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  • Back Pain Treatment and Spinal Fusion - the Final Option for Back Pain Relief?

    Posted on August 9th, 2009 Jessie 3 comments
    Dan Raymond posted


    Back Pain Treatment and Spinal Fusion - the Final Option for Back Pain Relief?



    Lower lumbar pain can be treated in a number of different ways and unfortunately there are times when surgery seems to be the only option.

    Depending upon your particular condition, there are several types of surgical procedures that can be done in order to help you with your back problem. One of the more common surgical procedures is spinal fusion.

    When we are younger our spines are in good health. This is because the vertebrae work independently of each other and when we are young, the discs that are in between the vertebrae are more pliable.

    Age and injury can cause the discs to deteriorate and weaken resulting in degenerative disc disease or disc herniation.

    For some people, the discs have deteriorated to the point where there is nothing in between the vertebrae in order to prevent them from contacting each other. This can create a very painful situation as bone is rubbing against bone, perhaps pinching nerves in the process.

    Other sources of back pain include spinal tumors, scoliosis, or fractures in the vertebrae.

    So if the movement of the vertebrae needs to be restricted in order to stop or reduce the back pain, and other conservative methods such as spinal decompression, chiropractic care, and drug therapy have not proved successful, then spinal fusion may be required.

    Spinal fusion is a procedure in which two or more of the vertebrae are fused together in order to create a single segment that does not move.

    For certain individuals spinal fusion can give almost immediate relief, although there is always the risk of post surgical complications as well as the possibility that the spinal surgery is not successful in correcting the back pain problem.

    Some spinal fusion patients have said that while the spinal fusion surgery was successful in relieving their back pain in the short term, the fused vertebral segment now puts additional stress on the adjacent vertebrae which may give rise to the need for additional spinal fusion surgery.

    Be sure to talk over with your physician your alternatives to spinal fusion surgery such as DRX9000C and DRX9000 spinal decompression before seeking out any medical course of action.




     

     

    3 Responses to “Back Pain Treatment and Spinal Fusion - the Final Option for Back Pain Relief?”

    1. Spinal fusion is definitely the last resort. I have had patients that get fusions and then a few years later the exact pain is back again, and we are working on the segments adjacent to the fusion now. So really check out your options, definitely try chiropractic care, especially a corrective care doctor that will really work with the curvature in the spine. Check out idealspine.com for more info.

    2. Hi Dan. I totally agree that spinal fusion should be the last resort, only if nothing else works. But, if there are no other alternatives and the chances of success are good, at least it’s a viable option for people suffering with this debilitating pain.

      Good article, and informative. Thanks!

    3. It is a sad truth that at times surgery is necessary. Something to think about though. After a fusion, the change in the motion pattern of the area creates a predisposition for disc failure in adjacent levels.

      Follow up for a fusion should be life long. It must include strength, balance and flexibility.

      Have a chiropractor on your health care team is also a must. Chiropractic adjustments are specific enough positively affect the areas around the surgery without damaging the area of fusion.

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