Having pain in your back or neck?
The spinal disc is a round shaped, strong elastic pivot, which is flat at the top and the bottom. It is available for each joint segment of the spine and is securely attached to the vertebrae above and below them. It not only provides stability and motion of the neck and the lower back but also provide shock absorption for the spine.
When the discs start to lose their strength, it causes pain and discomfort in the neck, shoulder, legs and arms. There could be many reasons for this condition, one being the age, deficiency of Vitamin D & B12, or poor lifestyle with long sitting hours. Even weight gain and lethargic lifestyle and lack of exercise can cause spine problems. Once the spine is weakened due to any of the above factors, it is more prone to injuries.
At Chanddni Hospital, we get to the core of the problem and then suggest the best suitable treatment for our patients. In the first consultation, we make notes of all your symptoms and may suggest a few tests if required to better understand the problem. On the basis of physical examination and test results, we device a best treatment plan for our patients.
What We Suggest
Lifestyle Modification
Simple lifestyle modifications can help in relieving pain caused due to weakened spine. It is best to avoid high impact exercises and wear appropriate footwear to maintain the correct posture while walking or playing sports or exercising. It is advised not to sit for long hours continuously. It is good to consult a physical therapist who can guide you for simple lifestyle modifications and simple stretching exercises which can help in some cases. Physical therapy also helps you to strengthen your muscles and enhances the joint stability.
Medications may help
For some patients, we feel that condition may be revived without surgery. With the help of pain blockers (Selective nerve root block (SNRB), Facet joint block, Facet rhizotomy and Sacroiliac joint block) or injections (Epidural steroid injection), some patients might get relieve from the pain. The injections are administered under ultrasound or CT guidance by our expert trained musculoskeletal radiologist.
Do I need a surgery?
Surgery is not always the answer! At Chanddni Hospital, we first examine your condition and suggest simple lifestyle modifications and physical therapy to ease out the pain. Only patients who can not be treated with non-surgical methods are guided about the surgery. At Chanddni Hospital, we specialize in spine Surgery, joint replacement surgery and arthroscopic surgery. Patients with previously failed surgeries or with revision surgeries, or ones with multiple ligaments damage, or ones requiring re-alignment surgeries are also being treated at Chanddni Hospital.
Spinal Anatomy
Spinal anatomy is a combination of bones, flexible ligaments and tendons. It comprises of large muscles and sensitive nerves. It is very strong and protects highly sensitive nerve roots. At the same time it is very flexible allowing mobility on different planes. Many intricate structures in the spine may be the cause of pain, due to degeneration, inflammation, over use or injury.
Spine surgery is performed to treat any ailment that may have arisen due to the affliction of the spinal column, including the vertebral bodies, the spinal cord, the nerves, the joints or the protruded intervertebral disc.
Disc Degeneration
With age, spinal discs dehydrate. This makes them stiffer and hinders in their ability to adjust to compression and causes pain. Degeneration of the disc can cause micromotion instability and the inflammatory proteins to leak out of the disc space. This could lead to inflammation of other surrounding nerves and nerves fibers. Another reason for disc degeneration could an injury that has caused damage to the disc.
Types of Spine Surgery
It is a minimally invasive surgery to treat patients with a herniated lumbar disc. During the surgery, portions of herniated disc are removed to relieve pressure on the spinal nerve column. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. An incision of about 1-1.5 inches is made directly over the affected disc. The surgeon uses a lighted microscope to see the affected area. With surgical tools, the surgeon then removes the damaged herniates tissue, post which the incision is closed using sutures.
It is an outpatient procedure, which means that the patients can go home the same day of the surgery. One should avoid driving, sitting for long durations, lifting heavy objects or bending for next couple of weeks. It usually takes six week for full recovery, but depends on patient to patient.
Spinal fusion surgery is performed to join two or more vertebrae into one single structure. After the fusion of these bones, the movement between them stops that helps to prevent back pain. The surgery as a result also prevents the stretching of nerves, ligaments and muscles to prevent discomfort and pain. Surgeons recommend spinal fusion surgery if the back pain is caused by:
- Degenerative disk disease
- Fracture of spinal bone
- If the spine canal starts narrowing
- If the spine curves abnormally to one side
- If the spine disk shifts forward
- In case of spine infections or tumors.
Spinal Fusion Surgery can be performed either through an incision on belly, known as Anterior Lumbar or through an incision on the back, known as Posterior Fusion. Once the incision is made, the muscles and structures are moved to the side to get a clear view of the spine. The joint(s) between the damaged disks are removed. Screws, rods or bone grafts from another body part (usually hip or pelvis) are used to connect the disks and prevent movement between them. Bone graft from a donor can also be used. In some patients, bone morphogenetic protein may be placed in the spine to stimulate bone growth.
Patients are prescribed bed rest after the surgery and may need 3-6 days stay at the hospital, depending on the recovery and overall health condition. Sutures are removed about 10 days post surgery. Follow up appointments are scheduled for the course of next few months. It could take 6-12 months to fully recover from Spine Fusion Surgery, but may vary from patient to patient.
Kyphoplasty surgery is done to stop the pain caused due to spinal fracture. It is also performed to stabilize the bone and restore the vertebral body height that is lost due to compression fracture. During the surgery, small incision in the back, through which a narrow tube is inserted to create a path from the back into the fractured area. With the use of X-ray images, the surgeon inserts a special balloon through the tube into the vertebrae that is then carefully inflated to help elevate the fracture, thus helping the pieces to return to normal position. The balloon is then removed and the cavity created by the inflated balloon is filled with cement like material called polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). PMMA quickly hardens after being injected into the cavity providing stabilization for the bone.
Kyphoplasty surgery is performed under general anesthesia and may take about an hour for each vertebra involved. Patients may be advised one-day stay at the hospital to monitor recovery. The results of the surgery may be appreciated immediately after the surgery in some patients or within 2 days. Patients can resume their normal daily activities in 2 days post-op after consulting the doctor. Strenuous activities should however be avoided for next 6 weeks.
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery may be performed for cervical spine problems, degenerative orders, trauma or instability that may put pressure on the spinal cord or the nerves connected to the spine. The surgery is performed to relieve pain, numbness, tingling feeling, weakness and to restore the normal functioning of the nerves. As a result, it also prevents abnormal motion of the spine.
A small incision is made from the front of the neck, through which the spine is accessed. The disc material that is compressing the nerve is removed under visualized under microscope and is removed to relieve the pain. The empty disc space is filled with bone graft to join the vertebrae.
Endoscopic Spine Surgery is performed to reduce spine trauma, preserve spinal segmental motion & stability and prevent iatrogenic problems. The surgery is performed on the lumbar spine using a surgical endoscope and microsurgical techniques. Small incisions of 2cm are made on the chest, abdomen or joint cavities through which a specialized video camera and instrument is passed. This is preferred over open surgery as it has smaller incisions and fewer traumas on the patients. It also has less postoperative pain and minimal blood loss due to which the recovery time is shortened and one can resume normal activities sooner.
Artificial spinal disc replacement is a more viable alternative to spine fusion surgery, as it helps avoid any possible shortcomings of the spinal fusion surgery and also reduces the chances of damaging the nearby discs and joints. Artificial disc replacements are being successfully used for patients for cervical (neck) and lumbar (back) spine. Artificial disc allows motion preservation distributing the stress along the spine. This also helps in restoration of previously degenerative disc height.
Book An Appointment
At Chanddni Hospital, we have a team of expert doctors to perform Orthopaedic Surgeries, Spine Surgeries and Joint Replacement Surgeries.
To book an appointment for Joint Replacement Surgery in India,
