Understanding your condition
Back and neck pain arises, and is often attributed to a soft tissue injury to the spine. There are numerous small joints in the back that can be aggravated resulting in back pain, such as nerve root irritation, disc herniations, bone spurs, or scar formation, which may put pressure on the spinal nerves. Most spine conditions involve a combination of structures. Thus, it is important to identify and treat the various causes of your symptoms.

Innovation
Conditions of the spine lead to many of the most difficult challenges in patient care. The human spine is subject to an incredible range of motions. It must bend, twist and maintain balance. Patient conditions resulting from problems with the spine are what drive the medical community to develop innovative solutions.

Technology in medicine is becoming increasingly more sophisticated, and Minimal Access Spinal Technologies are allowing for treatment of herniated discs and other procedures in a much less invasive manner. These technologies are allowing surgeons to perform procedures with smaller incisions and less damage to the surrounding tissues. Minimal Access Spinal Technologies are advancing in every aspect of medicine and will continue to advance in the area of spinal surgery.

Every patient’s condition is considered unique and our practice utilizes the most appropriate technologies designed to promote the best patient outcomes possible.

Medical Alternatives
Often, injections are performed around the small joints in the spine (facet joints), nerve root and the spinal canal itself (epidural injections). The amount of relief depends on what type of spinal condition is present. The injections consist of a combination of steroids, short and long-term anesthetics, and are utilized in an attempt to decrease pain in the hope of trying to avoid an operation.

Pain Centers offer specialists trained specifically to help patients deal with chronic pain.

Holistic medicine such as acupuncture, reflexology, chiropractic adjustment, bio-magnets, and yoga may give some temporary relief.

Surgery is always the last option, and performed only on clear and identifiable conditions as a solution to decrease pain. Numbness and tingling are not indications to operate because they are too unpredictable. Patients must have clear and realistic expectations of surgery, recovery-time and maintenance of post-surgery health. As mentioned previously, muscles, ligaments, tendons, small joints in the spine, weight control, smoking, dedication to good back care and the psychological profile of a person affect surgical results.