Non-Invasive Alternatives for Spinal Surgery

December 3, 2021

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Perhaps you are looking for an effective method to treat a spine condition. However, the mention of back surgery is not that appealing, is it? The good news is, with the current technological advancements in the field of medicine, you can undergo a non-invasive spinal procedure to alleviate your pain.

In a non-invasive spinal procedure, microsized instruments are used to access the affected area and viewed in real-time X-ray images by the surgeon performing the procedure using an operating microscope.

There are different options for this procedure available, and here is a list of non-invasive spinal procedures that our spinal specialists can recommend if you don’t want invasive surgery.

Alternatives to Spinal Surgery

1. Kyphoplasty

Kyphoplasty procedure allows treatment of compression fractures that typically result from the collapse of part or the entire vertebra due to conditions such as osteoporosis, injury, or cancer. In this non-invasive procedure, the surgeon applies bone cement to the fractured area, which imparts stability, and ensures it does not collapse, ultimately strengthening the vertebrae.

2. Non-invasive Spinal Fusion

The surgeon will remove spinal discs between vertebrae during the spinal fusion procedure and use metal plates and screws or grafted bone to fuse the two adjacent vertebrae.  It effectively treats several painful conditions such as scoliosis, traumatic fractures, persistent neck and back pain, spinal instability, and more. Since the bone grafts have to grow and fuse, this procedure has a long recovery period, thus used as a last resort.

3. Artificial Disc Replacement

Instead of spinal fusion, the surgeon can use an artificial disc replacement procedure to treat severely damaged discs. It involves removing discs and replacing them with an artificial one to restore the vertebrae’s height and motion.

4. Spinal Stenosis Decompression

Spinal stenosis occurs typically when obstructions such as bone spur lead to narrowing the spinal canal, leading to pain, weakness, or numbness. In spinal decompression, your surgeon aims to expand the spinal column to eliminate any obstructions and release pressure on the nerves.

5. Discectomy

A herniated disc is usually the leading cause of compressed nerves. Discectomy and spinal decompressions described above go together to eliminate herniated discs. In a non-invasive discectomy, the surgeon removes the herniated disc, which presses the spinal cord or a nerve root in the spinal column.

6. Spinal Canal Enlargement

In some cases, the disc bulges into the wall of the spinal instead of becoming herniated. Failure to treat the resulting compression may lead to a natural thickening of the vertebrae as the body tries to provide extra protection to the nerves. If you have any of the conditions, the surgeon can perform bony hole enlargement at the affected nerve root region, which relieves pressure and pain.  

Seek Assistance Today!

Non-invasive procedures are new and more effective ways to treat spine conditions while reducing risk and allowing quicker recovery. Contact Integrative Sports and Spine today to schedule a consultation with our experienced spinal specialist.