North American Spine Magazine January 2013 issue by North American Spine

North American Spine The Leader in Minimally Invasive Spine Care

New Year’s Resolutions for Better Spine Health

Also in this issue: ›› ›› ›› ›› ›› ›› ››

Prevent Sciatica from Icy Slip-and-Falls Meningitis Scare: Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery is Appealing Alternative Wishful Advice from Pros: Prevent Spine Surgery Get to Know Dr. Vladimir Redko Firefighters at Risk for Injuries like Herniated Discs Dancing Star Suffers Herniated Disc See the Video: AccuraScope in New Jersey

North American Spine Courtesy Magazine | January 2013

New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resolutions for Better Spine Health

With “2013” comes the opportunity for us to make some New Year’s resolutions. Whether you suffer from a painful spine condition, or are recovering from spine surgery, you can renew your commitment to better spine health. Here are some ideas: ›› Stop Smoking Research supports a link between smoking and painful spinal conditions. It also interferes with successful treatment and surgical outcomes.

›› Drink Water Proper hydration promotes healthier spinal discs, which protect the vertebrae and enhance flexibility.

›› Get Plenty of Sleep - Poor sleep contributes to a cycle of worsening pain and sleeplessness.

›› Shed Excess Pounds – This will lighten the load on your spine, enhance post-surgical healing, resume an active lifestyle and reduce back injury risk.

›› Boost Nutrition This promotes bone, muscle and soft tissue health to support vertebral joints.

›› Improve Biomechanics – This will prevent harmful postural and movement habits that contribute to back and neck pain. Physical therapists, fitness trainers and chiropractors are great resources.

It’s key to have a positive attitude when facing personal challenges and chronic pain. Make a commitment to ‘Positive Thinking’ this year. It may be the key to sticking to all those New Year’s Resolutions. Make it a great 2013!

Prevent Sciatica from Icy Slip-and-Falls

This season ushers in something sinister and stealthy… it hides under accumulated fluffy flakes, it lurks beneath slush and soot, and it masquerades as shiny asphalt. Yes, it’s the dreaded arrival of ICE! Winter’s public enemy #1 is the cause for countless serious injuries like herniated discs and lingering sciatica from wipeouts. Consider the following suggestions for navigating icy terrain when you simply cannot avoid it at all.

›› Wear supportive footwear with flexible

soles and good traction. ›› STOCK UP ON SAND or salt in easy-to-carry

bags. Keep one at each door to your house and in your car. Sand walkways before and after a storm to prevent icing. ›› Use caution when stepping out in the morning

as parking surfaces may by icy. ›› Avoid shiny asphalt, as it could be ‘black ice’.

Test it with your shoe tip. ›› Handrails – Forget pride, just use them. ›› Pay attention when walking and stay on

shoveled walkways. Keep off your cell phone.

So if hopping on a jet and skipping out of town isn’t likely next time the weather forecast predicts icy precipitation, take care to prevent a nasty fall.

Meningitis Scare

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery is Appealing Alternative It was late September when the terrible nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak began. Typically, methylprednisolone vials used for spinal pain injections originate from large pharmaceutical companies that are strictly regulated for health and safety. Sometimes, compounding pharmacies that are not subject to the same Food and Drug Administration regulations will prepare special mixtures from the original medications. For individuals who receive epidural injections for conditions like herniated discs, this outbreak is terrifying. However, North American Spine and the pain management experts it works with did not purchase or administer any products from the compounding center that produced the tainted shots. This is certainly reassuring news. According to the International Spine Intervention Society, thousands of epidural steroid injections are administered annually, the infection risk is estimated to be fewer than 1 in 100,000, and death is a rarity. For individuals suffering with chronic back pain from herniated discs or sciatica, interventional pain management procedures like epidural steroid injections continue to provide effective treatment solutions. However, minimally invasive spine surgery procedures offer excellent results for many people who have exhausted conventional treatment options and seek an alternative to epidural injections.

Wishful Advice from Pros: Prevent Spine Surgery

ÂŠ Can Stock Photo Inc. / michaeljung

When facing unsettling medical diagnoses and prognoses, it’s only natural to blame yourself for what you might have been able to do to prevent the current situation. Surveyed spine pros indicated they hoped patients would follow these nine activities that could prevent back pain and even spine surgery:

Exercise – to strengthen supporting muscles and maintain flexibility

Chances are you already follow many of these recommendations provided by the spine experts who were surveyed in the “9 for Spine” Member Survey by the North American Spine Society. Set a personal goal for protecting your spine this year by making all of them a part of your ‘healthy spine lifestyle!’

Quit smoking – to improve blood flow, calcium absorption and bone regeneration, as well as surgery recovery

Manage body weight – within 10 pounds of ideal

Manage body weight - within 10 pounds of ideal

Correct your posture – to reduce unnatural strain on your back and neck

Maintain strong core – strong stomach and back muscles can assist your spine

Manage stress – break the cycle of muscle tension, spasms and pain to reduce pain and injury risk

Maintain bone health – with weight bearing exercise and good nutrition

Listen to your body – know your physical limits

North American Spine is not affiliated with and not endorsed by North American Spine Society

Get to Know Dr. Vladimir Redko

We are thrilled to be working with Vladimir Redko, a noted leader in spine treatment. As noted by Becker’s ASC Review, Dr. Redko expands North American Spine’s services in Houston, Texas. Dr. Redko is a Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology, Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management and Diplomate of the American board of Anesthesiology in Pain Management.

Jersey. He went on to complete Fellowships in Cardiac Anesthesia at the State of New York Brooklyn Health Science Center and in Pain Management at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center.

After receiving his medical degree from the renowned Moscow Medical School, in Russia, Dr. Redko completed his Internships in General Surgery in Moscow and at the Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in New York, and his Residency in Anesthesiology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New

In addition to more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Redko has published and presented numerous research works including “Computer Assisted and Patient Interactive Programming of Dual Octrode Spinal Cord Stimulation in the Treatment of Chronic Pain” in the journal Neuromodulation.

Firefighters at Risk for Injuries like Herniated Discs

The TV images of human suffering and bravery during and after the horrific events of Hurricane Sandy were riveting. Amazingly and not surprisingly, during the worst storm surges, fires, floods and falling trees and debris, firefighters sacrificed their own safety to rescue and protect people and homes. © Can Stock Photo Inc. / Lammeyer

The physical trauma these first responders are subject to on their job often leads to low back pain from conditions like herniated discs and sciatica. According to the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), back injuries account for approximately 50% of annual retirement from line-of-duty injuries. Firefighters perform one of the most physically demanding and hazardous jobs. They have to enter unstable buildings while engulfed in flames. Their bodies must support heavy protective clothing and gear, while carrying axes and charged hoses. They climb ladders, crawl through tight spaces, lift pieces of structure and carry people to safety. To prevent back pain and injuries firefighters undergo rigorous fitness training to build aerobic stamina and physical strength, with an emphasis on core muscle development. Let us renew our appreciation for the enormous personal risks undertaken by the brave men and women who serve our communities in times of disaster.

ÂŠ Can Stock Photo Inc. / toddsholder

Dancing Star Suffers Herniated Disc

Think your daughters are safe from serious injury when their sport is dance? Think again…. The British news site MailOnline reported that “Dancing with the Stars” contestant and pro Melissa Rycroft injured her neck during a rehearsal. She had to be taken to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a herniated cervical disc, received an injection for the pain, and was released. The next day she bravely competed on live TV, and joked about being on a lot of pain medication during her live performance. According to the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries at the NYU Medical Center in New York, dancers are prone to lumbar spine pain and injuries from the combination of high impact repetitive movements and extreme body positions. Neck injuries are also common, since similar dynamics occurring during whiplash injuries come into play with rigorous dance movement. It was certainly impressive for this professional dancer to bounce back from her ordeal and go on with the show. If you’re a dancer who suffered a similar injury, it is best to seek medical care and take it easy for a while before returning to the usual dance routines.

See the Video:

AccuraScope in New Jersey New Jersey has had a good amount of bad news and deprivations lately. We’re happy to add in some positive news for our friends in the New York metro area. Dr. Damon Noto is now treating patients with North American Spine’s AccuraScope® approach at the Hackensack Surgery Center. Dr. Noto recently talked about the AccuraScope approach on New Jersey’s 12 To Your Health daytime television show. Check out the segment on our website! A recent AccuraScope patient, Katie M., flew to New Jersey in from Newfoundland, Canada for a procedure after waiting for months for the Hackensack location to make it available. Katie, a former nurse, had undergone a successful minimally invasive spine procedure from another well-known provider that corrected some of the pain that radiated down her leg. However, she learned after the procedure that multiple levels of her spine were in need of repair, and that the minimally invasive approach was able to address only one level at a time. She remained in excruciating pain. One week after the AccuraScope procedure, Katie says her experience was good and encouraged us to share the great news in her hometown. You can spread the word, too!

About Dr. Damon Noto

The founder of the Spine & Joint Center in Hasbrouck Heights, Dr. Noto has made an active effort to learn advanced pain treatment methods. His medical training at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, residency in New York Presbyterian Hospital of Cornell and Columbia, fellowship at the Harvard-affiliated New England Baptist Hospital and studies at the Stanford University School of Medicine have allowed him to create a unique skill set to treat his patients using advanced methods. The addition of the AccuraScope® procedures has further enhanced his tools for spine treatment.

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