SASpine One of the most elite spine practices in the country with world renowned surgeon, Dr Steven J.
(274)

Cyr.🏆… Offices in Houston and San Antonio… SASpine.com… ☎️(210) 487-7463

04/21/2026

She was 5'9" but now she's only 5"3? After her 14hr surgery, how tall is she now?

💥 Is your weak grip, thumb tension, triceps burnout, shoulder wobble, and clumsy hands actually coming from your NECK? 😱...
04/20/2026

💥 Is your weak grip, thumb tension, triceps burnout, shoulder wobble, and clumsy hands actually coming from your NECK? 😱

You’ve been blaming your workouts, “getting older,” tight forearms, or bad shoulders… but the real source could be cervical spine nerve compression (aka pinched nerve or cervical radiculopathy).

The nerves that power your grip, triceps, shoulder stability, thumb control, and hand precision all exit from your neck (mainly C5–C8 levels). When posture, disc issues, or tightness compress them — signals get disrupted downstream. Result?

• Weaker grip & dropping things
• Constant thumb tension or pain
• Triceps fatigue even with light loads
• Unstable or aching shoulders
• Reduced hand dexterity & precision

This is surprisingly common in desk workers, lifters, phone scrollers, and anyone with forward head posture.
Don’t just chase the symptoms in your arms/hands. Check the source.
Quick action steps:

✅ Fix your posture (chin tucks + screen height)
✅ Gentle neck mobility & nerve glides (get guided by a PT)
✅ Strengthen deep neck flexors and scapular stabilizers
✅ See a spine-savvy physio or doc for assessment

Many people regain grip strength and precision once neck pressure is relieved.

Tag a friend who’s complaining about “mysterious” hand/arm weakness 👇

Comment “NECK” if this explains your issues!

Save this post & share it — someone needs to see this today.

04/17/2026

🌬️ Feeling that nagging back pain?

Try this simple but powerful shift: deep breathing.

When we’re stressed or in pain, we often take shallow breaths — which tightens the muscles around our spine and makes everything worse. Slow, deep belly breaths help relax those tight muscles, reduce tension, and bring fresh oxygen to your body.

Next time your back starts talking to you, pause and try this:

1. Sit or stand tall
2. Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 seconds (let your belly expand)
3. Hold for 2 seconds
4. Exhale gently through your mouth for 6 seconds
5. Repeat 5–10 times

Your body was intelligently designed by God — it has built-in ways to heal and find relief. Sometimes the simplest tools (like your breath) are the most effective.

Take a deep breath today. Your back (and your whole body) will thank you.

Tag a friend who needs this reminder!

04/16/2026

🚨 The 5 Unhappiest Medical Specialties in 2025 (According to Physician Surveys)

Burnout is real, and these fields consistently report the lowest happiness & highest stress levels:

1️⃣ Emergency Medicine
High-volume chaos, unpredictable shifts, emotional exhaustion. Burnout often tops the charts at ~63%.

2️⃣ Infectious Diseases
Complex cases, lingering pandemic impact, and lower optimism about work-life happiness.

3️⃣ Critical Care (Intensivists)
Life-or-death decisions daily, high mortality, intense ICU pressure.

4️⃣ Internal Medicine
Heavy admin load, chronic disease management, and constant systemic demands.

5️⃣ Rheumatology / Oncology
Emotional toll of chronic illness, treatment challenges, and patient losses.

These numbers come from recent Medscape & Healthgrades physician reports on happiness, burnout, and mental health.

Which specialty surprises you most? Drop it in the comments 👇

What You’re Seeing Is an Osteosarcoma 🚨Have you ever heard of the “spiculated periosteal reaction”? It’s one of the most...
04/15/2026

What You’re Seeing Is an Osteosarcoma 🚨

Have you ever heard of the “spiculated periosteal reaction”? It’s one of the most dramatic findings in medical imaging.

Instead of smooth, healthy bone… the surface erupts with sharp, needle-like spikes radiating outward in all directions — like a deadly sunburst breaking through the bone.

This isn’t random. It’s a red alert. A sign that something is growing fast, aggressively, and out of control.

This classic “sun-ray” or “sunburst” pattern is a hallmark of osteosarcoma, a serious bone cancer. As the tumor rapidly expands, it lifts and irritates the periosteum (the thin outer layer of bone), forcing it to produce new bone in these chaotic, spiked formations.

And it doesn’t stop at the surface. This aggressive growth shows the tumor is invading nearby tissues, disrupting everything in its path.

Medical imaging like this is a powerful reminder of the hidden battles happening inside the body — and why early detection can make all the difference.

Here are 5 common misconceptions about spine surgery, along with the facts based on current medical understanding and ad...
04/15/2026

Here are 5 common misconceptions about spine surgery, along with the facts based on current medical understanding and advancements in techniques like minimally invasive procedures, robotics, and improved imaging.

❌ Myth 1:
Spine surgery is always extremely dangerous or risky
✅ Fact:
All surgeries have risks, but today’s procedures are much safer thanks to advanced imaging, robotics, and minimally invasive methods. Serious complications like paralysis are very rare in properly selected patients.

❌ Myth 2:
Spine surgery means big incisions and months of painful recovery
✅ Fact:
Many procedures are now minimally invasive — tiny incisions, less muscle damage, and often same-day or short hospital stays. Many patients return to normal activities in weeks, not months!

❌ Myth 3:
You’ll be in more pain after surgery (or it won’t really help)
✅ Fact:
The goal is to relieve nerve pressure and pain. Most patients experience significant improvement when surgery is the right choice. Some post-op discomfort is normal, but long-term relief is common.

❌ Myth 4:
You’ll lose mobility and never be active again
✅ Fact:
Surgery often improves mobility by reducing the pain and nerve issues that were holding you back. Many people — including active adults and athletes — return to the activities they love.

❌ Myth 5:
One spine surgery means you’ll definitely need more soon after
✅ Fact:
When the right procedure addresses the right problem, most patients do well long-term and do not need repeat surgeries. Success rates are high for well-chosen cases.

Bottom line:

Don’t let fear or old stories stop you from getting answers. Conservative treatments (PT, meds, injections) come first for most people — but surgery can be life-changing when needed.

04/14/2026

This flight attendant had surgery with a neurosurgeon and now she can't...

“They save lives with steady hands… but who saves theirs when the mask comes off? 💔”Behind the scalpel and the scrubs, s...
04/13/2026

“They save lives with steady hands… but who saves theirs when the mask comes off? 💔”

Behind the scalpel and the scrubs, surgeons carry an invisible weight no one sees.

Every day they stand between life and death. One wrong move can change everything. Patient losses hit like silent storms — guilt, grief, replaying every decision at 3 AM.

More than 50% of surgeons report frequent burnout. Up to 60% in trauma surgery. Nearly half battle anxiety or depression at some point. Many have quietly considered walking away.

They cry on the drive home. They smile for the next patient anyway. They give hope while their own is quietly fracturing.

This is the unseen cost of the greatest gift: restoring belief in a brighter tomorrow for others… while quietly fighting their own battles.

To every surgeon reading this:

You are not weak for feeling this.
You are human. And your heart is why you’re extraordinary.

We need to talk about this more. Support the hands that heal us.

Drop a ❤️ if you’re grateful for a surgeon in your life.

Tag a doctor or surgeon who needs to hear they’re not alone.

04/10/2026

Yes it’s true…

😣 Back or neck pain? It might be your discs.Millions suffer daily — here’s the simple breakdown of common spinal disc pr...
04/09/2026

😣 Back or neck pain? It might be your discs.

Millions suffer daily — here’s the simple breakdown of common spinal disc problems 👇

1. Degenerated Disc (Degenerative Disc Disease)

Discs lose water and cushioning with age. They become drier and less flexible. It’s normal wear & tear — many people feel nothing!

2. Bulging Disc

The outer layer weakens and bulges out like a tire under pressure. The gel stays inside. Often mild or symptom-free.

3. Herniated Disc (Slipped/Ruptured)

A tear lets the soft inner gel leak out and pinch nerves. This commonly causes sciatica — shooting pain down the leg or arm, plus numbness, tingling, or weakness.

4. Thinning Disc

Disc height shrinks over time, making the spine less stable and putting extra pressure on nerves or joints.

5. Disc Degeneration with Osteophyte Formation

Advanced wear where bone spurs (osteophytes) grow to stabilize the area. These spurs can press on nerves and cause stiffness or chronic pain.

Key Symptoms:

• Constant back/neck ache
• Radiating pain to arms or legs
• Numbness, tingling, weakness

Good news: Most improve without surgery with physical therapy, core strength, better posture, and lifestyle changes.

If pain is severe, radiates strongly, or you notice weakness/bowel-bladder issues — see a spine specialist right away.

Not every disc change hurts — many are normal aging seen on MRI.

Tag a friend with back pain 👇
Which one have you experienced? Comment below!

Address

8401 Datapoint Drive, Ste 700
San Antonio, TX
78229

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm
Saturday 8:30am - 12pm

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when SASpine posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to SASpine:

Featured

Share

Category

Our Story

SASPINE (Surgical Associates in Spine) is one of the nation’s most elite spine practice management companies. We now have offices in Houston as well as the San Antonio medical center. Our CMO, Steven J. Cyr, M.D., is a spine surgeon who has gained a reputation for surgical excellence in Texas, throughout the nation, and abroad. All of our providers are experienced at isolating the source of pain and accurately diagnosing and treating symptoms and conditions using both non-operative and operative means. We strive to treat the whole patient from the onset of pain to post-surgical rehabilitation.

Our philosophy is to seek conservative, non-surgical solutions for a patient’s neurological, muscular, or skeletal problems first. If non-surgical treatment fails to provide significant pain relief and surgery is required, our patients benefit from surgical procedures provided by world-class surgeons, including Dr. Steven J. Cyr, who trained at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo clinic spine fellowship is a combined fellowship providing both neurosurgical and orthopaedic expertise to its fellows, making them experts in treating cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine conditions. Both the Neurosurgery and Orthopaedic departments have consistently been ranked number 1 in the country for more than 20 years. This unique approach provides patients with a level of care provided by few surgeons in the world. As a previous collegiate athlete, bodybuilder, and Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Cyr’s unique background enables him to understand the source of muscular and skeletal issues unlike many others. Coupled with fellowship training in Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery of the spine, his ability to diagnose the source of pain and identify solutions to address it are rare.

Dr. Cyr previously served in the United States Air Force as the Chief of Spine Surgery and Spine Surgery Consultant to the Surgeon General and the Pentagon. Dr. Cyr was also an assistant professor to the orthopedic surgery residents, physician assistant fellows, and medical students at Wilford Hall Medical Center and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. His extensive experience includes treating Level 1 trauma victims and combat injured Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines, and civilians during two tours to Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom. This experience provided him with skills rarely seen in the private sector. His training also allowed him the opportunity to lend innovative techniques to the military. Dr Cyr performed the first total disc replacement procedure as well as endoscopic spinal surgery in the Air Force in addition to surgery for degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, failed back syndrome (revision surgeries for failed operations), spine trauma, scoliosis surgery, and cancer of the spine. He specializes in addressing complicated spine issues and has gained notoriety for successful repairs of failed surgeries on patients from numerous other states and around the world. He is a member of the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery but believes every patient must be evaluated individually and a treatment plan tailored to that patient’s diagnosis crafted to provide the best outcome, which commonly involves open procedures.

Dr. Cyr and his mid-level providers, who are hand-picked and specially trained by him, define success by the number of people who are able to live a better quality of life after treatment. In attention to his methodical and meticulous approach to surgical excellence, Dr Cyr is a man of character and compassion who believes in treating patients like family. This reputation is apparent in the heart-felt testimonies regularly provided by patients who have received his care. In addition, he has become world renowned as a premier provider of spine surgery with success rates rarely seen elsewhere. He has been named a Texas Super Doctor, Castle-Connelly Top Spine Surgeon multiple years in a row, and America’s Top 10 Orthopaedic surgeons, amongst many other recognitions and awards. We are excited to show you the SASPINE difference. Come see for yourself what sets us apart.