Spine Treatment: Types, Purpose, and Procedures

Spine Treatment

Spine Treatment Definition and Purpose

If you have been struggling with back or neck pain for an extended period of time, chances are you may have a spine problem or an underlying spinal condition that is causing the pain. Spinal problems may arise in any person, usually as a result of old age, severe stress on the spine and injury, among many others.

Spine treatments are medical treatment procedures used to remedy these problems and treat them, with the purpose of returning the spine to its original condition, or at least to return most of the spine’s function, and achieve proper posture and alleviate back pain in the person affected.

Types of Spine Treatment and their Corresponding Procedures

As far as spine treatments go, there are two major types, and these are Non-surgical spine treatment and Surgical Spine Treatment.

1. Non-Surgical Spine Treatment - nonsurgical spine treatment, as you can probably guess involves non-invasive and conservative spine treatment procedures that don’t involve any kind of surgery whatsoever. Spine treatments of this kind are usually the first course of treatment for most spine problems and are used in combination with other non-surgical spine treatments.

Some of the most common non-surgical spine treatments out there include:

- Medications - medications, usually over the counter painkillers are the first line of defense for spine problems, especially those that have a symptom of back pain. The type of medication can vary depending on the severity of the pain, but usually involve NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, and Naproxen Sodium.

- Physical Therapy - physical therapy is also a common spine treatment and can cure various spine problems easily without having to undergo surgery. This type of spine treatment usually involves exercise that stimulates the spine, and allow for gradual correction of irregularities.

- Spine Bracing - spinal bracing commonly involves the attaching of a brace to the spine to help correct its posture or to correct any underlying deformity in it. Spinal bracing is usually done by attaching corsets or orthoses to the back, and they usually come in flexible or rigid versions.

Other non-surgical and conservative spine treatments include:

- Acupuncture

- Epidural steroidal injection

- Spine joint injection

- And intradiscal percutaneous procedures.

2. Surgical Spine Treatment - for more severe and serious cases of spinal problems, surgery may be the only option. Most people having spine problems fear surgery, but surgical spine treatments nowadays are already getting less invasive as new methods and advances are made in the medical field. But more often than not, surgery is an ideal option for those who want to rid their body of spinal problems once and for all, as these types of spine treatments are only done once and results are immediately achieved.

Some of the most common examples of surgical spine treatments include:

a) Open Surgery. This is the most traditional form of spinal surgery available out there and involves opening the affected site with a long incision, wherein the surgeon can have a full view and access to the spinal anatomy and perform the surgery from thereon. This is not an ideal form of surgery as it opens up a very large cut in a person’s back. However, recent advances in the medical field have rendered this process obsolete as newer and newer surgical processes are becoming less and less invasive.

b) Minimally invasive spine surgery or MISS. In comparison with open surgery, Minimally invasive spinal surgery is done through tiny incisions in the skin that don’t affect the surrounding tissue. This method allows the surgeon to achieve similar results with open surgeries all while doing the least amount of disruption in the surrounding tissue of the spine. There are various surgical approaches as far as MISS is concerned, these are:

- Anterior approach - this approach involves accessing the spine through the front of your body, usually through the abdomen.

- Posterior approach - this method, on the other hand, involves accessing the spine through your back

- Lateral approach - involves creating an incision on the side of your body.

3. Discectomy - Involves the removal of a herniated disc. A herniated disc is a vertebral disc that is bulging out or has slipped out from its original position, causing pain, weakness, and numbness in the user.

4. Laminectomy - laminectomy is the removal of the laminae, or the thin bony plate on the back of the vertebra to relieve pressure in the spine.

5. Foraminotomy - removal of the bone or tissue called neuroforamen in the passageway of the spine where nerve roots branch off the spinal cord.

6. Spinal Fusion - spinal fusion is a surgical technique that is used to fuse two vertebrae together. Spinal fusion includes the use of bone graft without using screws, rods, and etc. The bone graft can either be donated (allograft) or sourced from your own bones (autograft).

You might also like to read:
- Laminoplasty,
- Lateral Lumbar Fusion.

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Questions & Answers

What is the best way to treat permanent back and neck pain and stiffness?

Age2B

Here are some tips:

Neck Pain Tips: Sleep with a cervical pillow

Orthopedic or cervical pillows are made with special contours to support the space beneath the neck and head. They are also more concave for the head and provide more support to the neck.

Neck Pain Tips: Sleep on your back

The best position to lie to sleep is on your back. If you sleep on your stomach or on your side, make sure your pillow is not too thick. It should raise your head no more than 4 to 6 inches. This will keep your neck and head from turning to either side.

Neck Pain Tips: Position your computer screen at eye level

While you are working at a computer, sit comfortably in your chair with your computer in front of you. Close your eyes and then open them. When you open your eyes, you should see the middle of the computer screen. If your gaze is not in the middle of the screen, adjust the height of the screen using items like books.

To keep your head from gradually drifting forward, take frequent breaks to stretch. Getting up to walk around at least once every half-hour is one of the best neck pain tips.

Neck Pain Tips: Use a telephone headset

Never hold a phone between your shoulder and your ear. Use a headset or other hands-free system to talk on the phone and avoid abusing your neck and spine.

Neck Pain Tips: Exercise your neck muscles

One of the best neck pain tips is using the chin tuck. You can do this often throughout the day. In addition to helping strengthen the muscles that hold the head in alignment over the shoulders, it also helps strengthen the scalene and sub-occipital muscles.

Age2B

4 answers

What is the best treatment for neck pain and shoulder Pain?

Age2B

One of the best treatment for neck pain and shoulder pain is exercises:

Neck Pain Exercises: Neck Extension

To begin this neck pain exercise, sit up straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
Looking straight ahead, tuck your chin slightly (starting position)
Place the palm of your hand on the back of your neck, at the base of your head
Apply slight forward pressure with your hand, while resisting the forward motion of your neck and head
Hold for a count of 5 and return to the starting position and relax
Repeat the neck pain exercises 5-10 times

Neck pain exercises: Side bend

Sit up straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
Looking straight ahead, tuck your chin slightly (starting position)
Place your left hand, palm down, on the left side of your head (around your ear)
Slightly push your head to the right side with your hand, while resisting the sideways motion of your neck and head
Hold for a count of 5 and return to the starting position and relax.
Repeat 5-10 times
Repeat the neck pain exercises with the other side.

Neck pain exercises: Neck flexion

Sit up straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
Looking straight ahead, tuck your chin slightly (starting position)
Place the tips of your fingers on your forehead
Slightly push your head backward with your fingers, while resisting the backward motion of your neck and head
Hold for a count of 5 and return to the starting position and relax.
Repeat the neck pain exercises 5-10 times

More exercises here: Neck Pain Exercises

Age2B

4 answers

How do I reduce the shoulder and neck pain?

Age2B

Here are some tips:

Neck Pain Tips: Sleep with a cervical pillow

Orthopedic or cervical pillows are made with special contours to support the space beneath the neck and head. They are also more concave for the head and provide more support to the neck.

Neck Pain Tips: Sleep on your back

Neck Pain Tips: Position your computer screen at eye level

To keep your head from gradually drifting forward, take frequent breaks to stretch. Getting up to walk around at least once every half-hour is one of the best neck pain tips.

Neck Pain Tips: Carry weight evenly

Many people make the mistake of carrying a heavy briefcase or their purse on their shoulder or on one side of their body. Doing this causes strain in the muscles and leads to pain.

Remove non-essentials from your briefcase or purse. Consider using a backpack to evenly distribute the weight across your shoulders. If you choose to carry a purse or backpack, keep your shoulders level while carrying it.

Neck Pain Tips: Maintain a proper posture

The most common posture contributing to neck pain is the “head-and-shoulders-forward” posture. In this position, the neck slopes forward, putting the head in front of the shoulders.

In this position, the head pulls the upper back forward also in a slumped position. This places a strain on the entire spinal column.

More tips here: Neck Pain Tips: Sleeping, Posture, Exercising, Hydration & Prevention

Age2B

4 answers