What is spinal fusion and how does it help in back pain?

Back pain can create a lot of uneasiness in day to day activities like walking, stretching and sitting. The discomfort caused by back pain is quite unbearable sometimes. In order to get relief from back pain, first thing you can do is to consult a doctor and take his/her advice. The doctor will run a few tests and then will suggest the course of action.

Spinal fusion is a good method to get rid of back pain. Visit the best spine hospitals in India and get your self tested. It is basically a surgery to join 2 or more vertebrate into one single structure and to stop the movement b/w the 2 bones. This surgery reduces the discomfort caused by stretching nearby nerves, ligaments and muscles.

Spinal fusion generally comes into play when medicines, physical therapy and other treatments haven’t worked. It is usually recommended when the doctor knows the exact cause of the problem. One can look out for some good spine treatment in India.

Spinal fusion might be a better option if the back pain is caused by the following-:

1       Degenerative disk
2.       Fracture
3.       Scoliosis- spine curves abnormally to one side
4.       Spinal slenosis(narrowing of the spinal canal)
5.       Tumor of spine infection

The procedure before surgery involves a lot blood tests and X-ray of spine. Before going for surgery make sure you have made all the required arrangements at home which involve raised toilet seats, shower chairs, step on shoes, reachers and other aids.

After you are in the hospital for the surgery procedure make yourself mentally and physically ready for the surgery. Both the things are taken care of by the counselling and medical experts.

Here are a few tips that you need to keep in mind while going for the surgery.

1. Don’t stop consuming your regular medicines on your own, do consult your doctor and listen to what he/she has to say.

2     Find out if you can eat or drink anything before the surgery.
3.       Know when to arrive at the surgery center.
The spinal fusion surgery is performed in 2 ways-:
1.       Anterior lumbar-your doctor goes in through your belly.
2.       Posterior fusion- your doctor goes in form the back.

The surgeon basically uses screws, rods or pieces of bone(called graft) to connect the disks and keep them from moving. Like every other surgery spinal fusion surgery also has certain complications.

1. Bleeding
2. Blood clots
3. Infection
4. Risk of anesthesia.

The after surgery part is also very crucial for the patient. The way he/she follows the doctor’s instruction and adheres to it is very important. The patient generally has to stay in the hospital for around 4 days after the surgery.

The whole process of recovery involves the following steps-:

1   1. Initially the patient is kept under observation and his heart rate is checked along with the other parameters.
2.       Then after few days he/she is made to walk(very short distance)
3.       Gradually other movements are also monitored.
4.       Medications are given for any post-surgery pain.
5.       6 weeks or 3 months after the surgery, physical therapy of the patient is started.

The speed of recovery solely depends upon an individual. It can take 6 months or even a year to fully recover.

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WHAT IS SPINAL STENOSIS

Spinal stenosis is a medical condition marked by the narrowing of the spine as result of which there is an immense pressure and strain on the nerves travelling through it. The symptoms are usual very mild that include pain, tingling, weakness and numbness and sometimes there are no symptoms at all. If you are planning undergo the treatment for spinal stenosis, Blk Hospital is one of the best options. It has a reputation of being the best spine hospital in India and has attracted patients not only from different parts of the country but from the rest of the world as well. Every year, a large number of foreign patients opt for spine treatment in India due to considerably higher success rate of the procedure performed here.

Spinal stenosis is usually caused by excessive strain on the spine that ultimately leads to wear and tear. The major reason behind this is osteoarthritis. The problem usually affects adults or elderly people as their bones are very fragile. Spinal stenosis can be divided into two categories depending upon the area that has been affected. These are

·         Cervical stenosis

·         Lumbar stenosis

Cervical stenosis refers to the condition in which the problem affects a portion of the upper part of the spine i.e near the neck. The major symptoms of cervical stenosis include tingling sensation aur numbness in the limbs accompanied by unexplained weakness, difficulty in walking or maintaining the balance of the body, bladder dysfunction and persistent pain in the neck the ranges from mild to chronic.

Lumbar stenosis of the other hand is the most common type of spinal stenosis and occurs when the problem effects a portion of the lower back. In case of lumbar stenosis, the tingling sensation, weakness and numbness is only experienced in the lower Limbs. The patient may also experience frequent cramps in either one or both legs. Persistent back pain is also common symptom.

There can be a variety of reasons responsible for triggering the problem. These include overgrowth of the bone that can restrict the spinal canal. One such disease that can lead to overgrowth of bone in the spine is Paget's disease. Spinal injuries caused by trauma are also responsible for causing spinal stenosis. Apart from these herniated disc and tumor formation can also lead to spinal stenosis.

If you experience any of the symptoms, it is very important to seek immediate medical help for timely detection and cure. Elderly people especially, should take a lot of care as problem can easily affected due to the degenerative changes taking place in their body. The problem can also affect middle aged people due to a number of reasons that include injuries sustained in an accident, spinal deformity present since birth, genetic diseases etc.

The treatment procedure usually includes the use of certain anti-inflammatory medications. Surgeries are quite rare and are performed in extreme cases.

source: http://www.blkhospital.com.bd/readmore-subject-What_is_Spinal_Stenosis-id-16.php

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What is Lumbar Spine Surgery?

Any surgery in the lower back (lumbar spine) is called lumbar spine surgery. Our spine is made up of a number of bones stacked up on each other separated by cushiony disk-like tissue. These bones are circular in shape and form a tube-like structure through which the nerves connecting the brain to the body are passed.

Any problem with the spine is caused when there is a problem with one of these three elements. These problems can be classified as:

•    Disruption in the intervertebral disc.

•    Abnormal motion of the vertebra

•    Compression of the nerves.

There are two main types of surgeries performed in the spine hospitals in India to treat the defect in the lumbar spine (L1-S1 Levels). These surgeries are Lumbar decompression surgery and Lumbar fusion surgery. The type of surgery performed depends on what kind of problem is the patient is suffering from. For instance, a decompression lumbar spine surgery is performed in case of a lumbar herniated disk, a condition where the disk tears and the nerves can leak through the spine. This condition can cause extreme pain I the back, neck and legs and make it difficult for the patient to perform mundane tasks.

Spine treatment in India has advanced through the years. The surgery is performed using latest technology machinery and highly experienced doctors.  They perform a complete diagnosis before the patient it takes for the surgery. In fact, the doctors advise the patient to try different methods to treat the pain before jumping into the surgery as it is a little complicated and can disturb a patient’s life for a little while.

A lumbar decompression spine surgery is usually performed to release the pressure from the spine in order to reduce the pain. In this surgery, a small portion of bone is removed from the spine that is inserting pressure on the nerves or the disk. This not only removes the pressure from the nerve but also gives the nerve space to heal.

Microdiscectomy and Laminectomy are the two most commonly performed Lumbar decompression surgeries. Microdiscectomy is a minimally invasive method and provides an almost instant relief in case of leg pain. For numbness and weak muscles, it can take a few weeks to heal after the surgery. Whereas, Laminectomy is an open procedure and has the risk of lumbar stenosis.

The other lumbar spine surgery is lumbar fusion surgery. In this surgery, two vertebrae are joined together through a bone graft in order to stop the motion and reduce the pain. It is performed in cases of lumbar degenerative disc disease or spondylolisthesis. The lumbar fusion spine surgery tends to reduce the mobility but it is mostly unnoticeable in case of two to three vertebrae.

Whichever surgery that may be performed on the patient, he or she must follow the care plan given by the doctor in order to make sure that the recovery is successful. Moreover, the doctor may also suggest physical therapy to relax the stiffened muscles around the operated area.

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