WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The brain is undeniably the most complex part of the human body.
"So the brain sends signals through the spinal cord and vice versa, and it affects the way that we move and the way that we sense the world around us," said Dr. Nancy Abu-Bonsrah, neurosurgeon at UPMC in Williamsport.
Dr. Nancy Abu-Bonsrah is a neurosurgeon at UPMC in Williamsport, "Neurosurgery involves the treatment of diseases that affect the brain, spinal cord, nerves, blood vessels, and associated vertebrae so it could be anything from brain tumors to spine surgery."
If you're dealing with neck and back pain, Dr. Abu-Bonsrah advises that this is usually due to the aging process and can often be treated with medications, steroid shots, or physical therapy.
However, if you can no longer endure the pain, you should see a specialist for an evaluation.
"When the pain becomes very persistent, and it's associated with things like numbness, pins and needles sensation, weakness in your arms or legs, or issues with your ability to control your bowels and your bladder, then you should definitely see a specialist," explained Dr. Abu-Bonsrah.
For back pain caused by disc compression on the nerves, there are various treatments available.
"Treatment can range from doing a small surgery that removes some of the discs that are between the vertebrae so it's not compressing the nerves anymore to placing down rods and screws to stabilize the neck or back, for instance," said Dr. Abu-Bonsrah.
As for treatments related to the brain, "Brain surgery can involve the removal of brain tumors and placement of something called shunts, which helps with the flow of the fluid that surrounds the brain called the CSF, to give it a place to go when it becomes too much for the brain or treatment of diseases that affect the blood vessels in the brain, like aneurysms," she said.
UPMC in Williamsport offers a wide array of brain and spine care services.
"Removal of brain tumors, doing diskectomies, placing instrumentation in the spine, dealing with nerve disorders like carpal tunnel and stuff like that," added Dr. Abu-Bonsrah.