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5 Ways to Keep Your Back Healthy After Surgery

5 Ways to Keep Your Back Healthy After Surgery Disc injuries are among the most common reasons for back surgery. Surviving back surgery is no small feat. You know you don’t want to suffer the pain of another injury, so learning to take care of your spine after surgery is essential. While it might seem like it happened overnight, your disc injury was probably years in the making. These tips may help to repair your issues and keep your back feeling great. Listen to your doctor. Surgery may have improved your symptoms so much that you want to jump back...

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Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation, frequently referred to as PNS, is a commonly used approach to treat chronic pain. It involves surgery that places a small electrical device (a wire-like electrode) next to one of the peripheral nerves. The electrode delivers rapid electrical pulses that are felt like mild tingles. Similar to heart pacemakers, electricity is delivered from the generator to the nerve or nerves using one or several electrodes. The patient is able to control stimulation by turning the device on and off and adjusting stimulation parameters as needed. These devices are an extremely safe, efficient, and effective way to ameliorate a...

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Spinal Cord Stimulators

Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a method of treatment in which a surgically implanted pulse generator sends electrical currents through the spine in order to interfere with nerve impulses that cause chronic pain. The pulse generator is inserted in the abdomen, and small, coated wires run to the point in the spinal canal where the pain originates. The level of electricity (pulse strength) depends on the severity of the pain, and the patient activates the pulse generator for one to two hours at a time, three or four times a day. This method of treatment may...

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Spinal Injections

Spinal injections can be used to provide temporary relief from chronic neck or back pain, or to diagnose the source of the pain. The goal of injections is typically to use a combination of a numbing agent and a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation around a nerve, thereby easing symptoms. These injections can be used for diagnostic purposes, helping doctors pinpoint a specific nerve as the source of pain. What conditions can spinal injections treat? Spinal injections are usually recommended if more basic treatments have not been successful in relieving pain related to a spine condition. Common spine conditions include: Arthritis...

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Medial Branch Injections

The joints in your spine are called facet joints. These joints are located on the left and right side of each vertebra, interlocking with the vertebra above and below like hinges that allow spinal movement. Each facet joint contains small nerves that are responsible for transmitting pain signals directly to the joint. These nerves are called medial branch nerves, and if there is any inflammation within a facet joint, the medial branch nerves typically will signal pain. One of the ways your medical professional can determine if these nerves are the cause of your neck pain or back pain is...

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Facet Block Injections

Facet injections are a common treatment for patients with back pain that manifests in the facet joints, the joints that connect two vertebrae and allow the spine to perform bending and twisting motions. Over time, the cartilage that lines the spine’s facet joints, which make motion smooth and pain-free, begins to wear down. In some instances, the cartilage can wear down completely and leave the bones in the facet joints to grind against each other, which irritates nerve endings in the joint. This potentially results in pain, stiffness and limited range of motion. How are facet injections given? Facet injections...

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Radiofrequency Neurotomy

Radiofrequency Neurotomy Radiofrequency neurotomy is an injection procedure in which electrically produced heat is applied to compressed or irritated nerves in order to interrupt pain signals to and from the brain. In essence, the affected nerve is temporarily deadened in order to prevent sensations from traveling to the part of the body experiencing symptoms of pain, tingling or numbness. This procedure usually is held in reserve, not to be attempted until other forms of non-surgical treatment have proven ineffective. After a radiofrequency neurotomy, pain or other symptoms typically resurface in a year or less, once the cut nerve has begun to regenerate....

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Epidural Steroid Injections

Diagnostic and therapeutic epidural steroid injections for neck and back pain Epidural steroid injections are commonly used to diagnose and treat neck and back pain. These injections are placed in the epidural space of the spine, which is located between the vertebral bones and the protective covering of the spinal cord. What is in an epidural steroid injection? Most epidural steroid injections combine two types of medications: a short-acting anesthetic that numbs the area and a long-acting corticosteroid that reduces inflammation. These medications wear off over time, although the associated pain relief can last for several weeks or even several...

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Laser Spine Surgery

An alternative to traditional “open” spine surgery is a minimally invasive laser procedure. Here, the surgeon makes a smaller incision and uses a tool to tunnel to the site of the pain. Because the muscles aren’t pulled away, damage to the surrounding area is minimal and the recovery time is often shorter. Laser spine surgery can help relieve pain associated with a variety of spinal conditions through innovative, minimally invasive techniques. Unlike traditional spine surgery procedures, laser spine surgery uses an endoscopic approach, which requires only a small incision (typically 1-inch or less) and use of a microscope to gain access to the...

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Endoscopic Spine Surgery

Endoscopic Spine Surgery is a type of state-of-the-art surgery that uses small tubular system or micro incisions, assisted with an endoscope for visualization. This type of minimally invasive spine surgery effectively treats disc herniations, spinal stenosis, bone spurs, slipped vertebrates, spinal joint arthritis, and more. Using only local anesthesia, Endoscopic Spine Surgery provides patients with quicker recovery and less pain than traditional spine surgery. The benefits of endoscopic spine surgery and minimally invasive spine surgery Endoscopic procedures are considered a type of minimally invasive procedure, though not all minimally invasive procedures use an endoscope. Other minimally invasive procedures use direct visualization and magnification to view the organs...

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