Dr. Anders Cohen Helps Individuals With Degenerative Disc Disease Live Active Lives

Aging can be a painful process for some. Fortunately, Dr. Anders Cohen can help make the transition peaceful and graceful.

Degenerative disc disease is an illness that afflicts the older population. As people age, it is normal for body organs to lose their elasticity and flexibility, as well as the ability to absorb trauma and shock.

This is why the spine eventually turns brittle and more susceptible to fracture. The gradual damage to the spinal disc and ligaments leads to degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, or simply, degenerative disc disease.

Luckily, there are already various treatments available that serve to correct these conditions. Dr. Anders Cohen is a New York-based neurosurgeon, and a leading specialist in spine surgery focusing on cervical and lumbar disorders. He is the only spine surgeon to pioneer two revolutionary methods in spine fusion – AxiaLIF and XLIF. Compared to traditional methods, these new procedures allow for less blood loss and faster recuperation for patients with degenerative scoliosis and spondylolisthesis.

But these methods are offered only after conservative treatments have proved unsuccessful in relieving pain and muscle weakness. Before embarking on surgical operations, the benefits and risks of operative versus non-operative treatments are carefully weighed by the patients and Dr. Anders Cohen.
As in other scientific pursuits, the search for better treatments continues. Dr. Cohen has also earned a certification in artificial disc implantation, a promising alternative that allows patients to keep active.

The tricky part of degenerative disc disease is that sometimes the symptoms do not develop until there is considerable damage to the lumbar area. The telling symptoms of compressed nerve roots are: back pain, radiating leg pain, neck pain, and radiating arm pain. This is why regular physical examinations, especially for the elderly, are critical in the early diagnosis of degenerative disc disease.