A lumbar microdiscectomy is a surgical procedure performed to relieve pressure on your nerves and spinal cord in your back caused by a herniated disc. It involves the removal of a portion of the bulging disc, hence, the term “micro”. Today, a microdiscectomy can be performed as a minimally-invasive procedure, which requires a smaller incision…
Spine
What Is Degenerative Disc Disease?
One of the most common causes of back pain is degenerative disc disease. Contrary to its name, it’s not an actual disease but rather a set of symptoms that cause neck and back pain that may radiate to the upper and lower extremities and cause weakness, tingling, and shooting pain, depending on the location of…
Causes of a Herniated Disc
Approximately 80 percent of people will experience back pain at least once in their lives due to a variety of reasons, a very common reason of which is a herniated disc. A herniated disc is also referred to as a slipped or ruptured disc. With a herniated disc, the nucleus of the disc is pushed…
Causes of Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a spine disorder that creates an abnormal curvature, or twisting, of the spine. It can affect people of any age, but it commonly occurs in children between the ages of 10 and 15. Some cases of scoliosis have clear causes, but most cases do not. A healthy spine is vertically straight when looking…
Types of Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a condition caused by the deterioration of the spine, most often due to an injury or years of wear and tear. Spinal stenosis actually has three variations. The type of spinal stenosis you have depends on the location of the narrowing. Lumbar spinal stenosis affects the lumbar region, thoracic affects the region…
Treatments for Sciatica Pain
Sciatica pain stems from the body’s largest nerve, the sciatic nerve. The roots of the sciatic nerve are located in the lower back, specifically in the spinal cord’s lumbar section. The nerve extends down the lower legs, passing through the buttocks. The pain associated with the sciatic nerve can be felt in all of these…
Questions to Ask Your Spine Surgeon
If you are seeking treatment for a spine condition that’s been causing you chronic back pain, you may benefit from talking to an experienced spine surgeon. The more questions you ask, the more confidence you will have in the doctor and in the procedure itself. The surgeon may even recommend minimally invasive treatments that don’t…
What Is Cervical Disc Herniation?
How Is Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Different from Conventional Surgery?
Medical technological advances now enable more and more spine conditions to be treated with minimally invasive surgical techniques. These are generally much safer and require a shorter recovery time than conventional surgery. However, minimally invasive spine surgery isn’t always appropriate for all spinal conditions, and not everyone is a suitable candidate for it. Certain health…
What Causes Severe Spinal Pain?
Spinal pain is usually characterized by discomfort felt in the lower back and neck region. The pain can become so severe that you are unable to continue with your day-to-day activities, and yet sitting down or lying down doesn’t always help either. Severe back pain is so common worldwide that it is one of the…