Reoccurring back pain can caused by multiple factors and can result in the need for different types of surgery. Pain in the back often comes from a nerve being pinched by a bone or spinal disk that has been herniated. These conditions can cause muscle weakness, burning and stinging pain, numbness in the affected areas as well as tingling sensations in the hands and feet. Herniated disks can cause the pain to spread out to the arms and legs depending on the location of the ruptured disk in the spine. If a person is experiencing any of these symptoms for long period of time they should schedule an appointment with a spinal surgeon to be examined.
It might seem scary and there are potential risks involved, but under the care of a highly trained medical professional, back operations can ultimately eliminate the pain that would otherwise burden the patient for years to come. Increased mobility and better physical fitness are also common benefits of back surgery.
There are multiple decompression procedures available that a spinal surgeon can use to treat a pinched nerve in the back depending on the severity of the situation. One option is a discectomy. This is the practice of removing part of a spinal disk that is putting on a nerve to alleviate the pain. Other typical options include shaving down parts of the lamina to create a bigger space to free the pinched nerve, or removing the lamina all together. The surgeon will have to decide one of these methods alone, or if a combination of the procedures would best to treat the individual’s condition with consideration for what would bring the greatest amount of relief.
The wear and tear of spinal disks over time is the most common reason for disk herniation. As an individual gets older, the disks of the spine tend to lose some of their water content. This makes the disks easier to rupture during every day physical activity, which can cause a tremendous amount of pain. If that pain travels from the back to the arms or down the legs, the individual should seek help from a spinal surgeon. If the spine specialist in New Jersey determines that physical therapy and chiropractic manipulation alone will not solve the problem, there are a number of surgeries available to treat the condition. Discectomies and spinal fusions are often what ultimately are used to treat a herniated disk when it comes to surgery.
Treatment for back pain is no simple task. What may eliminate pain for one patient, might be completely ineffective for another. This is why it is important for anyone experiencing severe back pains to seek the proper evaluations from a medical professional that specializes with the spine. The surgical procedures that aim to correct these ailments will often require ailment bed rest and recovery time post-op. Once healed, most patients experience a great relief from their previous back pain as well as an increase in their ability to move around and participate in physical activities once again.
