If you have low back pain, neck pain, sciatica or a pinched nerve, then you understand how your symptoms can limit your ability to engage in your normal activities. The pain can prevent you from sitting, standing or walking normally, and it can interfere in your ability to work and enjoy recreational activities and sports.
When spinal pain strikes, you may benefit from conservative treatments like physical therapy or injections to help improve your mobility and get you back to your normal lifestyle. If your pain is persistent, your doctor may recommend you visit a spinal surgeon who can assess your need for lumbar or cervical spine surgery to help your condition.
Conditions that may require you to have spine surgery include, but are not limited to:
- Herniated discs
- Facet joint arthritis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease
If you are like many other New Jersey residents facing spine surgery, you probably have a lot of questions and concerns. Who should do your surgery and who does the best spine surgery procedures in NJ? Will you miss a lot of work or family time? Where do you start?
Let’s take a look at what steps you should take when considering spine surgery procedures in New Jersey, including where to begin and how to find the best spine surgeon for your condition.
Having Spine Surgery in NJ? Let’s Get You Started
When considering spine surgery procedures in NJ, you need to weigh many options when searching for the right surgeon and facility. First, you need to find the best surgeon for your condition. Some variables to consider when looking for a top-rated NJ spine surgeon include:
- Does the surgeon practice innovative surgical techniques like minimally invasive spine surgery?
- Is my surgeon compassionate, and does he or she understand how my back or neck pain affects my everyday activity level?
- Does my surgeon accept my health insurance as payment?
- Is the spine surgery center or hospital in a convenient location?
The answers to some of these questions may be simple to find. A quick phone call can determine if your surgeon accepts your specific health insurance. But to find out if your doctor is a compassionate individual who practices innovative surgical techniques, you may need to do more intensive searching with face-to-face meetings. And this means you need to locate a doctor.
Finding a New Jersey spine surgeon who uses innovative techniques may be challenging, but with a little leg work, it can be done. Some of the best practices when searching for the right surgeon for your condition include:
- Asking friends or family members for a referral.
- Speaking to your family physician about the best spine surgeons in your area.
- Searching on the internet for unbiased reviews of New Jersey spine surgeons.
Once you have spent some time finding a surgeon and facility that can perform your spine surgery, it is time to locate the best surgeon for your condition. While doing that, you will start to understand that not every surgeon offers the same level of compassion and skill, and some surgeons will perform spine surgery, even if you are not a good candidate for the procedure.
Determine if You Are a Good Candidate for Spine Surgery
Although many New Jersey residents suffer from back pain, neck pain or sciatica, not everyone is a good candidate for back surgery. Variables to improve the likelihood for a positive outcome following spinal surgery may include:
- Leading an active, healthy lifestyle
- Exercising regularly
- Acute or subacute conditions
- Minimal dependence on opiate pain medication for your spine
Unfortunately, people who are suffering from chronic back pain tend to not have a positive spine surgery outcome. This does not mean that you will not benefit from spine surgery, so speak to your doctor about your specific condition to determine if spine surgery is right for you.
If you are an active person who has developed a recent onset of back or neck pain or sciatica, then you can expect to have a favorable outcome from your spine surgery.
Find the Best Neurosurgeon for Your Condition
Once you have determined that you are a good candidate for spine surgery and have located different practices that perform spine surgery procedures in NJ, it is time to find the best neurosurgeon for your specific condition. This means that you should meet with different surgeons to discuss your pain and how it affects your life.
When meeting with a doctor about spine surgery procedures in NJ, be sure to look for specific traits that indicate your doctor is right for you. These may include:
- Professional and compassionate listening skills
- Answering all of your questions and concerns
- Taking time to learn about how your condition affects your active lifestyle
- Practices innovative spine surgery procedures in NJ in a state-of-the-art facility
After meeting with your neurosurgeon, you should have all of your questions and concerns answered and feel confident that your doctor has a complete understanding of your spinal condition. It is common for people facing spine surgery to feel some anxiety about the procedure, but you should feel good about your choice in neurosurgeon for your spine surgery.
If you need a spine surgery, you need to take specific steps to find the best New Jersey neurosurgeon to perform your procedure. Once you have performed the necessary due diligence in finding the right doctor for you, you can focus on your spine surgery and your personal recovery back to your previous, active lifestyle.
