Back Pain Treatment – Surgical

Back pain is a common complaint, and most back pain treatment stops short of surgery. There are cases, however, when surgical back pain treatment is appropriate. Chronic back pain that has not responded to other treatments may respond to surgical back pain treatment. Vertebral fractures and damaged discs are two other conditions in which surgical back pain treatment may be warranted.

Surgical Back Pain Treatments

Here are seven (7) of the surgical back pain treatments your physician may recommend.

1. Disc Replacement: When one or more discs in the back have been severely damaged, disc replacement surgery can be done. No effort is made to repair the disc. Rather, the old disc is removed, and a new, synthetic disc is implanted.

2. Laminectomy: The lamina is a part of the bone on the back on the vertebrae. You can remember if you think of it as laminate. In this surgical back pain treatment, part of the lamina is removed. That removed portion can then be used to treat herniated discs and spinal stenosis.

3. Microdiscectomy: In this surgical back pain treatment, a very small incision is made in the back. The surgeon then uses a magnifying lens to locate the disc. It is thought that the smaller incision reduces both pain and the size of the surgical scar.

4. Laser Discectomy: A laser is used in this back pain treatment to vaporize the disc’s tissue. This reduces the size of the disc and relieves pressure that is being put on the nerves.

5. Spinal Fusion: When the need for back pain treatment arises from spondylolisthesis or degenerative disc disease, spinal fusion may be used. In this surgical procedure, two or more of the back’s vertebrae are joined together. This is done with bone grafts, screws, and rods. Once spinal fusion has been done, that part of the spine can no longer move.

6. Vertebroplasty: When vertebrae sustain fracture, it is usually through trauma such as a vehicular accident or through osteoporosis. To stabilize the spine, this surgical back pain treatment injects a cement-like mixture into the fractured vertebra. The mixture is called polymethyacrylate.

7. Kyphoplasty is another back pain treatment for fractured vertebrae. In this treatment, a balloon device is inserted first to help restore the height and shape of the spine. Then polymethyacrylate is injected to repair the fractured vertebra.

While it is hoped that you will not need surgical back pain treatment, it is reassuring to know that such treatment is available.