Dr. Kornelis Poelstra
Orthopedic Spine Surgery
Fort Walton Beach, FL
26 years experience male
Locations
The Spine Institute
Fort Walton Beach, FL
My office hours
Thursday: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Show morePhone
Practice website
Insurances accepted
No Value
Aetna
AFLAC
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Florida
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Alabama
Cigna
UnitedHealthcare
The Spine Insitute
Crestview, FL
About
Bio
Dr. Kornelis Poelstra is a board certified Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon with training also in Neurological Spine Surgery.
Dutch Native, completed medical school and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Then moved to Charlottesville, VA, to complete Orthopaedic Residency at The University of Virginia, followed by prestigous Orthopaedic and Neurological Spine Fellowship at The Rothman Institute (Thomas Jefferson University) in Philadelphia.
Worked for 4 years as a spinal surgeon at Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, prior to moving to Northwest Florida to start his Spine Institute.
Primary specialty includes any- and all spinal surgery with emphasis on Minimally Invasive Surgery and advanced reconstruction techniques for the entire spine.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Orthopedic Spine Surgery
Neurosurgery
Orthopedic Surgery
Licenses
United States: California, Florida
Languages spoken
German
Doctor Q&A
195 Answers
59 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
C-SpineRadiculopathy: Radiculopathy refers to pain in the trajectory of a nerve root... Cervical pertains to the neck. There are 7 vertebrae and 8 nerve roots in the neck..... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Dieting: To loose weight effectively, simply eat 50-60% of your 'normal' intake. And try to increase your daily exercise. Even walking helps!
remember that al... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
This : This sounds like a serious issue that should be evaluated in-person by a qualified physician! if your weakness was sudden, there are numerous possible... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Scoliosis: Typically, after growth this over, a idiopathic scoliosis rarely worsens. Vast way to know is to check once or twice more over a year with new x-rays ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Scoliosis / pain: That's a very broad question... Happy to answer details, but all of these 'questions' need their own explanation. Often they are connected, as scolios... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Burning leg pain: Burning pain in the legs can be due to vascular claudication or lack of enough oxygen due to a bloodvessel constriction. It may also be due to neuroge... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Cracking joints: Often are due to some mild instability inside of joints, and some gas bubbles escaping from the joint fluid leads to the cracking (like cracking your ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
C-Spine black spot: On your skin or on an image (e.g. Mri?)?
If the skin is a concern, make sure to see your pcp or a dermatologist.
If you had it show up on an mri, t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Femur Fracture: Sometimes patients also have a knee injury with the femur fracture that was difficult to diagnose initially with the fracture... Have you knee examine... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Sitting back pain: Sitting is the worst for the back... Our discs do not seem to do well while we sit, as the load on our spine is the highest in that position... Try to... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Mid back pain: Can indeed be coming directly via a nerve from a degenerated level at the thoracic spine, however, most patients have 'peri-scapular' pain, or pain ar... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Spondylolisthesis: Means slippage of the spine, and often occurs at l4-5. That level can give you 'referred pain' to your hips; we call it 'referred pain' as there is no... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Pilonidal cyst: It sounds like you should see your doctor for a second look at the surgical site... After a week or two, things typically return back to normal. Make ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Scoliosis : It is hard to imagine that weight training up to 15 pounds would cause any worsening of your scoliosis. Please do not do anything that makes you hurt.... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
No surgery!: Multiple bulging discs is the main cause for 'failed back surgery'. Bulging of discs is a normal phenomenon of aging and only if it causes nerve compr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Before: Before menopause, bone loss is ~1%/yr; afterwards ~3-5%/yr!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 75-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Spinal stenosis: Depending on the severity, maybe you need to get 1-3 injections to see if the pain subsides... Sometimes the stenosis is so bad, that surgery is the o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Spinal fusion: Hardware rejection is extremely rare, especially with current titanium implants... Infection can happen unfortunately, and is typically associated wit... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Jaw pain: Perhaps have a doctor check you for tmj, or degeneration of your jaw-joint where it meets the skull bone just in front of your ear. A combination of ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Scoliosis: This means a right-sided curvature in the spine. Looking from the back, the main curve would be to the right (but other there are 'correcting' curves ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Low back pain: There a many reasons your lower back can hurt. The most important is to find out why. Maybe it's degenerative disc disease, maybe instability or a def... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Spine prolapse: Not sure if you're asking about a prolapsed disc, or a disc herniation, or a collapsed spine? A prolapsed disc or disc herniation can cause back pain ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Neural cysts: In most instances, these are benign (not cancer) expansions of the nerves, and they are typically seen as 'incidental findings' and often do not need ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Neck stiffness: It is difficult to determine online what the causes can be. If you have severe discomfort for more than six months, it is probably worthwhile to have ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Scoliosis: Scoliosis is not necessarily associated with more pain than 'background' backpain in society. A staggering 80% of people with have at least one episod... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Radiculopathy: Radiating arm pain and a feeling of tightness are common symptoms of radiculpathy... Stemming from compression on the nerve root(s) in your neck. It c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Can't move legs...: That's very strange, unless you have a true spinal cord injury... Please have yourself evaluated soon as true weakness is a bad sign....!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Disc herniation : A herniation in the back does not coupe breast pain. That may have different cause. Leg pain can certainly come from a herniated disc, but has a good ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Nerve pain: Not entirely sure what you mean. Where are the nerves not gliding normally? In your spine, or in the soft tissues due to tension in the muscles?
Some... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Spinous process: If you can feel the spinous processes slightly zig-zag, and there is no pain associated with that, you probably are anatomically built that way; somet... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Heat pad: Can be used where you hurt (buttock or thigh) or maybe even the back. Sometimes massage with a dixie-cup with ice (tear of a little rim at a time whil... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Abusive meds: I completely agree with the two prior answers. This is a very dangerous move. The medicine may not work any better, but side effects can be amplified ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Back pain: Often improves from changes in lifestyle, including dosed exercising and flexibility stretches as well as walking. A sedentary lifestyle usually leads... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Heightening...: Unfortunately, it is not possible to get taller unless surgeons cut the bone and lengthen it... Your stance can possible improve through therapy with ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Coccyx pain: Coccydynia is a diagnosis that can have many causes. Rapid weight loss is one. Sometimes spinal stenosis can happen. Small fractures or bruising of su... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Spondylosis: Is the medical term for arthritis of the spine. This is most often a radiographic diagnosis, and it can lead in some people to disc height loss, loss ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Yes!: Tb of the spine can be very serious if untreated. Fortunately, good medicines (when available where you are) can help a lot. Find a good treating doct... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Spondylosis: Unfortunately.. once you have spondylosis (or arthritis of the spine), you have what you have. There is no way to reverse the process, although this d... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Cortisone : The effect of local numbing medicine, typically found in the injection, can last for only a few hours. 30 minutes is really short. Sometimes it takes ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Implant moving: Not sure what you mean; which implant did you receive? Where and how long ago? Did you check with your surgeon about loosening of the hardware? Were r... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Spondylosis: Yes it can; neck pain and radiating symptoms to the chest or clavicle (collar)bone can happen, depending on the level in the neck that has degeneratio... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Whiplash : Yes it can, as it sometimes contribute to more pain from normal degeneration than expected. Keep flexible and use anti inflammatories diligently. Cerv... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Burning arm pain: Burning arm pain especially during physical strain can be due to some nerve irritation in the cervical spine... It can be from a disc bulge or arthrit... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 59-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Microdiskectomy : That could be, or it is the scar maturation that causes some discomfort around the hips esp if the microdiskectomy was done at l4-5. Continue stretch... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
L5-S1 Herniation: Disc herniations can give people a variety of symptoms; numbness and tingling can follow various routes in leg or arm and weakness usually has a more ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Weight: Weight bearing exercises: bone responds favorably to loading it! use gravity as much as you can!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Neck pain: If the trapezius muscle is not tightening up, and there is associated neck pain and sometimes tension around the upper shoulder blade, there might be ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Try avoid surgery: Tail bone fractures can hurt tremendously, even after many years, but surgical intervention is not necessarily the best answer. There are a variety of... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kornelis Poelstraanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
Joint Injection: It is better to wait about a day after an injection before you stress that specific joint... Give the joint some time to get over the 'violation' of a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
21
Recommendations
342
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Dec 16, 2012
I traveled from Illinois to Destin, FL to see Dr. Poelstra because he was so highly recommended and because he said he could help me. I had two previous back surgeries, and as a result I was very ben...Read More
HealthTap member
Dec 16, 2012
Dr Poelstra performed the 7th surgery on my lower body and I would rank the experience and results as the best of all these. His exceptional skill as a surgeon is obvious -but- he is heads and shoul...Read More
HealthTap member
Dec 16, 2012
We visited Dr. Poelstra's office in Niceville, FL to determine the cause of my husband's neck, shoulder, arm and hand pain. Dr. Poelstra's wonderful Physician's Assistant, John Needler, met with us f...Read More
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! It seems not to bother me to much while I walk its more when I sit or stand still. Thanks again!
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thank you very much! This was better response than the one I got from a doctor in person!
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! With ur suggestion now I can take care of my mom more properly .. Thank u soooooo much
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
University of Groningen
Graduated 2000MD
Medical/Graduate school
University of Groningen Faculty of Medicine
Graduated 1997MD
Residency
University of Virginia Medical Center
Awards
Royal College of Surgeons
Patient Compassion Award
Chairman Department of Surgery - Sacred Heart Hospital
Affiliations
Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
North American Spine Society
American Medical Association
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