Tag Archives: lumbar laminectomy

How Do I Avoid Surgery With Sciatica From A Pinched Nerve?

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At times a low back disc herniation pushes on a nerve root leading to sciatica. The sciatic nerve is a compilation of several nerve roots including L4 and L5 and S1 nerve roots coming together.

When the sciatic nerve is being pinched from a disk herniation, this is called a pinched nerve (in layman’s terms) and in medical terms it is referred to as sciatica. Typically when the sciatic nerve is pinched the individuals will have pain based on which specific nerve root is being pinched. If you want to avoid surgery with sciatica, what are the therapeutic options available?

One of the primary options that helps a lot is going to see a Phoenix pain management clinic. Physical therapy along with potentially narcotics and a muscle relaxer typicall help a lot. Also it is prudent to start some anti-inflammatory medications and Tylenol. When these are being taken a medication like Zantac should be included to prevent a gastric ulcer.

Physical therapy may help substnatially along with chiropractors Scottsdale AZ treatment including spinal decompression treatment to unload the pinched disc. The various medications along with a back brace can help make life tolerable.

Opiates a lot of the time do not work great for the sciatica. If this is the problem then Lyrica or neurontin may help with the nerve pain.

Along with the medications,  interventional pain treatments may help a lot. This would include an epidural shot or series of injections which consists of steroids being injected under fluoroscopy around the area of the compressed nerve.

This will not fix the region of the pinched nerve, it will simply flood the area with soothing anti-inflammatory medication to help decrease pain.

Some folks are under the impression that it is a good idea to stay in bed when you have a disk herniation. This is actually a significantly bad idea as it can be worse for your lower back. Getting out of bed as much as tolerable and walking is much better for your overall recovery.

So, the combination of treatments which includes back bracing, physical therapy, chiropractors Mesa AZ treatment,  and spinal decompression along with medications have often times been able to permit patients to avoid surgery which may include epidural injections.

A lumbar discectomy procedure has some small risks associated with it, but it will be better to avoid those risks if possible. It is understood that one year after a disc surgery, the outcomes are equivalent to the individual if they avoided surgery.

If you are having significant arthritis pain and exercise is not providing complete relief, Preferred Pain Center is a comprehensive Phoenix Pain Center. We have chiropractors Phoenix and Arizona pain doctors who can help. We have a 24 hour Guarantee and have award winning doctors!

Call (602) 507-6550 today.

Should I Undergo Spine Surgery For Painful Spinal Stenosis?

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In the US, the most common reason for low back spine surgery in those over  65 is lumbar spinal stenosis. What is it? Spinal stenosis consists of a narrowing of the space available for the dural sac (what’s left of the spinal cord) and the nerve roots that come off. Usually, there is a lot of room for these structures coming out at each spinal level.

As people get older, arthritis develops. This comes with the possibility for soft tissue and bony overgrowth around the spinal joints. This may start to encroach on the space available for the dural sac and nerve roots. If it gets bad enough, folks may start having buttock, back, and leg pain. This becomes a structural problem. Thankfully, most individuals with spinal stenosis do not end up in excruciating pain.

Resulting symptoms can result from this overgrowth leading to decreased blood flow or inflamed nerve roots. This may result in several spinal levels being compressed and having symptoms. The symptoms vary between patients depending on the area of pinching and the individual’s reaction. In spite of  this, lumbar spinal stenosis is the most predominant reason for back surgery in those over the age of 65.

Should surgery be performed if pain exists? This question has been looked at for many years especially since spinal stenosis is a quality of life decision. It’s not a fatal condition, and treatment should typically be guided by patient symptoms. If the symptoms get worse in spite of nonoperative treatment for 3-6 months at an Arizona pain center, a decompressive laminectomy surgery procedure can be considered. Some evidence has shown effectiveness for this procedure.

A recent review in Spine looked at several studies to determine the results of laminectomies for stenosis. The outcomes showed that in indviduals who had failed conservative treatment for 3 to 6 months (such as with a Phoenix chiropractor), surgery helped with pain, function,  and quality of life more than nonsurgical measures. It did not, though, statistically help walking ability.

These benefits were noted to reduce over time but not diminish completely, even up to a decade. These results were established regardless of obesity, advancing age, lung issues, multiple levels, or other medical issues. Concomitant medical problems do increase the complication risks, so they should be weighed against the pros in deciding whether to have the laminectomy.

The results were the same among almost all the studies reviewed, including if not the person had one vertebra slipped on another, known as spondylolisthesis. The main point is it’s a quality of life decision, and considerable conservative treatment should be tried first.

The small risks of surgery should not be ignored in the  population over 65. At that point of failed nonsurgical treatment such as with Arizona pain doctors, however, numerous studies now support the decision for a decompression surgery.