What Are the Conditions Treated by Spine Surgeons?

The spine is an important part of the body’s structure. There are 33 individual bones in the spine, and they are stacked on top of each other. The primary function of the spine is to provide support to the body and allow us to do different physical movements such as standing, bending, sitting, etc. Apart from this, strength and stability are also provided by them. Some diseases and conditions are suffered by the body and only treated with the help of the best spine surgeons.
These may be due to injuries suffered by the body while playing contact sports or vehicular accidents. But there are some conditions too. Best spine surgeons have mentioned the following conditions –
• Sciatica – It is a common condition felt by the leg. It originates from the lower back and travels down to one or both legs. It is caused by a herniated disc or spur in the bone pressing on the nerve. It usually affects one side of the body.
• Scoliosis is a disorder in which the spine’s shape becomes slightly disfigured. There is the occurrence of tilting on one side. It occurs during the growing age, just before puberty. Most of the cases are not painful, but people with severe scoliosis can feel pain and discomfort.
• Spinal Stenosis – in simple terms, it is the narrowing of the spinal canal. It can either be cervical or lumbar spinal stenosis. This condition adds pressure on the spinal cord, and the nerves present within the spine. Older people are commonly diagnosed with this as there is wear and tear of the spine.
• Degenerative Disk Disease – it is also known as osteoarthritis. It usually happens in the neck or lower back. It is the breakdown of the intervertebral disc leading to a hernia. The most common symptom is pain caused by the spine losing flexibility and the bone spurs adding pressure on the nerve root.
Spine surgery hospitals are done with the help of the following surgeries –
• Spinal Fusion – spinal fusion is the common method provided by surgeons. It is considered a welding process in which two different painful vertebrae are joined together into a single solid bone. The main aim of this procedure is to remove any motion between the vertebrae. For additional leg pain, you can also be suggested laminectomy. After the procedure, some pain is a natural part of the healing process. It may take several months before your spine is fully healed.
• Lumbar Discectomy – It is a minimally invasive surgery that is performed in spine surgery hospitals. It is done to fix a disc in the lower back. Instead of using a large incision, small incisions are made in the body. The disc’s outer wall, which sits between each vertebra, dries out and weakens with age and injury. A small tube is inserted through the back. Tiny small tools are inserted through the tube to remove a part of the disc. You can go home the same or the next day.
• Spinal Disc Replacement – as the name suggests, includes taking out the diseased spinal discs. It is the last resort for degenerative disc disease problems, which do not respond to other non-invasive treatments. An artificial prosthesis is used in place of the diseased discs. It is preferred as a minimally invasive method as it is done with several small incisions instead of a long one.