IN THE NEWS

Dr. Onibokun Nationally Recognized by Becker's Spine Review

October 6, 2014

In a recent list "based on publicly-solicited recommendations and editorial research," Dr. Onibokun, founder of San Jose Neurospine, was named as a top spine surgeon in the country under 40 years of age. "These surgeons are among young leaders in the spine field today," writes Laura Dyrda of Becker's Spine Review. The list, "36 Spine Surgeons Under 40 To Know," honors young surgeons who have excelled in their field and have made a positive impact in the communities they serve.

To see the full list on Becker's Spine Review, click here.

Source: https://www.beckersspine.com/lists/item/22668-35-spine-surgeons-under-40-to-know

San Jose Neurospine provides free Home Remedy Book for those with back and neck pain in the San Jose & San Mateo area

July 5, 2014

Have back or neck pain? If so, you are not alone.

Four out of five Americans have a back pain attack at some point in their lives. And once you have your first back pain attack, you are four times more likely to have a recurrence. Sadly, most people spend a lifetime going from one clinic to another, from one gimmick treatment to another, all in a search for relief from nagging attacks of back and neck pain. For some who elect to have spine surgery, the result may not be the miracle cure that they had hoped for, as some experience ongoing pain and even worse problems caused by a well-intentioned but overly invasive spine surgery.

Those in the San Jose and San Mateo area will benefit from a new spine center that opens in August 2014: San Jose Neurospine. The spine program emphasizes non-surgical treatment options in advance of spine surgery; minimally invasive spine surgery that enables a patient to be home later the same day; and second opinions and MRI reviews for those who’ve already been told they need spine surgery.

“The problem with spine care is that too many people are told they need spine surgery or a complex spinal fusion, when they haven’t really tried any nonsurgical treatment options,” explains Adebukola Onibokun, MD, a board certified neurosurgeon who specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery. Dr. Onibokun relocated from Chicago to San Jose this summer to create San Jose Neurospine.

“The goal with San Jose Neurospine is to provide all the information that a person needs to make an informed decision about what is causing their symptoms, the nonsurgical treatment options that can be used — many times on their own with home remedies,” says Dr. Onibokun. “For example, we provide a free 36-page Home Remedy Book to those in the area that has symptom charts that explain what symptoms mean, when you can use watchful waiting for a herniated disc, and when you may be creating permanent paralysis of nerves if you wait too long for treatment. The book also has home remedies, advice on how to use pills for back pain, and customized stretches that can actually relieve pain symptoms caused by muscle strain or a herniated disc.”

Back and neck pain sufferers can request a copy of the Home Remedy Book through the spine center’s Internet site at SanJoseNeurospine.com. The Internet site also has an Exercise Library, an Anatomy Library, symptom charts, videos that explain treatment options and minimally invasive spine surgery procedures.

Dr. Onibokun, MD is a board-certified neurological surgeon who trained at the prestigious Northwestern medical school system in Chicago and UCLA in Los Angeles. Dr. Onibokun specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery which reduces the length of the incision, shortens time in the hospital and allows for a quicker and less painful recovery. Many patients are able to have their spine surgery in the morning and be home later the same day.

Over the course of the past seven years in practice in Chicago, Dr. Onibokun has performed more than 1,000 successful spine surgeries.

San Jose Neurospine emphasizes a conservative and nonsurgically-oriented approach to treating back and neck pain. Many times, back or neck pain symptoms can relate to a strain of muscles or ligaments, and accordingly we provide an array of non-surgical treatment options.

The information in this Home Remedy Book can greatly help the person’s recovery and understanding of emergency symptoms.

“Most people don’t understand that too much rest can actually be bad for you,” adds Dr. Onibokun. “Researchers have found that one day of bed rest will cost you a 3% loss of muscle power, in addition to a loss of bone density, which makes your bones weaker and more prone to fracture. In short, too much rest makes you age faster. For instance, you need a 20 minute walk to counter the effect of three hours lying down. The best way to treat back pain is to stay active. Passive treatments — ice, heat or pills — can relieve pain, but long term, you will need to strengthen the back and make it more flexible to recover from back pain and prevent future recurrences.”

The content-rich Internet site helps the back pain suffer better understand their symptoms. “Most people think that the more excruciating the pain, the more likely that you ruptured a disc,” says Dr. Onibokun. “That is not necessarily the case. If your back pain is mostly in the low back, it could be a muscle strain. Typically, a herniated disc in your back will radiate pain or weakness down into your leg past your knee. It’s crucial to understand a person may use watchful waiting for symptoms like mild radiating pain into a leg or arm. However, you cannot use watchful waiting for symptoms like weakness or numbness in a leg or arm, or loss of control of the bowel or bladder. These are emergency symptoms that need to be seen in 48 hours or they can cause permanent paralysis of these nerves, and the symptoms then become permanent.”

If you have back or neck pain, get back to activity in 2014 with these two steps:

• 1. If you have a painful back spasm, it’s okay to lay down and relax for a day and take some anti-inflammatories. However, research shows the sooner you get moving again, even with a 20 minute walk, the faster you will recover. That’s because your back needs movement to get circulation to sore tissues. About 80% of simple back and neck pain can resolve itself with home remedies.
• 2. If your symptoms haven’t improved with a week of home remedies, or if you have radiating pain into an arm or leg, the clock is ticking and it’s now time to see a spine specialist. Fact: weakness or numbness in a hand or foot, or loss of bowel/bladder control, are emergency symptoms. For these symptoms, you should be seen by a spine surgeon within 48 hours or these symptoms could stay with you for the rest of your life.