Treatment
Back or neck problems can have a major impact on your daily life and well-being. Fortunately, there are various conservative and surgical treatment options available to help you restore your mobility and comfort. In this article, we provide you with an overview of these treatments.
neck problems
Conservative treatments are usually the first step in treating problems with of spine and can include the following:
Medicines such as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and paracetamol can be used to relieve pain and inflammation. You should be especially careful when using morphine tablets (oxycodone, tramadol, etc.). Morphine is a powerful painkiller and can cause serious side effects such as breathing problems, drowsiness, dizziness and addiction.
Physical therapy helps to strengthen the muscles around the spine and improve posture to prevent further damage. Exercises such as back strengthening exercises, stretching and stability training can be effective components of a personalized treatment plan.
Blocking the nerve root, by way of an injection can be effective in relieving pain caused by herniated discs. During the procedure, a needle with a small amount of anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medication (such as corticosteroids) is injected near the nerve root.
A back brace can be used to support and stabilize the spine during the recovery process. This can help relieve pain. While wearing a back brace for a short period of time can provide extra stability, long-term use of a back brace can lead to a decrease in back muscles, which ultimately weakens the back.
Heat and cold therapy can help reduce pain and inflammation. Heat can be applied using warm compresses or heating pads, while cold therapy can be performed using ice packs.
Manual therapy, such as in chiropractic and osteopathic treatments, can help improve spinal function and relieve pain for some patients.
problems
If conservative treatments are not sufficient or if the symptoms are severe, surgical procedures may be necessary. Some common surgical treatments are the following:
surgery
3D-Microdiscectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which the herniated disc and sometimes a small part of the damaged intervertebral disc are removed to relieve pressure on the nerve. This procedure is performed under general anesthesia and requires only a small incision in the lower back. Patients can get up within a few hours of the operation and go home the next day. Patients usually experience rapid relief of their symptoms.
Microdecompression: This procedure widens the spinal canal and removes the constriction to create more space for the nerves, thereby relieving the pressure.
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF): This surgical procedure involves removing the damaged intervertebral disc and herniated disc in the neck. Then the adjacent vertebrae are attached to each other (fused) to restore the stability of the spine. This helps to reduce the pressure on the nerves and the spinal cord and to relieve neck and arm pain
Hybrid spondylodesis is a surgical procedure of the lumbar spine in which the vertebrae in the lower back are fused to restore the stability of the spine and to reduce pain. This procedure is often performed on patients suffering from instability of the spine.
Cryoablation of the facet joint is a minimally invasive procedure in which the nerves around the affected facet joint are frozen. This freezing temporarily “disables” the nerves that send pain signals to the brain, thereby significantly reducing the pain.
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Physical exam and MRI
Besides a detailed interview a neurological examination take place and a MRI is made. Your therapeutic options are discussed right away.
Our German efficiency makes it possible to do this with in a few hours
surgery
If a spinal surgery is the best option you will meet our anesthesiologists right away and the operation can be performed within a day or two.