Back pain is a leading reason why most people seek medical care. It occurs for several reasons, including injuries or strains from prolonged standing or sitting. You can treat back pain at home with ice or heat packs, anti-inflammatory medicine, and physical therapy. But if the pain is excruciating and does not go away after regular treatment, your doctor can recommend surgery. Though recommended as a last resort, back surgery can ease most causes of back pain.
However, traditional back surgery is invasive, expensive, and requires a prolonged recovery period. Most people are skeptical about it even when assured of relief after treatment. An excellent alternative is minimally invasive back surgery, which is less invasive, takes a short time, and does not require a prolonged recovery. Our experienced spine surgeons at LAMIS can help you determine the cause of your back pain, treatment options, and whether you are a good candidate for New Jersey minimally invasive spine surgery.
Who Needs Back Surgery?
You can manage back surgery with home remedies like ice, heat packs, and resting or over-the-counter medications. Your doctor can also recommend physical therapy and medicine to manage back pain. However, if all these remedies fail and your back pain is disabling, your doctor can recommend spine surgery to rectify the problem that is causing your pain. It could be a compressed nerve or a destabilized spine segment.
Traditionally, spine surgeons perform open surgery to treat spine-related problems that cause back pain. An open surgery includes cutting open the back to reach the treatment area and stitching it back once treatment is done. This procedure is highly invasive, takes a long time, and is highly risky. It involves bleeding and possible infections because of exposed internal tissues and structures. It takes a patient a long time to recover from an open spine surgery. Some do not attain full recovery from pain. That is why there has always been a need for an alternative treatment that is less invasive, less painful, and will deliver effective results.
Some people with back pain experience pain that radiates to the legs. This is especially true if a pinched nerve causes the pain. Your nerves can become pinched if you have the following conditions:
A Disc Problem
Discs are rubber-like cushions that separate your spine from other backbones. They can become problematic if they bulge or become herniated. When a herniated disc comes close to a nerve, you could experience a disc problem. That will result in back pain and affect the functioning of the impacted nerve.
Bone Overgrowth
A growth in your spine, or spurs, can result from osteoarthritis. It is a condition in which you have excess bone in your back, taking up the space of nerves and making it impossible for the nerves to pass through the spine. That will automatically cause you pain.
While some problems causing your back pain can heal with time after resting, physical therapy, or pain medication, other issues require corrective surgery to rectify the underlying issue and alleviate your pain. The pain radiating to your legs will cease once the underlying problem is corrected through surgery. Sadly, some people who have had open back surgery continue to experience pain and other postoperative complications. That is why spine surgeons in New Jersey recommend minimally invasive spine surgery as the best alternative.
New Jersey Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Spine surgery is recommended for spine conditions and back pains you cannot manage with medicine or non-medical solutions. However, the traditional open surgery for spine conditions presents many setbacks that worry many patients and cause some to change their minds in the course of treatment. For example, a person who has not undergone invasive treatment before will think twice about undergoing open surgery. The process is highly invasive and risky, especially on your back. Open surgery also takes a long time to complete and could take you weeks or months to fully recover.
Just as its name suggests, minimally invasive surgery is less invasive as it does not involve cutting or suturing your back. It is a very effective treatment to correct problems in the structures or bones in your back. When performing minimally invasive surgery, spine surgeons make minor cuts on the back to reach the treatment area. These cuts are minimal, hence minimal bleeding during treatment. Your back is also not exposed to the external factors that could cause infections after treatment.
Minimally invasive surgery is becoming increasingly popular because of those and many other benefits. It takes just a few minutes to access the treatment site and a few more to correct the problem causing your pain. The neurosurgeon does not need more time to stitch you back. That is why it takes less time to treat a spine condition with New Jersey minimally invasive spine surgery. Once you are treated, it will take you a few days to resume your daily schedule.
Spine surgeons in New Jersey can treat different spine conditions using this procedure. For example, they can correct degenerative or herniated discs and other spine deformities that cause back pain. Thus, it is highly recommended if you have tried other treatments for your spine condition with minimal or zero success. The treatment is also absolutely safe, without any adverse postoperative effects.
The Treatment Process
Like open spine surgery, you can correct a spine condition causing pain through minimally invasive surgery. The treatment process starts with the spine surgeon examining the back to determine the treatment site. A physical exam enables them to determine the exact point where you experience pain in your back. The neurosurgeon will then conduct a diagnostic exam to view your spine and underlying structures and determine the problem causing your back pain.
Once they know the treatment site, the spine surgeon will create a small cut on the back to reach the treatment area. The small cut on your back will not harm the tissues, bones, and muscles, resulting in minimal pain and a reduced recovery period. The neurosurgeon will then insert a small tool through the small incision to form a tunnel through which they can access the site for treatment. They will use the tunnel to insert other necessary tools to treat the problem with your spine.
Spine surgeons can use minimally invasive surgery to decompress your nerve structures. Decompression entails removing tissues that are compressing your spinal nerves, causing pain. Examples of spine issues that a surgeon can correct through decompression are the removal of bone fragments compressing your nerves and herniated discs.
Spine surgeons can also use minimally invasive procedures to stabilize the spine segments. Any abnormal movements of your spine segments can result in severe pain in your back and neck. Once these segments are stabilized, the movement will reduce or stop, and you will no longer experience pain.
You can rely on New Jersey minimally invasive spine surgery for the treatment of a wide range of spine conditions, including foraminotomy, microdiscectomy, and microlaminectomy. However, your surgeon must examine the back to ensure you are the right candidate for this procedure. It is advisable to speak to an experienced neurosurgeon to determine your exact problem, evaluate its gravity, and discuss your treatment options. Your surgeon can first recommend other treatment options before suggesting spine surgery.
Spine Conditions Surgeons Can Correct With New Jersey Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
If you have a spine condition that is causing you endless pain and discomfort, your doctor can recommend minimally invasive surgery if other treatment options have failed to give you the relief you desire. Here are examples of spine conditions spine surgeons can treat with this procedure:
A Degenerative Disc
This spine condition occurs over time, affecting intervertebral discs. Degenerative discs are prevalent in older people and could result from stiffening or lost flexibility with the intervertebral discs related to bodily changes occurring as you age. Changes in these discs could cause disc herniation, which surgeons can correct with minimally invasive treatment.
Sciatica
These are symptoms you develop when the sciatica nerve becomes compressed. Sciatica nerves run from the back of your neck down to the leg. These symptoms are usually experienced on one side of the body. Examples are pain, discomfort, and numbness.
Herniated or Ruptured Disc
You could have a herniated/ruptured disc if the liquid in the inner layer of your disc leaks to its outer layer. The leaking liquid will damage your discs and cause irritation or inflammation of the nerves, resulting in severe pain in your neck and back.
Spinal Stenosis
You could develop spinal stenosis when the spinal canal or nerve passageways in your back narrow. It is a widespread condition in older adulthood. Its common symptoms include a tingling sensation in the back, numbness, and pain.
Spine Deformities
Your spine becomes deformed if it develops abnormal curves. These curves are different from one patient to another. The human spine has natural curves at various points. If you develop a deformity, your spine column will have inconsistent curves, affecting your bodily flexibility and balance.
Spine Infection
An infection in your back could occur after an open surgery. When an infection develops, it spreads very quickly to other parts of your back. It could affect your internal structures and tissues, causing great pain. If you have recently undergone surgical treatment and you experience severe pain that worsens with time, you could have a spine infection.
Reasons to Consider Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
If your doctor has recommended spine surgery to relieve back pain, you must be worried about the procedure and outcome of an open spine surgery. However, a minimally invasive procedure has so many benefits for your consideration.
For example, it is less risky than open spine surgery. This is because the surgeon only makes minor cuts on your back, not a large cut that opens up your back. A small cut does not expose your spine, tissues, and underlying structures to infection-causing elements. It also does not cause you to bleed or experience more pain than you should. Compared to open spine surgery, you could experience minimal or zero side effects after a minimally invasive procedure.
You will not worry about having to deal with large scars after a minimally invasive procedure. The minor cuts the surgeon makes on your back do not leave large scars that could affect your look and feel. Some scars could disappear without plastic surgery to improve your look.
Since this treatment is minimally invasive, you do not require a prolonged recovery period like after an open surgery. Remember that the surgeon only requires one or a few minor cuts on the back to reach the treatment area. These will not leave you with large wounds and blood loss issues that could take your body a long time to recover. You should return to your routine after a day or two.
Minimally invasive surgery is less traumatic, mainly because it involves minor cuts and not a large cut that opens up your back for treatment. If you are scared about open surgery, you will be less traumatized after a minimally invasive procedure. Small incisions will not leave you traumatized. Besides, this procedure has less bleeding and minimal pain.
If you do not like or are allergic to some medication, like anesthesia, you will be safe to undergo minimally invasive surgery. Spine surgeons use minimal anesthesia to keep their patients comfortable and pain-free during the procedure. The medicine will wear out almost immediately after treatment.
Find a Reputable Neurosurgeon Near Me
If you need spine surgery to correct a problem causing your back pain, you should consider minimally invasive surgery. It is safe, less invasive, fast, affordable, and requires a shorter recovery period. It is a new treatment option for spine conditions that you cannot manage with medication, rest, or physical therapy. But you must be the right candidate for this procedure for your doctor to recommend it.
We conduct a comprehensive examination of your spine at LAMIS to determine the cause of your back pain. We then discuss our findings, your treatment history, and options with you. We will take you through the treatment process to ensure you understand what to expect before and after treatment. Call us at 310-734-6088. Let us discuss what New Jersey minimally invasive spine surgery can do for you.
