Spinal decompression may be a solution for those suffering from chronic back pain and pinched nerves. Spinal decompression is intended to relieve nerve pressure by increasing the space around them. This surgery is often used as a last resort after all other therapeutic alternatives and therapies have been explored.
Excess pressure on a nerve in or exiting the spinal canal can compress the spinal cord and nerve roots. There are numerous reasons why this discomfort may occur, but spinal decompression surgery is an effective treatment for compressed spinal neurons.
What Is Spinal Decompression Surgery?
Spinal decompression is a surgical treatment used to treat symptoms and signs caused by stenosis, or narrowing, of the spinal nerves within the spinal canal and/or the spinal neural foramina, which are the nerves’ exit points.
Spinal stenosis can cause nerve compression and symptoms in the lower back or legs, including pain, sciatica, tingling, numbness, weakness, and bowel/bladder dysfunction. Stenosis can be caused by a herniated disc, degenerative changes in the facet joints and disc, vertebral misalignment or slippage, or thickening of the spine’s ligaments. In most cases, however, stenosis is produced by a combination of the above, resulting in constriction of the nerves as they transit through the central spinal canal or escape the central canal via the neural foramina.
There are many spinal decompression surgical treatments available depending on the individual structure producing stenosis, which detail how the specific structure is treated to decompress the nerves. Thus, spinal decompression surgery may include laminectomy, facetectomy, foraminotomy, and discectomy.
How Is Laminectomy Used?
Laminectomy is a surgical technique that removes the spinal canal’s posterior wall, which consists of the vertebral lamina and posterior yellow ligament. The surgery may entail removing the entire vertebral lamina (full laminectomy) or simply a piece of it (partial laminectomy). This causes the spinal canal to expand and the spinal nerves that travel through it to be decompressed.
How Is Facetectomy Performed?
Facetectomy is a technique that includes removing a portion of the facet joints to expand the spinal canal and lateral recesses. A complete facetectomy involves the removal and excision of the entire facet joint, resulting in instability that necessitates instrumentation and fusion. A partial facetectomy removes only a portion of the facet joint.
How Is Foraminotomy Used?
Foraminotomy is a treatment that enlarges the neural foramina via which a spinal nerve exits the spinal canal.
How Is Discectomy Used?
Discectomy is a treatment that removes the disc material that is compressing the nerve. When a surgical microscope is utilized, the technique is often referred to as microdiscectomy. A total discectomy includes removing the entire disc material, whereas a partial discectomy entails removing only a section of the disc, specifically the ruptured disc fragment that causes nerve impingement.
When Do You Need Spinal Decompression?
The decision to have spinal surgery of this nature should not be taken lightly. Your doctor will need to refer you to a specialist to assess which operation is best for you. Your doctor may also propose a series of non-invasive therapies to help reduce swelling and tension in your spine before proceeding with surgery. While therapy may provide immediate comfort, there is no current therapy that can provide a lasting remedy, so surgery is frequently the final option.
If your pinched nerves are producing chronic or debilitating pain during regular exercise, you should consult your doctor about spinal decompression surgery. We can relieve pain from sitting, standing, and walking by performing the right spinal decompression operation. While the procedures listed above can be performed using traditional surgical approaches, cutting-edge procedures that use minimally invasive techniques during spinal surgery can significantly improve your quality of life without additional risks.
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