Are you suffering from back pain? Is it so severe that it can't be relieved through non-operative methods including physical therapy, medications and steroid injections? If yes, spine surgery may be the only answer to your condition.
The surgery cannot be recommended at initial stages of backache. In most cases, back pain tends to be temporary and is usually managed with conservative therapy and self-care, including medications, exercise, physical therapy and acupuncture.
Unfortunately, if the backache has become severe and it has started taking heavy toll on your whole body there is no option left other than going under the knife. Typically, a patient considers surgery if her/his pain continues to worsen; suffers back instability from spine injury; or experiences severe arm or leg pain due to nerve compression in the spine.
Spine Surgery Types
There are several different types of spine surgery, most of which do not require you to lie flat in bed for weeks. The type you choose depends on the condition of your back.
Discectomy: It is the most common surgical treatment for a ruptured, slipped or herniated disc in the spinal canal causing the pressure on the nerves. In this surgery, the herniated portion of a disk is removed through a small cut over the center of your back. The goal of this surgery is to relieve irritation and inflammation of a nerve as well as pressure on the nerves that may be causing pain.
Laminectomy: This surgery is done to relieve pressure on the spinal cord itself. Laminectomy is often recommended for patients with spinal conditions like spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis. The surgery involves removal of parts of the bone, bone spurs (overgrowths of bone), or thickened ligaments overlying the spinal canal. This will widen the spinal canal to allow more space for the spinal nerves to pass and relieve pressure caused by spinal stenosis.
Spinal Fusion: It is a common surgery for chronic back pain. Also called spondylodesis, a spinal fusion is typically done to treat spine instability (spondylolisthesis) or spinal weakness. The surgery is aimed at treating injured or broken spinal bones, called vertebrae, and increasing the strength of the spine by fusing two or more bones together. This stops motion between the painful spine bones, thus decreases pain in that joint.
Vertebroplasty: This procedure is performed to treat fractured and compressed vertebrae. During this surgery, a small cut is made on your back and through it cement-like mixture is slowly injected into your compressed vertebrae. This can help stabilize fractures and relieve pain. Sometimes, a balloon-like device is inserted to widen the compressed vertebrae before injecting the mixture.
Foraminotomy: This surgery is suitable for patients who have a bone spur, a bulging disc, or a thickened vertebral disc. A keyhole surgery is often used to widen your foramina- the bony holes through which spinal nerve roots exit the spinal cord. This enlarged space reduces pressure on your spinal nerves, thereby relieving pain.
Spinal Disc Replacement: It is a treatment alternative to spinal fusion. In this procedure, degenerated or injured discs are removed, instead of joining together, and replaced with artificial discs. The implanted new discs can help restore disc height and relieve painful movement between two bones in the spine. This surgery is relatively new and is still quite uncommon.
Neelam is a freelance writer. She writes for Websites providing guidance, information and support to people seeking affordable healthcare services abroad. If you are suffering from long-term chronic backache and other remedies have failed to provide relief then Spine Surgery in Tijuana , Mexico may be the only option for you. For US patients who cannot afford surgical intervention to treat Type 2 diabetes in their country because of its expensive cost, Diabetes Surgery in Mexico can be a worthwhile option.
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