Is Laser Spine Treatment Right For Me?

Submitted by: Patrick Foote

Laser spine treatment is not suited for all patients who are suffering from degenerative spine conditions. A variety of factors will go into determining whether someone with neck or back pain would benefit from a minimally invasive, laser-assisted surgery, including the patient s age, overall health, medical history, and the severity of their condition. A laser-assisted spine procedure is primarily aimed at relieving spinal nerve compression or irritation caused by an anatomical abnormality. The laser may be used to vaporize intervertebral disc material that has come into contact with a spinal nerve root, or to deaden a local nerve branch in an arthritic spinal joint. In some instances, however, the structural stability of the spine may be so severely compromised that an endoscopic procedure simply won t be sufficient to mitigate a patient s discomfort.

Consider Conservative Treatments First

While laser spine treatment is performed as a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure, it is still a form of surgery and should be considered as such. Only in rare cases will a doctor recommend any type of surgery without attempting to first mitigate symptoms with conservative (nonsurgical) treatments. Some of the most common nonsurgical therapies that are recommended for degenerative spine conditions include:

Prescription or over-the-counter analgesics

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Physical therapy

Hot compresses and ice packs

Low-impact exercise

Gentle stretching

Corticosteroid injections

Behavior modification

Conditions Treated by Laser Spine Surgery

In the event that you try a combination of the above treatments over the course of several months and still do not see any improvement in your symptoms, spine surgery may become an option. In general, the surgeries available will fall into one of two categories: endoscopic surgery and open spine surgery. As mentioned earlier, laser-assisted endoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that offers a variety of benefits over a highly invasive open spine surgery, though not all patients will be candidates for an endoscopic procedure.

The main goal of laser spine treatment is to reduce the symptoms of nerve compression in the spine. A variety of conditions can cause nerve compression, the most common being herniated discs, bulging discs, bone spurs, ligament hypertrophy, spondylolisthesis, spinal osteoarthritis, and spinal stenosis.

Conditions Not Treated by Laser Spine Surgery

Laser spine treatment will not drastically change the structure of the spine and in most cases is not suited for conditions like:

Scoliosis

Lordosis

Kyphosis

Grade III or IV spondylolisthesis

Spinal fractures

While there are exceptions, the above conditions often need to be treated by open spine surgery because major structural adjustments must be made to the spinal column using bone grafts, stabilizing hardware, and other means.

The Benefits of Laser Spine Treatment

Open spine surgery is a highly invasive surgery that involves one or more large incisions, dissection of muscles and other soft tissues, and the removal of a significant portion of the spinal anatomy. Many open spine surgeries involve spinal fusion, which is the permanent fusing of two or more vertebrae together in order to improve spinal stability. The invasive nature of this surgery means that, compared to endoscopic laser spine surgery, there is an increased risk of complications like infection, nerve damage, excessive blood loss, and failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). A long and arduous rehabilitation often follows open spine surgery.

Laser spine treatment, on the other hand, requires an extremely small incision and does not necessitate the dissection of soft tissues. The spinal anatomy is left largely intact, which precludes the need for stabilizing fusion, bone grafts, or hardware. The minimally invasive nature of this surgery reduces the risk of complications, making it a safe and effective procedure for many patients suffering from degenerative spine conditions. After laser spine surgery, most patients are back to regular daily activities in two weeks.

About the Author: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient

laser spine treatment

for several degenerative spinal conditions.

Source:

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