Gelfand Spine

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Academic spine neurosurgery practice serving New York City, Westchester, and Rockland County.

10/25/2026

Told you may need spine surgery? You’re allowed to ask for a second opinion.

A second opinion isn’t a vote against your first surgeon. It’s a fresh look at your symptoms, exam, imaging, and goals, to make sure the plan fits the actual problem.

Why it can help:
✔️ MRI changes are common, and an abnormal scan doesn’t always explain your pain
✔️ Not every problem needs the same operation. Sometimes the answer is a smaller procedure, and sometimes it’s no surgery at all
✔️ Sometimes fusion or a larger operation is exactly right, and you should know why
✔️ After a prior surgery, more surgery isn’t automatically the answer

Bring your actual imaging files, prior operative reports, and your questions. A good surgeon will welcome them.

Read the full article: https://www.gelfandspineny.com/post/second-opinion

10/19/2026

Your MRI says “bulging disc.” Does that explain your neck pain? 🧠

Probably less than you’d think.

📊 About 88% of adults with no neck pain have disc bulges on MRI, including roughly 75% of people in their 20s.

📈 Over 10 years, disc degeneration progressed in 85% of people, but only 34% developed symptoms.

Bulges are common findings that come with age, and they correlate poorly with neck pain.

What does help?
✅ Education and reassurance
✅ Progressive exercise, up to twice a week for 12 weeks
✅ Hands-on therapy combined with exercise

Surgery is generally not recommended for neck pain without nerve or spinal cord involvement.

See a doctor promptly if neck pain comes with:
⚠️ Trouble walking or balance
⚠️ Numbness or clumsiness in your hands
⚠️ Fever with night pain
⚠️ A history of cancer

Full article: https://www.gelfandspineny.com/post/bulging-or-herniated-cervical-discs-and-neck-pain

Evidence-based spine care. Gelfand Spine NY.

10/06/2026

Your MRI says "herniated disc." Does that explain your pain? Not necessarily. 🦴

Disc bulges and herniations are extremely common, even in people with no pain at all. In one landmark study of people with no back pain, 64% had at least one disc abnormality on MRI.

Two things that are often confused:
➡️ Back pain is pain in the back itself.
➡️ Sciatica is pain that travels down the leg, usually from a herniated disc irritating a nearby nerve.

A disc finding on a scan only matters when it matches your symptoms and your exam. That's why we treat the patient, not the scan.

The good news: most herniated discs shrink over time, and about 87% of patients improve within 3 months with conservative care.

Read the full article
https://www.gelfandspineny.com/post/bulging-disc-and-back-pain

10/01/2026

Back and leg pain that hasn't improved with conservative care? 🦴

TLIF spinal fusion is one of the most commonly used operations for degenerative lumbar disease. The goal is to relieve leg pain, pinched-nerve symptoms, and walking-related leg cramps. Back pain doesn't always go away completely, so set your expectations with your surgeon.

Minimally invasive and endoscopic TLIF mean:
✔️ Less muscle damage and blood loss
✔️ A shorter hospital stay (1 to 3 days for minimally invasive, overnight for endoscopic)
✔️ An easier first few weeks, with long-term results similar to open surgery

Most patients are driving again in about 3 weeks and back at work in about 25 days, with improvement continuing for up to 6 months.

Full article: https://www.gelfandspineny.com/post/minimally-invasive-lumbar-fusion-for-patients

09/14/2026

🚨 Thinking about neck surgery? Here’s something important to know.

ACDF (Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion) is one of the most common and successful operations for problems in the cervical spine.

But ACDF is not simply a treatment for neck pain.

It is primarily used for:

🔹 A pinched nerve causing arm pain
🔹 Spinal cord compression causing myelopathy

For the right patient, ACDF can provide excellent results. But choosing the right operation starts with understanding what is actually causing your symptoms.

There are also important considerations regarding recovery, risks, and alternatives such as cervical disc replacement.

The diagnosis comes first. The operation comes second.

📖 Read my latest patient guide to learn more about ACDF, including who may benefit, what to expect, and the alternatives.
https://www.gelfandspineny.com/post/anterior-cervical-discectomy-and-fusion-acdf

08/17/2026

Painful neck? Even severe pain rarely means you need surgery — or even an MRI.

Most neck pain comes from muscles, joints, or discs, not something dangerous. Those same "wear and tear" findings show up on scans of people with zero pain — so imaging often can't tell us what's really going on.

Good news: most neck pain improves with time, movement, and the right exercises. Swipe to our latest post for what's causing it, when to worry, and what actually helps. Read our latest article.

https://www.gelfandspineny.com/post/neck-pain-the-patient-s-guide

08/14/2026

Hand clumsiness or balance problems aren't always “just aging.”

Difficulty buttoning your shirt, dropping objects, changes in handwriting, numbness, or worsening balance can be early signs of cervical myelopathy—compression of the spinal cord in the neck.

Because the condition can progress over time, recognizing the warning signs and getting evaluated early is important.

Learn more in my latest patient education article on cervical myelopathy.
https://www.gelfandspineny.com/post/cervical-myelopathy-for-patients

07/31/2026

Ever had back pain that just... keeps going? Down your hip, past your knee, maybe all the way to your foot? Learn more.
https://www.gelfandspineny.com/post/lumbar-radiculopathy-for-patients

07/20/2026

"Laser spine surgery" sounds cutting-edge, but the marketing outpaces the evidence. Laser is just one energy source we use in spine surgery — not even the most common one. What actually helps patients? Real minimally invasive techniques like endoscopic discectomy: smaller incisions, faster recovery, outcomes backed by evidence, not ads. Read the full breakdown on our blog. https://www.gelfandspineny.com/post/laser-spine-surgery

07/13/2026

Spine surgery has changed a lot — many procedures that once needed a large incision can now be done through an opening smaller than a fingertip. Endoscopic surgery is the newest, least invasive option, but it's still only performed by a small number of surgeons in the US because it's genuinely hard to master. Dr. Gelfand explains why in our latest post.
https://www.gelfandspineny.com/post/minimally-invasive-and-endoscopic-spine-surgery-prevalence

Address

555 Taxter Road
Elmsford, NY
10523

Website

https://www.gelfandspineny.com/, https://www.gelfandspineny.com/

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