Dr. Sean McCance - NYC Orthopedic Spine Surgeons' Blog

New Spinal Cord Stimulator for Chronic Back Pain

More than 26 million Americans suffer from Chronic Back Pain (CBP) every year at an estimated cost of more than $100 billion. It can have a devastating effect on the quality of work, sleep, exercise, and other aspects of everyday life for those who suffer from it. Many of these patients can be helped significantly with intensive rehab programs or spine surgery, but some select conditions are not amenable to these more main-stream approaches. For this specific population of patients, there are new and incredible innovations that can be very effective. I recently came across a new device from the Boston Scientific Corporation called the “Precision Spectra Spinal Cord Stimulator.” Spinal Cord Stimulators (SCS) are implanted devices that use “contact points” to deliver electrical pulses to mask pain signals from being delivered to the brain. They have been used for just less than 10 years and are specifically designed to control chronic pain and even motor-function disabilities. Perhaps the biggest advantage of this device is that they can significantly reduce the need for pain medication, which can become highly addictive, expensive, and take a heavy toll on the body. One patient reportedly went from taking 260 milligrams of morphine daily

August 6, 2013

How to Strengthen Your Back with Pilates

How to Strengthen Your Back with Pilates: Pilates is one of the best exercises around for improving back pain and posture. Firstly, the exercises strongly emphasize a focus on spinal and pelvic alignment. Additionally, they target core muscles in the body that can work together to alleviate back pain and provide strength to effectively create a “brace” for preventing future back pain. The essential components of Pilates are concentration, control, centering of the body, efficiency of movement, precision, and breathing. It’s pretty easy to see how, if done properly, all of these can come together to have a positive impact for your spinal health. Here are a few specific exercises to strengthen your back with Pilates: Swimming (strength) The swimming exercise is great for strengthening your back, gluteus and shoulders at any level of proficiency. Lie face down with your arms and legs extended as far out as possible. Pull your belly button in so it is not pressing against the floor; this will help prepare your core muscles. Lift your right arm, left leg and head at the same time and hold for two, twelve second intervals. Repeat with the left arm and right leg. Complete four repetitions on each

July 30, 2013

Back Problems from Cycling

First of all, I want to congratulate Chris Froome on winning the Tour de France! He rode a fantastic race, showing his true colors through the arduous mountain climbs and astonishing everyone through some of the toughest time trials the Tour has ever seen. Just because the Tour is over, however, doesn’t mean biking season has ended. Biking can be a great way to get out and exercise through the fall, but it can also cause serious back pain if one doesn’t ride properly. I would like to provide some tips to help prevent unnecessary injury. Believe it or not, back issues from cycling can be related to an individual’s body and/or mechanical discrepancies in the construction of the bike itself. The single most important lesson in this is that the fit of the bike has to be tailored for your body. For starters, many cyclists ride bikes that are too big for them. If you find yourself sitting up too high, you will then have to compensate by leaning forward to reach the handlebars, shifters and brakes. On the other hand, if your bike is too compact, you may over-arch yourself and cause tension in your spinal ligaments. Just

July 23, 2013

The Risks of Overtraining

It’s great that people today are concerned about their health and are proactive about maintaining their bodies. Unfortunately, there is a growing trend that could potentially weaken these noble goals, and it’s called “overtraining”. Overtraining can be described as increasing the frequency, duration or intensity of your normal workout routine too quickly, and it carries many negative side effects. First of all, overtraining can diminish the effectiveness of any workout. It can also cause chronic soreness and lead to injury, insomnia, unexplained weight-loss, and other conditions. The question then becomes: How can I prevent myself from overtraining? Get Your Rest You may have heard of people scheduling workout programs to focus on different muscles throughout the week. This is to prevent overworking specific muscles to prevent tears and pulls. Just as we need to sleep to recuperate mentally and physically, every muscle in our body needs to recover too. Muscles grow while you are sleeping as growth hormones are being released. Without sleep, there is significantly less time for the recovery and growth to take effect. If you have been following a strict workout plan without rest, you may want to consider taking some time off completely to get yourself

July 16, 2013

Is Sleeping in Hammocks Bad for Your Back?

During the summer it can be quite a joy to simply sit back and relax in a hammock. You can read a book, enjoy the scenery, or even take a nap. As it turns out, sleeping in a hammock can actually help you fall asleep faster and give you “better” rest, eliminating tossing and turning. Back pain often leads to discomfort, which can disrupt your sleep cycle and even prevent you from getting to sleep at all. It is important to keep in mind that a strong, supportive hammock that is properly hung is the best option for easy relaxation. Flimsy or smaller versions can lead to lower back pain, so it’s best to avoid those at all costs. Hammocks were first invented for sleeping in Central and South America, and later introduced to Europeans by Christopher Columbus, who brought several back from his voyages to the New World. As early as 1600, the British Royal Navy adopted them for use on ships, as the movement provided superior comfort for their sailors and prevented them from being thrown to the deck if waves tossed the ship. Hammocks can actually help us fall asleep faster and encourage a deeper, more fulfilling

July 11, 2013

New York Magazine Best Doctors

I am thrilled to announce that I have been named one of the top Spine Surgery Specialists for the second year in a row in the New York Magazine “Best Doctors” issue – on stands now! It is an honor to be recognized by such a great publication.

June 25, 2013

Becker’s Spine Review: 8 Ways for Spine Surgeons to Leave a Lasting Mark on the Field

I was honored to be selected by Becker’s Spine Review in July 2012 as a “Top Spine Surgeon Leader for Non-Profit Hospitals” and then again in October 2012 as a “Spine Surgeon Leader to Know.” This month, Becker’s Spine Review interviewed me again for “8 Ways Spine Surgeons to Leave a Lasting Mark on the Field.” Below please find my answers, as dictated to Editor-in-Chief Laura Miller. Spine surgeons have a huge responsibility to provide safe, effective and cost-effective care to patients on a daily basis. However, for surgeons who want to go the extra mile to impact spine care beyond their practice, there are several avenues worth exploring. Advocate for healthcare policy. As healthcare reform moves forward, it will be crucial for spine surgeons to participate in local and national advocacy efforts to positively influence healthcare policy. Surgeons understand what their patients need and have several options to ensure their voices are heard. “One of the big things surgeons can do today is advocating for health policy to protect the ability to provide patient care, access to care and procedure coverage,” says Sean McCance, MD, co-director of spine surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital and director of Spine Associates in New York. “There are several things

June 18, 2013

Scuba Diving after Spine Surgery

Last month, I shared a wonderful story about my former patient, Sarah Cohn. This month, I have the pleasure of introducing you to another former patient, Rosemary Kurtti. Rosemary came to my practice in September of 2010, after nearly a year of chronic back pain. Before being referred to me by one of her friends, she tried treating her debilitating pain with physical therapy, epidural injections and painkillers, but nothing seemed to work. I determined that Rosemary was actually suffering from a herniated disk in her lower back, a condition all too familiar for many of my patients. After discussing various approaches, we decided that surgery was her best option. It would be a minimally invasive procedure and the benefits outweighed everything else. At first Rosemary was a little hesitant. She is an avid scuba diver and was concerned that she would not be able to continue pursuing her passion following the surgery. With a big smile, I told her she would absolutely dive again. Nothing about my job makes me happier than being able to get patients back to doing the things they love. Not knowing that I too share her passion for scuba diving, Rosemary asked if I

June 12, 2013

Rob Gronkowski for Lower Back Disc Injury

Recently, it was confirmed that New England Patriot tight end Rob Gronkowski will undergo surgery this June to repair a lower back disc injury, which has been troubling him since November of last year. Unfortunately, this is not the first or the last time we will see this type of headline in the news, as the rate of sports-related injuries continues to rise. Gronkowski is no stranger to surgery. In 2009, the two-time Pro Bowler missed his entire junior season at the University of Arizona, due to a similar, though unrelated, disc injury. Following the 2011-12 season, Gronkowski had surgery for strained ligaments in his ankle. Most recently, he underwent four surgeries in the past seven months on his left arm, which he broke last November and reinjured in December. His latest injury highlights the significant injury rate sustained by professional football players. Head trauma and spinal conditions are becoming increasingly more common, and only now are we beginning to understand the long term effects of injuries suffered more than 20 or even 30 years ago. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 920,000 people 18 and under were treated for football-related injuries in hospital emergency rooms, doctors’ offices

June 4, 2013

The Misconceptions and Fears about Spine Surgery

The word “surgery” often causes anxiety and fear for patients. Many times, they specifically ask what treatment options are available aside from surgery because they want to avoid having an operation all together, due to common misconceptions. These misconceptions are about surgery, especially spinal surgery, and I’ve heard them all. More often than not, they get in the way of the best treatment that is available for the patient .The truth is, depending on what type of injury you have and the situation you are in, surgery may end up being your best and safest option for a full recovery. Although surgery is not always the answer, it is also not always the option of last resort. A few common misconceptions that I often hear at my practice are: I will never be able to be active again! Actually, the opposite is often true. Without spinal surgery, many patients continue to suffer from their symptoms, making any type of physical activity painful. After the problem is corrected, patients can very often get back to normal activities, including sports. Also, I usually recommend that my patients begin taking walks quickly after surgery in order to regain mobility, which also helps with the healing

May 28, 2013

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