A person’s life revolves around moving from one place either by walking or running. We also keep our bodies fit through exercising or engaging in various sporting activities that may be a recipe for back pains. The pain may be very uncomfortable, especially when you have no idea of the exact problem and have limited access to a good treatment facility. However, our bodies can develop spine problems either through road accidents, straining of exercises and many other causes. When one experiences spine problems and cannot walk or do the daily activities that require us to move in different areas, that can be very traumatizing. If you have spine problems that have affected you for a long, look no further as Jocelyn R Idema, D.O., a Pittsburgh board certified orthopedic spine surgeon at Steel City Spine and Orthopedic Center, offers solutions to a variety of spine problems.
Overview of Spine Surgery
The spine is the central column of the human body and offers support and balance to the body’s upper and lower parts. It comprises the spinal column and the spinal cord, which forms part of the vertebral column and links the brain with the peripheral nervous system. Various problems affect the spine and warrants surgery. They include;
- Spinal Stenosis -This is the narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which puts pressure on the nerves that pass through the spine. It causes pain in the back and the neck and is mostly age-related. One may experience numbness, tingling and weakness in your arms and legs.
- Disc herniation-It is the rapture of ligaments that hold the spine bones discs together, causing them to degenerate. The displaced discs press the spinal nerves causing severe pain on the spine.
- Spondylolisthesis-this is when one of the vertebrae slips out of place onto the bone below it causing pressure on the nerves. It causes lower back pain, pain in the hamstrings, and even trouble in walking or standing.
- Degenerative spine-This occurs due to aging of the spine or tumours and infection. It involves loss of the normal structure and functioning of the spine.
Surgeons perform various surgical procedures to correct these spine problems. These include;
- Artificial Disc Replacement-This is a form of treatment that involves replacing the Lumbar disc in the spine that causes sharp pain due to disc fusion with an artificial disc.
- Minimally invasive Spine Surgery-This is a type of surgery on the bones of the spine which helps stabilize the vertebral bones relieving pressure being applied. It is characterized by less pain and faster recovery.
- Spinal fusion surgery-This is done by joining two vertebrae together so that they can grow.
Benefits of spine surgery
- Ease of pain
- Stability of the spine
- Physical fitness is improved
- Ability to move better
- Becoming more productive
Why get spine surgery?
If your medical review shows the conditions stated above, then spine surgery is recommended where the non-surgery methods have failed to correct the problem.
In conclusion, spine surgery is an effective way of fixing those problems. At Steel City Spine and Orthopedic Center, Dr. Idema and her team are ready to improve the patients’ spine’s movement and function.