Water comprises about 80% of the discs between your vertebrae, your spine’s shock absorbers. As we age, however, they dry out. This drying process causes your discs to thin and become less able to do what they were designed to do — protect your spine. The degeneration initiates a worrisome downward spiral of spinal deterioration.
Though Dr. Benjamin Cohen’s initial approach to treatment typically involves noninvasive methods, surgery is the best solution for some people.
If he determines you need surgery for your degenerative disc disease, he uses the most minimally invasive surgical techniques, which are associated with faster recovery and reduced pain, bleeding, and scarring.
Your discs have squishy, flexible centers, while their outer shells are sturdy and tough. We discussed how moisture loss within discs contributes to degenerative disc disease, but it’s not the only culprit. Traumatic injuries and wear and tear from physical activities also damage discs.
Once wear-and-tear does a job on your discs, there’s no going back since the blood supply to your discs is limited. Unfortunately, degenerative disc disease puts you at risk for numerous other painful conditions:
A combination of disc degeneration, compressed nerves, and an increasingly unstable spine can cause debilitating symptoms. These include continuous or intermittent neck or lower back pain, intense muscle spasms, or a pinched nerve with loss of sensation, tingling, and pain that can spread to the arms and legs.
If your symptoms have become life-altering and unremitting, and if conservative treatments like steroid injections, physical therapy, over-the-counter pain medications, and electrical stimulation treatment haven’t been successful, Dr. Cohen discusses a surgical solution with you.
Though the thought of any surgery can be daunting, Dr. Cohen thoroughly explains your options and is eager to address all your questions and concerns when he recommends a corrective procedure.
You’ve got two options when it comes to surgery for degenerative disc disease: disc removal with spinal fusion and disc replacement. Dr. Cohen considers your history of pain, symptoms, location of your pain, and other factors as he decides which surgery is appropriate for you.
The first option involves Dr. Cohen removing your disc and performing a spinal fusion where he inserts a bone graft between two vertebrae. The graft allows them to grow toward each other and fuse into a single bone, stabilizing your spine. For the graft, Dr. Cohen may choose to use either a fusion cage containing biochemicals that stimulate bone growth or actual bone.
State-of-the-art metal hardware helps keep your vertebrae correctly placed so successful fusion can occur.
During disc replacement, Dr. Cohen removes your deteriorated disc, swapping it out for an artificial one. This procedure better preserves your ability to move your spine post-surgery.
No one should live with chronic back pain, mobility problems, and other uncomfortable symptoms and assume there’s no solution. As a caring and highly skilled board-certified neurosurgeon, placing your trust in Dr. Cohen means you can look forward to an active future — minus the pain.
Contact our Garden City office at 516-246-5008 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Cohen, or book one online.
