Brenda was very relieved to find that her neck and shoulder pain was gone
As a successful product vendor, Brenda thrives on a busy lifestyle. One day she began having neck pain that radiated into her left shoulder, arm and fingers. The symptoms came on so sudden that at first she thought, “heart attack”. Even though the pain went away, Brenda did not hesitate to make an appointment with her general practitioner. The doctor examined Brenda and took X-rays. He encouraged her to try conservative treatment options first for her neck pain, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) and physical therapy
Brenda tried the conservative care and the pain relievers did help some. But the relief was only temporary and her radicular pain would return. In fact, instead of going away, her pain was getting worse and she began having numbness and tingling into her fingers. Simple things, like carrying a purse on her shoulder or picking up merchandise at a store, were becoming impossible. She also had difficulty moving her neck from side to side. Her condition was now interfering with normal function.
Brenda returned to her doctor and he then referred her to fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Thomas, because of his expertise in the field of spine. Dr. Thomas examined Brenda and ordered an MRI of her cervical spine. The diagnostic results showed a herniated disc in her neck.
The spine surgeon talked with Brenda about her treatment options. He explained to her that typically, patients with herniated discs in the neck area would need a surgery that would involve removing the damaged shock absorbing disc that resides between the neck vertebrae and replacing it with a bone graft that would fuse and lock the neck vertebrae together. This “cervical fusion” surgery, however, limits neck rotation, and in some cases, causes more stress on other discs in the neck.
While Brenda was unsure about cervical fusion she also knew she could not continue to live and work with the pain symptoms. “Dr. Thomas was very calming and gave me the peace of mind I needed to move forward with the cervical fusion. He made sure I knew what to expect before and after the procedure,” Brenda remembers.
Dr. Thomas performed the cervical fusion surgery. The surgery was successful. Brenda was careful to follow the post surgery care instructions. She was very relieved to find that her neck and shoulder pain was gone.
Brenda has returned to work full time and is happy to report no more neck or shoulder pain.
Dr. Michael A. Thomas is a board-certified neurosurgeon who practices general neurosurgery with a specialty in minimally invasive spine surgery, skull base and endoscopic brain surgery. He treats conditions and diseases affecting the nervous system, which includes the brain, spine, spinal cord, and the peripheral nerves. Dr. Thomas has been referred to as a patient-focused professional and a conscientious and skilled neurosurgeon by his colleagues. He is certified by the American Board of Osteopathic Surgeons with a Neurosurgical discipline and the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners.
Patient’s names and details were changed due to HIPAA privacy policy.