Pat Cusick had mild scoliosis for many years, but it never bothered her. The Staten Island woman had an active life, even taking a retirement job as a school nurse after a long career in nursing, which included teaching in an associate degree-...
By any measure, Toni Blankenship was a complicated patient. After a hysterectomy at age 40 triggered early menopause, she started to develop osteoporosis, which more typically starts at a later age. She was also underweight, which didn’t help her...
Michelle Sidor is not used to being on the sidelines. After leading her New Jersey high school basketball team to four straight county championships, the honor roll student was named an ESPN four-star recruit and went on to play for the University...
Henry Dunlop, of Flourtown, Pennsylvania, does not believe in slowing down. At 73, Henry — known to all as Hank — is the president of an international agriculture company and keeps extremely active in his spare time. If he’s not working, you’ll...
You might know the name Dr. Orna Guralnik from having read one of her features in The New York Times or The Washington Post, or you may have seen her profiled in The New Yorker. It’s even more likely that know of her as the host of the award-winning...
The natural drive of an athlete is to work hard, to persevere, to win. That’s the mindset of equestrian Laura Bowery, 54, of Southampton, New York. The mother of two is the owner of Sea-Aire Inc., a top Long Island stable for training both horses...
A typical New Yorker walks more than 8,000 steps a day — but what happens when every step causes excruciating pain? This was what Charles*, a 40-year-old television editor in Manhattan, experienced when a herniated disc left him unable to sleep,...
Jamie Igneri, 31, lives a pretty idyllic life these days. The special-ed math teacher lives in Manalapan, New Jersey, with her husband, Chris, and their toddler daughter. Jamie’s peaceful life is a far cry from in 2021, when a flare-up of back pain...
Imagine being a young, healthy, active woman, a Manhattanite who runs half marathons, travels the world, and spends holidays indulging a passion for boating and kayaking. The occasional twinge of back pain is merely a nuisance. Until, one day, you...
When business owner and consultant Dawn Pirthauer first came to Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian at the Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Comprehensive Spine Care, she thought her back pain would be a fairly straightforward case. Life intervened to...
Ser una figura pública tiene sus ventajas y privilegios, y la periodista de investigación ganadora del Emmy Alicia Ortega siempre los había apreciado. Sin embargo, cuando necesitó una cirugía en la columna vertebral, descubrió que la fama...
There are perks and privileges that come with being a public figure, and Emmy award-winning investigative journalist Alicia Ortega had always appreciated them. But as she discovered when she needed spine surgery, fame has its down sides as well.
Matilde Anacoreta moved to New York from Portugal at age 7 with her parents, Maria and Miguel, and her brother, Mateus. By middle school Matilde was a typical American girl, enjoying skiing and surfing. But at age 13, Matilde had to take a break...
Alex Hornig, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, is no slouch. He’s a flight paramedic for North Country Life Flight in Saranac Lake, New York, and a retired firefighter with the nearby Milford Fire Department. For relaxation he enjoys wakeboarding, skiing...
Before 2012 Dr. Jeff Linden was leading a glamorous life as one of the premier endodontists in New York City. A leading expert in his field, Jeff cared for his patients, mentored young dentistry residents at top teaching hospitals, and was often...
From the outside, anyone would think Bethany Blonder is a typical 12-year-old: she loves swimming, playing with her brother, Dylan, and their dog, Bailey, hanging out with her friends, and playing video games. In fact, Bethany is anything but...
Joyce Carpati knew as soon as it happened that this was no ordinary fall. Of course, she is no ordinary 85-year-old, either: Beauty maven, fashionista, singer, longtime staffer at Cosmopolitan magazine and friend of Helen Gurley Brown, Joyce had...
The first time Joan Lazarou, 60, felt an odd tingling sensation in her feet she figured it was due to the cold January weather and just put on an extra pair of socks. But over the next few weeks the tingling got worse, and soon it was accompanied by...
Elle Aviv admits that she used to take her health for granted. A year ago the 36-year-old New Yorker, the former host of a jewelry shopping channel, was a successful entrepreneur and graduate student who enjoyed an energetic and active life. She...
By Alfred Tosto I know I’m a pretty complicated case – I had a liver transplant in 2008 after being diagnosed with cancer and I take a basketful of drugs every day, immunosuppressants, prednisone, a lot of meds. But I’m a project manager and I treat...
A new 3D navigation system allowed Dr. Härtl to get Kathy back on her feet -- and back to her life -- in record time
Pearl Staller, known to everyone as “Freddie,” started having pain in her left leg and her lower back — at 90. An active woman and an avid skier who spent most of her winters on the slopes near her second home in Snowbird, Freddie was not about to...
Denise Buist suffered for years from back pain caused by sciatica and spondylolisthesis. Traditional open spine surgery carries with it several risks, but a brand-new navigation technology now allows neurosurgeons to perform an advanced, and much...
Sara Kearns had always loved to travel, and she built her career around it. So when back pain interrupted her ability to travel, she knew she needed help. Dr. Hartl was there to get her back to her travels.
By Stefano Kaslowski Mountain climbing is a hobby I inherited first from my Grandmother Cici and later from my mother — they both grew up in Torino near the Alps. I was born in Italy but live now in Istanbul, in Turkey, and I have been trekking and...
I'm a 45-year-old woman in Ecuador, South America — I live alone and enjoy my work as General Manager of a medium-size manufacturing company. I have a busy schedule and I travel extensively, both within and outside of Ecuador.
