The vertebrae at the base of your spine are called lumbar vertebrae. You have five lumbar vertebrae and your surgery will name which ones surround the damaged disc. For example, you may have been told you “need a discectomy at L4-L5.” You may hear your surgeon say that your disc herniation was due to “degenerative […]
One of the most common conditions that may require spinal surgery is called “stenosis,” a word that you may see on your MRI report. Most people have some degree of stenosis in their vertebrae that causes discomfort and pain, and can compromise quality of life to a degree that requires surgical intervention. While stenosis is […]
Your cervical spine, more commonly referred to as your neck, is made up of seven vertebrae that start at the top of your shoulders and rise to the base of your skull. It serves a multitude of purposes, including protecting the spinal cord, enabling movement, and much more. While not all neck discomfort is serious, […]
With causes ranging from slips and falls to motor vehicle accidents, many patients of all ages and backgrounds sustain an acute spinal injury each year. As Dr. Sandro LaRocca of New Jersey Neck & Back Institute, P.C. often informs patients, these injuries even affect those who are young and have healthy, appropriately dense bones. Here, […]
Scoliosis is characterized by an S- or C-shaped curve in the spine. This disease affects many older adults, as age-related spinal degeneration can cause disc compression and tilting. Luckily, scoliosis is easy to diagnose and carries many treatment options for patients of New Jersey Neck & Back Institute, P.C. Here, we take a closer look […]
As we all continue to meet the challenge brought by the pandemic, NJNBI remains committed to your care. We are still treating patients under the current circumstances and will fulfill our pledge to giving our patients the best surgical care possible. While two of our locations remain open and we are able to perform urgent […]
The most important question someone faces as they live with back pain is whether its time for surgery. While there are many criteria that can help shape this decision, whether surgery is the right choice is still a highly subjective matter that each individual patient must ultimately navigate themselves. Neurological symptoms such as leg pain, […]
Melissa was a middle school music teacher and viola player who depended on fluid painless movements to play complicated classical music and teach an orchestra of middle schoolers. But by 2018 she was suffering so severely with a cervical disc herniation in her neck that she feared she may not be able to play without […]
The motorcycle revved as it rounded the sharp turn on the motocross track. With a final blast of engine noise, Joe Toscano zoomed up the sharp incline and flew into the air executing a perfect jump, landing straight and zooming to the next mound as dozens of motorcycles buzzed around him. “There was a moment […]