[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/05\/arthur-story-spinal-fusion\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/05\/arthur-story-spinal-fusion\/","headline":"Arthur’s Story: Back to the Pets After Spinal Fusion","name":"Arthur’s Story: Back to the Pets After Spinal Fusion","description":"

<\/p>","datePublished":"2025-05-20","dateModified":"2025-09-24","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","name":"UPMC Orthopaedic Care","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/orthopaedic-surgery\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2195623895-e1747422710904.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2195623895-e1747422710904.jpg","height":866,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/05\/arthur-story-spinal-fusion\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Spine Health"],"wordCount":627,"articleBody":"In early 2022, Arthur O. started experiencing a burning pain at the base of his neck, seemingly out of nowhere. Before long, the pain began radiating down his left arm and into his fingers, making his work as a veterinarian more difficult.\u201cIt started impacting my work a great deal,\u201d says Arthur, 72, of Clarion County, Pa. \u201cThen it started impacting the rest of my life.\u201dThe long car rides to work at his son\u2019s clinic became harder and harder. By the time he arrived, he could hardly turn his neck or feel his arm. Everything seemed numb.That\u2019s when Arthur first met Jacob B. Smith, DO, at Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Associates \u2013 UPMC in Franklin, Pa. Dr. Smith diagnosed Arthur with arthritis of the cervical spine and degenerative disc disease, which was causing compression in the nerves going down Arthur\u2019s arms. He prescribed once-a-week physical therapy to help stabilize and strengthen Arthur\u2019s neck, plus steroid injections for pain relief a couple of times a year.This plan worked for almost two years. Arthur\u2019s pain was manageable, and he was able to continue working and enjoying his life.‘I Could Barely Function’But by summer 2024, the pain had returned \u2014 only worse than before. Working, driving, and even sleeping became difficult.\u201cI could barely function,” he says. “I had to sleep in a chair most of the time. I could never get comfortable.”When it reached a point where Arthur could no longer stand the pain, Dr. Smith re-evaluated his situation. He ordered an MRI and then decided a cervical spinal fusion would be the next best option for eliminating Arthur’s pain.\u201cI was so relieved and felt surgery was appropriate,\u201d Arthur says. \u201cThe pain was ruining my life.\u201dBefore scheduling surgery, Arthur had to contact his health insurance company, which wanted him to do more physical therapy before resorting to the fusion surgery. However, Arthur was in so much pain that he could barely get through one PT session.‘Dr. Smith Went to Bat for Me’\u201cThat\u2019s when Dr. Smith went to bat for me,\u201d Arthur says. \u201cThat meant a lot.\u201dDr. Smith called Arthur’s insurance company to explain the situation. After some back and forth, Arthur had a successful C5-C7 spinal fusion on Nov. 11, 2024.When Arthur woke up the morning after surgery, he was amazed to feel so good.\u201cThe numbness, the pain, it was all gone,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s been a wonderful recovery ever since.\u201dAfter only one night in the hospital, Arthur was discharged wearing a cervical collar. He didn\u2019t even need prescribed pain medication to ease the discomfort \u2014 only ibuprofen for a few days.\u201cThey treated me very well at UPMC,” he says. “I had a lovely experience dealing with everyone there.”Instant Relief\u201cIt was like someone flipped a switch overnight; that\u2019s how good I felt after,\u201d Arthur says.Since surgery, Arthur\u2019s recovery has been smooth sailing. He\u2019s back to work as a veterinarian and able to perform surgery on small animals without experiencing pain. He\u2019s able to enjoy the rest of his life, too, like tinkering with small engines and spending time with his wife, Nancy, and their two dogs.At follow-up appointments, Dr. Smith evaluates Arthur’s spinal fusion with cervical x-rays.\u201cDr. Smith\u2019s staff is very caring and attentive,\u201d Arthur says. \u201cThey showed me exactly what was going on, what was compressed, and what he was going to do about it.\u201dOnly five months later, the two-inch scar on Arthur\u2019s neck is barely visible, disappearing just like his pain.\u201cI can\u2019t say enough good about what Dr. Smith and UPMC did for me,” Arthur says. “They gave me my life back.\u201dSources"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2025","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"05","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/\/05\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Arthur’s Story: Back to the Pets After Spinal Fusion","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/05\/arthur-story-spinal-fusion\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]