Monthly Archives: June 2012
Whenever you’re experiencing chronic back pain you may find yourself wondering what your options are for easing this pain. Today you may consider talking to a spine surgeon about spinal cord stimulation. This may be just what you need so that you can get back to living a full life once again.
This is a procedure whereby the perception of pain is masked by changing the way in which your brain perceives the pain signals, changing them to a tingling sensation instead. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, under sedation anesthesia. During the procedure a catheter is placed into your spinal canal where it’s manipulated so that it rests over top of the center of your spinal cord. You will then be asked if you are feeling pain relief and where you’re feeling the tingling sensation at.
At the location where the catheter exits your skin it’s attached to a battery unit that’s programmable. You’ll wear this for a period of up to one week in order to determine how much pain relief you’re actually receiving. Continue reading
Those who have suffered injuries that require back surgery are faced with many tough decision, and very often one of those is whether or not spinal fusion is a good treatment option. This invasive technique is performed by essentially “welding” two vertebrae together.
Spine fusion can be a painful process. With its extensive recovery time and invasive nature, many patients actually end up suffering from failed back surgery syndrome following treatment as their problem persists. As a result, a growing number of back pain sufferers are turning to alternatives to alleviate their pain and live the fulfilling lives they desire.
Intradiscal electrothermal coagulation is an increasingly popular technique in which the annulus is warmed by inserting a needle and catheter into the affected area, thus closing the gaps made by tears that are the underlying cause of the pain. While this method has proven effective and is not invasive, it is a better option for those suffering from less severe back pain. Continue reading
A spine surgeon is a specialist at back surgery, ensuring minimally invasive surgical techniques are considered first, before major back operations are medically elected. The most common back condition is a slipped disc and in some cases, the patient may not even realize they have a slipped disc, until the nerve roots are aggravated. Once the nerve roots are triggered the level of pain will vary from person to person.
Slipped discs occur in the lower back area, known as the lumbar region and injuries are caused by physical bending, heavy lifting or an accidental fall. The upper neck region is also susceptible to slipped discs, which is common during our aging process. Over the counter remedies and prescribed treatments are used for pain relief of back problems, but, when these treatments don’t effectively manage the pain, minimally invasive surgical techniques are considered. Minimally invasive is defined as non-disruptive, using small incisions focused on the preservation of our natural body parts consisting of spine muscles, tissues and bones. A spine surgeon will treat an extreme spine disorder, using a variety of surgery procedures, depending on the patient’s disorder. At times, replacing or reconstructing parts of the spine are crucial to regaining the body’s natural function due to this health disorder.
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Your Arizona’s back doctor is the one to see when you begin to age and suffer from pain in your back. If you have suffered back injuries regardless of your age, your Arizona’s back doctor is the one to see. Only your back doctor can decide if you need to see a spinal surgeon for back injuries or deterioration of your spinal disks due to age. If you are suffering from back pain, the pain may be coming from the spinal discs that join the vertebrae in your back also known as the spinal column. Your spinal discs are flexible cartilage type discs that allow you to bend and to move your back in many directions easily. If you suffer from pain in your back, you may have a degenerated disc, a bulging disc or a herniated disc. It is from your symptoms that your back doctor will make his diagnosis as to what your disc problem is.
For the most part, a degenerated disc can occur anywhere in your spinal column. Each one of your spinal vertebrae is separated and joined to the next vertebrae by a disc. Most degenerated discs or symptoms of pain in discs are located at the neck and at the bottom of your spinal column. These two areas are more susceptible to shock and to consequent degeneration due to stress inflicted on your spinal column. A herniated disc is like its name a ruptured disc that is torn and inflamed or herniated. A herniated disc will show up outside of your body like a bulging on your spinal column. Continue reading
Many times you have probably seen your child come home with a completely loaded back pack. They sit down and pull out five or six thick, heavy books and begin their homework. The entire time you are wondering how in the world they are not screaming that their back hurts.
This is the case for many middle school and high school children. Since they change class, and their classes are so short, chances are they will have homework in three to four classes every night. Since the teachers do not know that they are going to be bringing home so many heavy books, they do not pay attention.
Children are very prone to back problems because of this. Heavy back packs compress children’s backs and can lead to slipped discs, pulled muscles, and chronic problems that could leave them on prescription, narcotic medications for years to deal with back pain.
Your child has thirty-three small bones in their back. As they place their backpack over their shoulders, these vertebrae push together. As with anything that is pretty much is a straight line, something has to give. Likely, it will be one of these vertebrae or the disc. A disc is a small piece of cartilage that is between the vertebrae. They keep the bones from pushing together and causing them to wear down. Continue reading
There are so many things that can cause lower back pain such as discs, muscles, bones, and ligaments. Because the discs are located around the nerves, they can cause lots of back pain complications.
The three main types of back pain are axial pain, referred pain, and radicular pain.
Of the three the referred back pain is the most common. With this type of back pain, the complaints are more of an aching dull pain that moves around the back area. The pain will come and go and increase and decrease in pain level. Normally this aching starts in the lower portion of the back and will move up through the groin and into the thighs.
Treating this type of this back pain would require some diagnostic tests and therapy to the back that will try to correct the muscle abnormalities as well as the joints and bones in the spine area.
Axial pain is also called mechanical pain. This type of back pain can vary from a dull aching to an extremely sharp shooting pain. The symptoms and pain can come and go and will be mild one moment and intense and severe the next moment. It often seems to appear when someone is sitting in one position for a long time or may hurt even worse when you get up from sitting for a long time. The pain does seem to always be in the lower back area with axial type pain. Continue reading
