Patient Finds Relief from the Pain of Spinal Stenosis

In his job as a driver for Manatee County Transit Services, Kevin Parks, 60, takes clients to and from their medical appointments. In addition to driving, the job includes door-to-door assistance of older individuals, people with disabilities and those with wheelchairs and walkers.

The fact that he was able to perform his job so well is surprising. Parks had a bad fall 10 years ago while playing basketball and had been experiencing numbness and pain in his hands and legs for a long time.

“It was hard to walk on certain days, especially if the weather was cold,” says Parks. “By the time my wife finally talked me into seeing a doctor, I had to drag the left side of my body, just to walk.”

He saw Huan (John) Wang, MD, board-certified neurosurgeon, at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. An MRI confirmed that Parks had cervical spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal in the neck that compresses the spinal cord and nerve roots, causing pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness. Three weeks later he had a cervical spinal fusion, performed by Dr. Wang at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. The procedure involves joining two or more of the vertebrae in the neck to help relieve pressure on the spinal cord.

“Dr. Wang told me having the surgery would relieve some or maybe most of my pain and that I wouldn’t get any worse,” says Parks.

With July being one year since the surgery, Parks shares that he now only needs ibuprofen, every now and then, for the pain. He rides his bike, plays a little basketball and enjoys walks around his neighborhood.

“I have my quality of life back. I will be forever grateful,” says Parks.

What Parks says he appreciates most was that everyone at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, including Dr. Wang, the surgical teams, X-ray, admissions and all the nurses on the orthopedics unit and in the ICU treated him with the utmost respect and compassion.

Physicians are on the medical staff of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, but, with limited exceptions, are independent practitioners, who are not employees or agents of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the nondiscrimination notice, visit our website.