Don’t Wait To Fix Your Neck And Back Pain: Steve's Story

Into his retirement, Steve Spencer enjoyed time with his big family, including his wife of 58 years and his newborn great-grandson, but he felt the need to do more.

"I got pretty bored trying retirement," Spencer said. "It just didn't click. Even though I'm 77, I was glad to get back to work about a year and a half ago."

Spencer works with his son, whom he brought on as president in 2000 for his company.

"We're still making instrument organizing cases and having a lot of fun doing it," He said.

Even with his passion for his work, Steve's recent hamstring tendon injury, along with a history of lumbar back pain, made Steve reprioritize to focus on his health.

A History Of Back Pain

Many people experience back pain as they age. While people tend to ignore the slightest aches or even find relief with some at-home treatments, persistency and severity can increase over time, depending on the case. In Spencer's case, his pain worsened.

"Lumbar back pain began to be a problem when I was 59 back in 2005," Spencer said. "At first, I was just dealing with the pain, but it got worse. The pain got to a point where the pressure of my spine had created a neuropathy."

Neuropathy occurs when nerves outside the brain or spinal cord become damaged. This condition can show pain, and symptoms such as weakness, numbness and a loss of balance. Spencer's symptoms significantly affected his daily life, recalling that the numbness in his right arm prevented him from using his strength when needed.

"When my doctor referred me to a spine center and I got an MRI, he told me that my back was very complicated," Spencer said. "He told me he'll have to talk to his colleagues and didn't know what to do for me. But there was no follow-up. He was the first of seven spine surgeons I visited from 2013 through 2020."

'I Had No Idea How Severe My Back Or Neck Damage Was'

As Spencer continued to tolerate his condition over the years, he eventually pulled a hamstring tendon in August 2020.

"With this hamstring tendon, the surgeon I got to see over in Mooresville had advised me not to try a repair since they weren't that successful," Spencer said.

"They felt I'd be okay, so I took his advice and he was right. When the doctor asked if there was anything else I was concerned about, I brought up my spine conditions and the need for a spine surgeon. So he decided to refer me to Dr. Fryburg. Then Dr. Fryburg told me something that I haven't heard from the other doctors I visited throughout the years.”

Dr. Fryburg explained that while Spencer felt the pain in his back, they would need to operate on his neck because he was at a high risk of paralysis.

"I was apparently one fall away from being permanently in a wheelchair," Spencer said. "I had no idea that that was how severe my back or my neck damage was."

Spencer's Neck and Back Surgery Experience At Franciscan Health

Spencer's surgeries were completed in two parts, at the end of 2020 and the second part in 2021, along with recovery time in the hospital and some physical therapy.

"The staff I had were terrific," Spencer said. "I was just in the hospital for neck surgery four months earlier. Still, without question, Franciscan Health is my favorite hospital. My surgeries were done here and I wouldn't go anywhere else. I just had so much more confidence under the care of the PAs and Dr. Fryburg."

With his recovery time at Franciscan, along with continuous physical therapy sessions at the rehabilitation center, Spencer mentioned adjusting to his stiffness after surgery.

"I had to approach driving and moving around a bit differently because my neck had some limitations, but it didn't hurt," Spencer said. "With bending over and how I work, I've got a little cage inside me that keeps me a little stiffer, but it's nothing I can't get around. I've adapted to it very well."

Spencer explained that he started to feel normal around four weeks after his neck surgery and six weeks after his back surgery.

"After I got out of the rehab hospital and started moving around, it was interesting not to have pain," Spencer said. "It was unusual for me because I was used to experiencing pain for so long. At least 15 years. This surgery was the point where I stopped using hydrocodone. The really intense pain that I had, which I only had relief with hydrocodone, went away with the neck surgery."

Take Your Neck And Back Pain Seriously

"The one thing I can say, especially with the neck pain, is if you begin to have neuropathy or the feeling of weakness, don't wait too long because you can only get better," Spencer said. "I wouldn't delay because you can get to the point that you may not be able to recover as well. You may not be as fortunate, and that'll just kind of plague you the rest of your life."

"I couldn't have been in a better place to have a health condition and have it addressed, so get back to a point where I can concentrate on healing," Spencer said. "The staff were attentive and the food was great, so my recovery was very comfortable. It meant a lot to my family that I was going to have my health restored when I returned home. I was very grateful to get relief from my pain."