According to national surveys, more than 26 million American adults have severe chronic back pain and sometimes that pain can be a sign of a much more serious problem. A North Texas medical worker says she’s grateful she didn’t ignore the warning signs.
According to the National Institutes of Health, 8.2% of American adults have chronic severe back pain.
Sometimes, the pain can be a sign of a much more serious problem.
A North Texas medical worker says she's grateful she didn't ignore the warning signs.
30-year-old Kelli Vogler, a physician assistant at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, said her back pain started about a year ago.
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She has traveled to 32 countries and was weeks from another overseas trip when she decided to see a doctor about the back pain that had gotten worse over the past year.
"I was using like, a heat pack at work, just kind of thinking, 'Oh, it's from lifting weights. I'm sore," said Vogler.
She said the soreness led to numbness in her hands and she eventually began feeling weakness in her arms and legs.
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"I just felt like I was tired of having to hold my head up or just lifting things. It was like exhausting for me to do, and then especially in my legs, when I was running, it was almost like they were like 20 pounds heavier," said Vogler.
An MRI of Vogler’s neck pinpointed a herniated disc protruding onto her spinal cord and causing severe compression.
Cervical disc herniation is a common cause of neck pain for adults, and the risk increases with age.
They can arise from damage over the years, significant injuries and even bone spurs.
While most resolve over time with medical intervention, Vogler's required surgery.
“Red flags can appear as chronic neck pain, weakness in the arms and hands, along with tingling ─ and Mrs. Vogler exhibited the telltale signs," said Dr. Olaide Ajayi, a neurosurgeon and spine surgeon with Texas Health Physicians Group and on the Texas Health Fort Worth medical staff.
Vogler's spinal cord was so compressed, Ajayi said she was one car crash or bad fall away from permanent damage.
Dr. Ajayi performed a surgery called a cervical disc replacement procedure.
Using X-ray-guided imaging, Ajayi removed the herniated disc and replaced it with an artificial one, which is commonly made of mixed metals, ceramics and plasma coatings.
Less than 24 hours after her procedure, Vogler began her recovery process at home.
Less than a month after major spine surgery, the avid runner and volleyball player was hiking more than 100 miles in Europe, including across the Swiss and Italian Alps.
"I still feel great! I am back to working out how I used to. I'm doing my job. I don't wake up like every 30 minutes because my arms are numb, and so I'm feeling amazing," said Vogler.
Vogler said she's unsure how she got a herniated disc.
Ajayi says people should see a doctor about back pain if they feel weakness in the hands during normal activities, or feel unsteady on their feet, like easily losing their balance.
Seek medical help if you're experiencing loss of bladder control.
