Restoring Mobility, Relieving Pain

A discectomy is a procedure that removes a damaged, arthritic, or herniated intervertebral disc (the “cushion” between adjacent bones of the spine). An anterior surgical approach means an approach from the front of the body, and the cervical spine is the spine in the neck. So an anterior cervical discectomy is a procedure that removes a damaged intervertebral disc from the spine in the neck, using a surgical approach from the front of the neck.

Cervical Fusion for Spinal Stability

An anterior cervical discectomy is often performed along with procedures called fusion and fixation to ensure spinal stability. A fusion is the implantation of a bone graft that will fuse (and grow together) with vertebrae (bones of the spine) in the area. A fixation is the implantation of screws, rods or plates. A fixation is a common way to hold the bones in place while they fuse. An Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion is often abbreviated ACDF.

What is a Laminectomy?

A Laminectomy surgery creates space by removing the lamina — the back part of the vertebra that covers your spinal canal. Also known as decompression surgery, laminectomy enlarges your spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.

When Decompressive Laminectomy is Necessary

Laminectomy is generally used only when more-conservative treatments — such as medication, physical therapy or epidural injections — have failed to relieve symptoms. Laminectomy may also be recommended if symptoms are severe or worsening dramatically.

Cervical Laminectomy

A cervical laminectomy is performed for certain patients with cervical spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal in the cervical area (the neck). Stenosis may be caused by a number of degenerative spine conditions, including wear and tear on the bones, discs, and ligaments. A narrow spinal canal can compress (pinch) the spinal cord and surrounding nerves. Compression may irritate a spinal nerve or nerves, causing radiculopathy (pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in one limb). Compression of the spinal cord itself can damage its delicate tissues and cause myelopathy (pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in both arms or legs, difficulty walking, and/or loss of bowel or bladder control).

What is a Microdiscectomy?

Microdiscectomy and Foraminotomy are used to treat a condition involving a herniated disc and pinched spinal nerves caused by disc degeneration. The procedure can be performed anywhere along the spine, from the neck (cervical spine) to the lower back (lumbar spine).

During a microdiscectomy, the surgeon makes a tiny incision, using a microscope or magnifying instrument to view the disc and nerves, and removes disc material so that it no longer irritates and compresses the nerve root. During a foraminotomy, bone is removed in an effort to enlarge the “neural foramen,” the space between vertebrae where the nerve root exits the spinal canal.

A microdiscectomy is performed through the back, so the patient lies face down on the operating table for the surgery. General anesthesia is used, and the procedure usually takes about one to two hours.

Facet joints are small joints at each segment of the spine that provide stability and help guide motion. The facet joints can become painful due to arthritis of the spine, a back injury, or mechanical stress to the back.

A cervical, thoracic or lumbar facet joint injection involves injecting a small amount of local anesthetic (numbing agent) and/or steroid medication, which can anesthetize the facet joints and block the pain. The pain relief from a facet joint injection is intended to help a patient better tolerate a physical therapy routine to rehabilitate his or her injury or back condition.

Facet Joint Injection Pain Relief Goals

Facet joint injections usually have two goals: to help diagnose the cause and location of pain and also to provide effective pain management:

Diagnostic goals: By placing numbing medicine into the facet joint, the amount of immediate pain relief experienced by the patient will help determine if the facet joint is a source of pain. If complete pain relief is achieved while the facet joint is numb, it means that joint is likely a source of pain.

Pain relief goals: Along with the numbing medication, a facet joint injection also includes injecting time-release steroid (cortisone) into the facet joint to reduce inflammation, which can sometimes provide longer-term pain relief.

What is an Epidural?

Epidural injections are commonly known as a pain relief shots that pregnant women get while giving birth. However, the term epidural is simply a type of injection that goes in the epidural area of your spine. The epidural area is outside the membrane surrounding your spinal cord.

Inflammation-Reducing Epidural Steroid Injections

Many patients at AllSpine have benefited from Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs) that help relieve inflammation related to radicular pain emanating either from the lower back into the legs and/or the neck into the shoulders and arms. ESIs reduce inflammation in your spinal nerves and give you relief from pain and pinched nerves.

How does a lumbar sympathetic block work?

A lumbar sympathetic block is an injection of medication that helps relieve lower back pain or leg pain (sciatica). It can be used to treat:

• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
• Complex regional pain syndrome
• Herpes zoster infection (shingles) involving the legs
• Vascular insufficiency
• Peripheral neuropathy

Sympathetic nerves are located on both sides of your spine, in your lower back. A steroid medication and local anesthetic injected into or around your sympathetic nerves can help reduce pain in that area.

When a sympathetic nerve block wears off

If a lumbar sympathetic block is working well, your doctor may recommend a series of injections. Another alternative is radiofrequency ablation for pain relief that has a longer effect. There aren’t many risks associated with a lumbar sympathetic block, and the most common side effect is temporary pain or soreness at the injection site.

What is Radiofrequency Ablation (or RFA)?

RFA is a treatment used to deal with neck or back pain caused at a certain area of the spine called the facet joints. The procedure involves finding out the exact location causing you pain so the radiofrequency ablation can treat the area. Radiofrequency Ablation uses heat generated from a medium frequency radio waves to ablate nerves causing pain, which eliminates the transmission of pain signals to the brain.

Am I a Candidate for Radiofrequency Ablation?

You may be a candidate for a Radiofrequency Ablation if you have spinal injury or arthritis in your spinal joints. Checking if you’re a candidate for RFA is a three part process that involves two tests to be performed to see if you are indeed a candidate. The tests are called Medial Branch Blocks or MBB for short. If you respond favorably to the MBB’s then you are a candidate for the Radiofrequency ablation treatment.

Going to a Doctor After a Car Accident

Being in a car accident can be one of the most overwhelming and terrifying experiences to go through. If you’ve been involved in a car accident, you could have suffered injuries to your nerves, muscles, and possibly bones that may not be immediately visible. Therefore, it is important to visit a car accident clinic in Atlanta/Los Angeles within the first 72 hours so a personal injury physician can evaluate the severity of your injuries.

Getting treated sooner can help you get back to your everyday life quickly and may prevent any injuries from getting worse

Common Auto Accident Injuries

Auto accident injuries send over 4 million Americans to the emergency room each year. Most of the pain and symptoms only show up hours to days after the accident. Even if you think you are fine, you should still see your doctor for an examination, just to make sure you are okay. You’ll be surprised to know that even minor injuries can easily escalate and become more severe when left untreated.