Spine Surgeon New York

Who Are The New York Orthopaedic Spinal Associates?

New York Orthopaedic Spinal Associates’ mission is to provide personalized, high-quality spine care. We have created a practice that we believe in and choose for our own family members. Our Spine Surgeon in New York performs Spinal Surgery on the neck and lower back.

Drs. Ira and Marc Chernoff have been working together for over 16 years in private practice. These two brothers are fellowship-trained in Spinal Surgery. The majority of our patients are treated conservatively without the need for surgery, but we do offer several procedures that both doctors have experience performing. Spinal Surgery procedures that we routinely perform include Lumbar Microdiscectomy, Cervical Discectomy and Fusion, Lumbar Laminectomy and Fusion Procedures.

Each physician is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and fellowship-trained in Spinal Surgery. Our Nurse practitioners always consult with the attending physician prior to working with each patient in order to provide informed, consistent care at all times.

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Back Pain Treatment With Our Spine Surgeon In New York

Do you suffer from sharp pain in your back? If this occurs frequently then it could be a symptom of a larger problem. Back pain is no small matter if you want to get to the root of the problem, make an appointment with a spine surgeon in New York at New York Orthopaedic Spinal Associates!

Causes Of Back Pain

However resilient our body, it is very easy to injure your spine. Common causes of spine pain are:

Lifting with your back – The best way to lift an object is by lifting with your knees. Lifting with your knees and keeping your back straight will prevent both gradual and sudden injury to the spine.
Muscle or ligament strain – If you are bending down and jerk up hastily this could affect spinal ligaments and back muscles. These ligaments surround the dura, which is a membrane that protects the spinal cord and its nerves. Damaging this can lead to muscle or ligament strains/spasms.
Arthritis – This can eventually lead to spinal stenosis this happens when osteoarthritis affects the lower back for too long.
Skeletal irregularities – Usually do not affect one until they are middle-aged. An example of this is scoliosis, scoliosis is when your spine starts to curve to either the left or right side.
Osteoporosis – The vertebrae along your spine can become brittle, porous, and sponge-like due to a variety of factors including calcium deficiency.

Symptoms Of Back Pain

You do not need a Ph.D. or to go to medical school to know when something doesn’t feel right. You know how you should feel, but if you are not sure whether to contact a Spine Surgeon in New York some common symptoms of spine problems are:

Stiffness – If you experience a limited range of motion due to stiffness, this could be a sign of a variety of spine problems.
Muscle Spasms – Whether you are standing still or about to do a triple backflip if you feel your muscles spasm then that is a cause for concern.
Chronic Pain – Pain that is constant and lasts more than two weeks in your back is considered chronic.
Acute Pain – Pain that occurs when you bend over, walk, stand in your back it not normal.

Treatment

Depending on how severe the pain and your back is treatments vary from simple to surgical treatments. Treatments include:

Rest – Depending on how bad you have hurt your spine rest could be a simple fix. If you notice after 2-3 days, your condition has not improved, other treatment options may be needed.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – Ibuprofen, indomethacin, meloxicam (Mobic), or naproxen
Corticosteroid shots – These are injections that may help relieve pain and inflammation in a specific area of your body. They’re most commonly injected into joints.
Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection – The steroid injection is not a tremendous procedure, it is nothing to be afraid of. If you have lower back pain this will help ease your pain. The pain may start in the lumbar area of the spine or it may start in the tailbone.

It may feel like you cannot go back to living your life as you use to before you had spine pain and you’re right. You cannot go back but you can go forward with new knowledge of how to take care of your spine and back the proper way. Depending on the severity of your situation you may not be able to do the activities you use to do, but if you take proper care of your spine and make changes to help with the healing process then maybe you can go back to enjoying the things you use to do. That’s why you should contact a Spine Surgeon in New York!

Can Sciatica Be Treated By Our Back Surgeon In New York?

Sciatica is a pulsing pain diverging from the lower back down to one or both legs. The pain occurs when the sciatic nerve is injured, or some sort of stimulant puts pressure on the nerve. What’s unique about the sciatic nerve is that it’s considered the longest nerve in the body, stretching from the back down to the legs. Unfortunately, injury or excessive force to any part of the nerve can create sciatic discomfort. If you believe you’re suffering from sciatica, contact the office of Dr. Ira Chernoff & Dr. Marc Chernoff over at New York Orthopaedic Spinal Associates. As a spine surgeon in New York, both doctors are fully capable of diagnosing your condition and determining if sciatica is the source.

Causes Of Sciatica

Herniated disc – A condition that refers to the bulging, splitting, or rupturing of the rubbery disc between the spinal bones.
Spinal stenosis – Narrowed space within the spine, most commonly found in the neck and lower back region. Treatment can be executed by a spine surgeon in New York.
Back or neck strain – In some cases, recurring activities such as exercising, poor posture, or heavy lifting can be a catalyst for sciatic pain.
Physical injuries – Blunt forces to the back, leg, or any point along the sciatic nerve can lead to sciatic pain. In most cases, this can occur from major physical trauma such as a car accident. If you’ve injured your back or legs as a result of a spontaneous accident, speaking to a spine surgeon in New York is an ideal source for treatment options and other pertinent information.

Symptoms Of Sciatica

Leg numbness – Numbness within the legs initially crops up spontaneously and on rare occasions, the entire leg will feel the effects.
Tingling sensation – Specifically found in the leg, buttock, or back. Unfortunately, this may serve as a warning sign of a significant nerve injury.
Immobility – Difficulty standing, walking, or balancing could be triggered by numbness or pain in the leg or back, indicating the presence of sciatic pain. Are you having difficulty maneuvering because of sciatic discomfort? Consider contacting a spine surgeon in New York to discuss your condition in further detail.
Neck pain – Neck pain can point to a host of different problems, including the potential presence of sciatica.

Warning Signs

Understandably, early detection can serve as a major difference in your recovery efforts. Take a look at some of the immediate warning signs that may indicate you’re suffering from sciatica:

Experiencing severe pain in your lower back or leg along with the presence of numbness or muscle weakness.
Major/chronic discomfort after a traumatic experience, especially in the case of a traffic accident or anything of that nature.

If you’ve developed spontaneous lower back pain or any of the symptoms listed above, contact a spine surgeon in New York immediately.

Treatment: What Can Our Spine Surgeon In New York Do For You?

Surgery is usually reserved for more chronic cases, such as when the pressured nerves are too weak to suffice. Patients experiencing bowel or bladder issues may also require surgery, especially if the level of pain is intolerable. Considering a surgical procedure for your sciatica? Reach out to a local spine surgeon in New York who can properly assess your condition and determine if surgery would be necessary. Ordinarily, sciatica can be treated through simpler measures such as rest or scheduled workout regimens. Allow Dr. Ira Chernoff & Dr. Marc Chernoff to make this distinction for you, putting your mind at ease.

If any of these symptoms regarding sciatica seem to apply to you, contact your local spine surgeon in New York today for an appointment and consultation.

Spinal Fusion For Scoliosis

The spine is the body’s central support structure. If it begins to curve and become misaligned, an abundance of complications will likely be the result. At New York Orthopaedic Spinal Associates, we understand how important it is to maintain proper spine health. If you are suffering from severe scoliosis and your condition continues to worsen, spinal fusion may be the answer. For those of you that are looking to undergo spine surgery in New York, our orthopedic surgeons can perform this procedure to help correct your severe scoliosis today!

What Is Scoliosis?

This condition is classified as a curvature of the spine with its true cause being unknown. Scoliosis most often occurs in children experiencing growth spurts that occur right before puberty. Though mostly affecting children, over 3% of the adult population also suffers from this spine-related issue. While cases of this condition are usually mild and require no actual treatment, severe cases of scoliosis can make spine surgery in New York necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Why You Should Seek Treatment:

While some patients will have no issues when dealing with scoliosis, others aren’t as fortunate. Depending on the severity of your scoliosis, you are at risk for various complications if the condition is left untreated. Opting to undergo our spine surgery in New York will be able to help you avoid some potential complications such as some of the following:

Back pain: Adults with scoliosis are more at risk for chronic back pain.
Lung and heart issues: If the curve of your spine is severe enough, it can cause your ribs to press against your lungs and heart. This can make breathing and proper heart functionality perverse.
Body alignment: Allowing this condition to worsen can throw off the alignment of your whole body. Your hips and shoulders can become uneven, your rib cage can become more prominent, and your waist may shift to one side.

Spine Surgery in New York – Spinal Fusion:

For those experiencing spinal curves of more than 45 to 50 degrees, we recommend undergoing spinal fusion surgery to prevent future complications. This operation will straighten the spine and permanently fuse your vertebrae. To promote the fusion of the vertebrae, bone grafts or synthetic substances may be used. Once the alignment has been made, metal plates or rods may be inserted around the vertebrae to allow them to heal in a straight line. This fusion stops the growth of this part of the spine completely, meaning that the curvature will no longer take place.

What To Expect When You’re Recovering

While spinal fusion is a major surgery that will require some time to fully heal, there is no reason to expect you won’t make a full recovery. Immediately following the operation, our spine surgeon in New York will want you to stay hospitalized for at least three to four days. During this time, he’ll observe how your body has reacted to the surgery and make sure there are no issues. Be prepared to wear a brace to ensure that your spine remains in the proper alignment until the body has fused the bone into place. This process can take between four to six weeks. After a successful fusion, you may need to undergo a regimen of physical therapy to regain the strength in your back and increase your range of motion! In most cases, it can typically take between three and six months to fully recover from this operation.

Contact Us Today!

At New York Orthopaedic Spinal Associates, we want to help ease your mind when it comes to severe scoliosis. Our surgeons are experts in treating the spine and they know how to properly care for each patient. Don’t continue to live with severe scoliosis, contact us for spinal fusion surgery to correct your curvature issues today!