected vertebrae. The graft is critical because it stimulates bone growth between the vertebrae, fusing them into a single bone.
Dr. Cohen can harvest a small piece of bone from your hip for the graft or use bone from a bone bank. A third option is using a fusion cage made of biocompatible material (designed to be accepted rather than rejected by your body) that contains material that encourages bone growth.
This procedure stabilizes your previously compromised spine.
If Dr. Cohen recommends that you undergo spinal fusion to remedy your pain, stiffness, and fatigue, rest assured that he thoroughly explains the procedure to you and what recovery will be like.
On the day of your surgery, Dr. Cohen makes a small incision at the point where your affected vertebrae are, as opposed to the type of long incision that is typical during traditional open surgery, which is far less traumatic to your body.
He then prepares your bone graft material and places it between your vertebrae, securing it with metal rods, screws, or plates that help with stabilization while your graft takes.
Typically, you’ll spend 2-4 days in the hospital post-surgery, and when you return home, it’s important to have someone help you, whether a family member or friend.
You’ll probably be taking prescription pain medication, but you can expect to be able to return to work after about four to six weeks — although if you have a physical job, it could be three months or longer before Dr. Cohen recommends you return.
As you heal, you may need to wear a brace that keeps your spine still during recovery.
Even though you can return to work in a period of weeks or months, your bone continues stabilizing and solidifying for a period of 12 to 18 months after your spinal fusion surgery.
Before you have surgery, make some preparations so recovery can be as easy as possible:
Doing some work on the front end before your surgery can make things easier when you come home.
Although not every patient is a candidate for minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Cohen tries to perform spinal fusion in this way if at all possible since this approach is associated with faster healing and less pain, scarring, and bleeding. You’re also at lower risk for post-surgical infection.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cohen, call our Garden City Plaza office at 516-246-5008 or visit our website. You can schedule either in-office or virtual appointments.
