Decompressive Spinal Surgery for back pain

What is spinal decompression?

This is a big word but is very simple to explain. When people have back pain, the nerve in the center of the spinal cord gets compressed or pinched. The compression may be from bone, ligament, tumor, or any type of mass. When the nerve is pinched, it causes pain. Spinal decompression means relieving the pressure in the joint space so that the nerve is no longer pinched

What is classic treatment of back pain?

Back or neck pain are common problems in society. In most cases, it is a nerve that is pinched that is causing the pain. Sometimes besides pain, one may also have numbness or tingling sensations.

The traditional treatment of back pain is rest and pain control for a few days and most individuals recover in 4-6 weeks. However, there are a number of patients who fail to improve. These individuals then go through a wide range of therapies including physical therapy, exercise, traction, massage, acupuncture, yoga, praying, and when all that fails, some undergo surgery.

IS back surgery essentially spinal decompression?

Yes, in simple all surgery for back pain is designed to remove pressure from the nerves. However, surgery is not the only way to remove compression from the disc joints. There are also various traction devices that do the same thing.

Can spinal decompression surgery be performed only on the back?

No, spinal decompression surgery can be performed anywhere along the spine when there is evidence of a pinched nerve. The two most common areas are the neck and lower back

How is the surgery done?

Under general anesthesia, a small incision is made over the mid spine. The lamina (the bone that covers top of the spinal canal) is removed. This allows the nerves more freedom and removes the compression.

There are several types of decompressive spinal procedures but the principle is the same- remove pressure off the nerves.