What would it be like to live pain free? 躺在床上将近一年的时间里，这个问题在丹·欧文斯的脑海里闪过无数次. Dan suffered excruciating back pain, barely managing to make his way between the bed, a nearby bathroom, and a chair only feet away.
“如果用1到10来衡量疼痛，我是20，”丹说. "I tried everything to find relief."
丹一直很活跃，过着一种雄心勃勃的生活方式，专注于养家糊口. 在零售业工作意味着大量的旅行和长时间的站立. Dan jokes he often felt invincible. He played sports, began several businesses, and gamely switched career fields as new opportunities arose. But in the late 1990s, Dan began to experience pain in his neck and back.
椎间盘破裂和颈部手术后，包括融合术和钉置入, Dan describes feeling like "a total mess." He developed neuropathy, a condition in which nerve damage causes pain, numbness, and weakness in hands and feet. In Dan's case, the neuropathy spread to his legs, 最终促使他决定从他热爱的工作中退休.
As his busy lifestyle took a back seat to pain management, 丹把剩余的精力投入到物理治疗等治疗中, chiropractic care, massage, and acupuncture. But nothing seemed to help him feel better. 很快，丹每天只能借助助行器走几步. 丹对生活的热情开始动摇，他的家人担心他的迅速衰退.
At his lowest point, 丹说他的痛苦在情感上和身体上都很痛苦, leading to feelings of worthlessness and grief.
"I didn't want this to be the way my life ended," Dan recalls. "I couldn't leave my home—I was desperate."
他在家乡看过几位医生，但觉得没有人能大发娱乐提供全面的解决方案来完全控制他的病情. 丹和他的家人对不同的诊断和治疗方案感到困惑和沮丧.
In August 2018, Dan was referred to Dr. Marcus Mazur他是大发娱乐（University of Utah Health's）专注于复杂脊柱疾病的外科医生 Clinical Neurosciences Center.
“当我见到丹的时候，很明显他承受着巨大的痛苦。. Mazur says. 他的腿也很无力，而且很难保持平衡. He was hoping we could work a miracle, and fast. But first we needed to identify the root of the problem."
Dan was surprised to learn surgery wasn't the first option. Dr. Mazur recommended tackling pain management first, 他解释说，如果丹的疼痛得到控制，他的身体得到力量，他就能更好地处理复杂的手术.
"Dr. 马祖尔用大发娱乐能理解的方式解释了这个问题，”丹说. "There was no quick fix, but I saw action in his desire to treat. He wanted to do it the right way, and I trusted that."
After a battery of tests and imaging, Dr. Mazur diagnosed Dan with previously unidentified scoliosis, 但仍想查明丹最剧烈疼痛的神经学原因，以便最终通过手术治疗.
Dr. 马祖尔立即建议用水基物理疗法来修复丹的肌肉, 在几个月不能正常移动后严重萎缩. 在三个月的时间里，两人见了几次面，评估丹的痛苦和进展. 丹的疼痛有所缓解，但他仍然感到异常虚弱. An MRI revealed spinal stenosis, or severe narrowing caused by arthritis and degenerative disk disease, which exerts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Dan's stenosis was located at the T12-L1 vertebrae, contributing to his leg weakness, loss of balance, numbness, and debilitating pain.
Dr. Mazur methodically mapped out surgery with Dan, 选择通过着重于严重关节炎小关节的减压和椎间盘突出材料的去除来优化缓解. Since removing facet joints can cause instability, Dr. Mazur would fuse the spine after releasing the constricted area.
"Our options were to either treat his scoliosis, 这需要大面积的8节脊柱重建和几个月的康复, or treat just the most stenotic level, 哪一种需要一级手术和更短的恢复时间," Dr. Mazur explains. “尽管从复苏的角度来看，规模较小的手术似乎更有吸引力, 随着时间的推移，它有可能导致脊柱侧凸畸形恶化. 大发娱乐不想做一个需要很长时间才能恢复的手术, 但大发娱乐也想避免对丹的脊柱对齐产生负面影响."
Dr. Mazur和他的外科团队进行了后路减压融合手术, 使用开放入路（切口）清晰地观察Dan的脊柱解剖结构和压迫程度. 丹的脊柱因脊柱侧凸而旋转，使得这个复杂的手术更加复杂. Dr. Mazur在T12和L1椎体置入螺钉以稳定脊柱. 他巧妙地在脊髓周围移动，移除导致脊髓受压的关节炎关节, and extracted the herniated disc exerting pressure from the front. 一旦脊髓从挤压性椎间盘碎片和过度生长的骨头中解脱出来. Mazur通过将患者自己的骨头放置在内固定装置旁，使T12和L1节段融合在一起，为减压区大发娱乐提供稳定性，从而完成了手术.
大多数接受类似手术的患者将在医院停留4天左右, 手术后第二天开始基本的物理和职业治疗. Patients require approximately four to six weeks to recover, and typically regain pre-surgery function in six to 12 weeks.
Dr. 马祖尔提醒丹对运动和恢复保持现实的期望, but Dan feels like he got his miracle after all. The day following surgery, Dan noticed the absence of tingling and numbness in his legs, and was able to stand and walk.
“在最近的记忆中，我第一次感觉到我的腿，”丹回忆说. "I could even get up and walk—but I felt like dancing. I was elated."
丹继续通过定期的物理治疗来增强力量和协调能力, regaining full use of his legs. His scoliosis remains stable after surgery, and Dr. Mazur will continue to monitor it closely over time.
“手术对丹的大发娱乐很大，他也付出了自己的努力来恢复。. Mazur says. “在卧床12个月后，他失去了很多体能和肌肉张力. Dan made a conscious decision to improve. It takes a lot of focus and determination. He's completely turned around."
For now, Dan says the future is looking up, 他计划以自己最初的方式享受退休生活. 他和结婚37年的妻子刚刚买了新的巡洋舰自行车，并投资了一台家用跑步机来保持健康. 他很喜欢游泳、短途远足、旅行和溺爱他的孙子孙女.
"I've always wanted to keep working and stay busy," Dan says. "Now there's no limit to what I can do. I can enjoy my life and my family. It feels great to be fit."
Both Dan and Dr. Mazur鼓励任何经历衰弱性疼痛的人寻求大发娱乐. With fully coordinated resources to diagnose spinal pathologies, build a comprehensive treatment plan, and provide both non-surgical and surgical spine care, U of U Health's Clinical Neurosciences Center can help.
Dan cites Dr. Mazur's calming, thorough approach, 是什么建立了信任，让他对接受手术有了信心.
"We knew Dr. Mazur had a plan and would do his best because he had the ability, tools, and training to do the job," Dan says. "Our prayers were answered."
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对于站立和行走困难的患者，脊柱手术可能是一种有效的治疗方法, for those experiencing stability problems, stenosis (arthritis, nerve compression), 或脊柱侧凸或退行性变化引起的对齐问题. 想了解更多通过这些方法提高生活质量的信息, or to find a spinal care specialist, please visit the Clinical Neurosciences Center.