Paul’s Story: Cyclist Back in the Saddle After Pinched Nerve
From a Florida urgent care to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital Spine Center
Paul suffered for about 4 weeks with his pain, eventually visiting an urgent care in St. Petersburg. A doctor ordered an x-ray of Paul’s neck and upper back and diagnosed him with a pinched nerve. Upon returning to Taunton, he visited the Newton-Wellesley Hospital Spine Center.
Next-day spine evaluation spares weeks of more pain
Spine Center navigator Sarah Koonce, PA-C, met with Paul the next day.
“We created the Spine Center navigation program because there was a need for rapid patient access,” says Sarah. “It's designed for patients with acute or chronic pain flare-ups — the goal of navigation is to get the patient in quickly and then triage them to the most appropriate specialist for their condition. I'm in this role because I have a hybrid background in spine surgery, pain management, and physiatry.”
All these disciplines are critical at the Spine Center, and the breadth of her experience gives Sarah a keen eye for which way to steer a new patient.
“As an advanced practice navigator, I see the patient and I evaluate their condition, then I order the appropriate imaging and manage acute symptoms with medications and strategies. I facilitate rapid access to physical therapy, and if they already have imaging, I can perform trigger point injections and/or order a spinal injection, depending on their need.”
Sarah reviewed Paul’s imaging from Florida and did further, more comprehensive scans of Paul’s spine, including an MRI. This helped her confirm the original diagnosis and help plan the best path forward for his rehabilitation.
“I prescribed medications and recommended physical therapy for the pinched nerve in his neck,” she says.
COVID-19 and the cost of inactivity
The exact cause of Paul’s injury wasn’t known, but he attributes some blame to the COVID-19 pandemic, both to the virus itself and the ensuing period of inactivity due to general social restrictions.
“COVID came at a very bad time for me personally,” he recalls. “There was a lot of downtime, and then just when things were starting to come back, I contracted it, and I haven’t been the same since. It wasn’t necessarily the COVID — it could have just been the break that COVID caused where, for a number of months, I went without competition. And that made a big difference.”
Now, however, he feels he’s back in top form after his recent rehab and is always looking forward to his next ride.
“I’ve maintained my exercises, my stretching, all summer long,” he says. “And I’ve felt for many weeks now that I’ve been 100% physically fit. Everything’s been working well. No pain anywhere. Everything feels good. And I’m racing nationally at a pretty high level and my results are decent, so I’ve got no complaints right now.”
Rehab makes a return to competition possible
Paul competes in Cyclo-cross, a combination of mountain biking and road racing that culminates with a national championship in Louisville, Kentucky.
Whether or not Paul makes it to Louisville, he still has the mentality of a lifelong competitor. And after his successful treatment, he’ll be out on the bike several times a week no matter what.
