"Almost 40 years in the military as a firefighter and retired as a fire chief, the job takes its toll. I thought the aches and pains I was going through was just something I was going to have to live with." In this video, that's how military veteran and former fire chief, Derek, describes how he physically felt after a lifetime of service. It wasn't until he met with Top US Spine Surgeon, Dr. Hooman Melamed, did he realize the amount of damage his neck and back had endured from a physically demanding career. Derek initially came to Dr. Melamed for back pain but, upon a full examination, it was made clear that his neck pain was indicative of a much more serious issue. "Dr. Melamed's explanation to me was that if I was involved in a car crash with an airbag deployment I would probably be paralyzed," said Derek. "I had no idea my neck was that bad." Thankfully, Dr. Melamed's expert microsurgical technique stabilized Derek's spine with two artificial discs. Derek was so pleased with the speed and ease of his recovery, that he and his wife returned to Dr. Melamed for separate minimally invasive back surgeries.