Spinal Cord Injury. Introducing Thomas N Bryce

Recovering from spinal cord injuries is a complex process as they can be the result of serious localized trauma or lifestyle habits. That is why it is helpful to have a professional by your side while you undergo recovery. Thomas N Bryce, our leader in Spinal Cord Medicine at the Department of Rehabilitative medicine, has been a part of our team here at Mount Sinai since 1997 and could be the answer to your problem.

Dr Thomas Bryce has an impressive academic record. Prior to joining us, he completed his undergraduate degree from Albany Medical College and received speciality training at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He is a leader in the field, being the principal investigator of several ongoing studies in these areas and “wrote the book” (quite literally) on spinal cord injuries having authored numerous chapters and peer-reviewed articles on the subject.

Dr Bryce’s research is focused on assessing residing pain after spine damage, use of robotic exoskeletons to facilitate walking, and stem cell implantations for neurological recovery. He has been involved in several international taskforces with the aim to reduce pain after spinal cord surgery.

He is currently Governor Cuomo to the New York State Spinal Cord Research Board. Dr Bryce’s method is intersectional. He works closely with physical therapists, occupational therapists, neuropsychologists, and other surgical specialists to provide bespoke comprehensive care.

Dr Bryce understands the intricacies that are involved in recovering from spinal cord injury.

A bespoke plan can be constructed to suit anyone’s individual needs when going through this difficult period. Spine damage can be the result of hard trauma or lifestyle or a mix of both. Dr. Bryce can accommodate plans that involve difficult lifestyle changes. This includes both long-term habitual corrections, such as posture to post-surgery rehab.

If you have suffered a sports-related injury, please contact us at Mount Sinai Department of Rehabilitative Medicine for a bespoke rehab plan. Contact our switchboard on: (212) 241-6321

Recovering from spinal cord surgery

Spinal cord injuries are the result of both accidents and lifestyle habits. We can avoid developing a weak spine by adjusting our lifestyles. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for accidents. A car accident or slipping over can lead to tremendous long-term discomfort and pain with little we can do to prevent these damages, assuming you're wearing your seatbelt and not running on unstable surfaces. Nonetheless, there are ways we can tackle this issue using advances in medical science. Spine surgery can have incredible effects on your quality of life. Let’s investigate how you can plan your recovery after a surgery. Please note that timestamps are generalized and dependent on your health and recovery plan.

Spine surgery is one of the more common types of surgery, and most are minimally invasive.  Let’s take a look at what spine surgery can do for you.

Firstly, when you’re in the hospital, you may have one of these surgeries depending on what type of damage you have incurred.  

·       Diskectomy – surgery to remove all or part of your disk

·       Foraminotory – surgery to widen the opening in your back where nerve roots leave your spinal column

·       Laminectomy – surgery to remove the lamina, two small bones that make up a vertebra, or bone spurs in your back, to take pressure off your spinal nerves or spinal column

·       Spinal fusion – the fusing of two bones together in your back to correct problems in your spine

Your physician will give you a bespoke plan relating to your damage and recovery plan.

Depending on your surgery, recovery could take anywhere between 3 weeks to 6 months to recover. Other conditions that could affect your recovery is your lifestyle and bodily condition before the surgery.

Your bandages have a lifespan of approximately 9 days.  Check to see if the area has changed colour, swollen, or begins to open up. If this happens, contact your surgeon immediately. If there are no issues, you may begin to shower again. Wait 5 days before showering, and cover the incision with plastic wrap. Do not allow shower from the head to spray the wounded area. You should also want to avoid stairs for the first week or so.

Once a few weeks have passed, and the healing process is underway, you should be attempting to work your way into your previous routine. Before continuing your rehab, please note: do not sit still for extended periods of time, and inform yourself on proper posture by reading this. If you are supported by a brace or corset, you should be wearing it when sitting and walking, however, it would be unnecessary to wear the brace when you are sitting for short periods of time or using the bathroom at night. Finally, do not drive for the first 2 weeks.

Now is the point where, as opposed to what you should avoid, we can start looking at how you can actively help the healing process.

Around the 4 week stage, generally, you should be taking light walks to strengthen surrounding areas. Increase the speed or duration of the walk slowly. This allows the spine to heal itself within an active body and correct itself. A sedentary lifestyle will encourage previous problems to return. Continue to up your exercise slowly as your spine recovers.

Please note, you should contact your surgeon immediately if you experience any of the following:

·        Chills or a fever of 101°F (38.3°C), or higher

·        More pain where you had your surgery

·        Drainage from the wound or the drainage is green or yellow

·        Lose feeling or have a change of feeling in your arms (if you had neck surgery) or your legs and feet (if you had lower back surgery)

·        Chest pain, shortness of breath

·        Swelling

·        Calf pain

·        Your back pain worsens and does not get better with rest and/or pain medicine

·        Difficulty urinating and controlling your bowel movements

If this routine does not help, or you need medical attention, please contact us at Mount Sinai Department of Rehabilitative Medicine. A bespoke plan will be necessary if you suffer from other medical problems. Contact our switchboard on: (212) 241-6321

Changes to Your Daily Routine That Will Change Your Life

This week, with our committment to your health, we bring you ways in which you can avoid spinal cord damage and subsequent back pain. Severe spinal cord damage stems from mundane and seemingly trivial aspects in our lives. Although one of the strongest parts of the body, the lower back is incredibly susceptible to damage. Twisting, poor posture, and repetitive strain all leads to its gradual deterioration – so, with this in mind - let’s undergo a quick lower-back health workshop: how can you avoid spinal damage?

Posture

This is the easiest to fix in the short term, but one of the hardest in the long term. Before we go into why that is (and how we should sit), let’s explain why our posture can have such a strain on the spine. The spine is multiply-curved back-to-front in an S shape to allow greater weight bearing and shock resisting capacities. Slouching when sitting, and poor posture when standing puts a strain on parts of the back that were not designed to take pressure. In the long-term, this leads to deterioration of the spine and can cause severe spine pain.

This issue is addressed by sitting upright: pull your shoulders back and sit in an upright position – and you’re already on-the-mend. What makes this an awkward issue to address in the long term is that the way you sit (and stand) is habitual; and it will take consistent minor corrections to achieve good posture.

Exercising the Lower Back

Working on your core once a week will have noticeable effects on your spine’s health. Strengthening your intercostal and surrounding muscles will help balance your spine and make it easier to lessen strain on your back. This will reduce strain on the lower back. Low-impact exercise like walking can also help increase blood flow to the lower back, activating and strengthening the area. If exercising seems like an impossibility, then take to whatever you can. Do not remain idle, get yourself moving somehow.

Daily Health Routines

Drink more water. Stop smoking. Reduce alcohol intake.

For most of us, these trivial pointers are always at the back of our minds. But why should we care when it comes to spine health? The spine health’s reflects the overall health of the body. Anything you can do to improve your overall fitness and well-being will benefit you lumbar. The benefits of drinking water are lengthy, and we won’t go into that here (however it is probably more poignant to mention the disadvantages of not drinking water), smoking will reduce oxygen absorption from the surrounding muscles and reduce muscular-capacity of surrounding muscles, putting more strain on the spine, and finally, excessive alcohol consumption has a serious detrimental effect on the entire
body, including the brain, the spine, the nervous system – and everything in-between.

Our End Goal

Where possible, one should attempt a synergy of all three aspects for optimized results. Thankfully, once you have started it only gets easier. Strengthening the core and activating the lower back will make the habitual process of maintaining a good posture easier, and maintaining a good posture will make strengthening the core easier. Following our dietary tips will speed along both of these processes.

Our end goal should be as follows: our hips should be above our feet – hip above knees – shoulders above hip – head above shoulders. When this is achieved unconsciously, you will have strengthened one of the most important areas of your body.

If this routine does not help, or you need medical attention, please contact us at Mount Sinai Department of Rehabilitative Medicine. Contact our switchboard on: (212) 241-6321