Overview

Back pain is pain felt in the back that is caused by muscles, nerves, bones, joints, or other structures in the spine. Back pain can be acute or chronic; it can be constant or intermittent; it can be localised or radiate to other areas.

Most of us experience lower back pain after a certain age or as a result of stressful activity; however, this is easily treatable without having to go through the trouble of finding the best spine surgeons and back pain specialists in Delhi. Did you know that in most cases, surgery will not help relieve pain? According to recent studies, 20 to 40% of back pain surgeries are not "successful." You can talk to the best orthopaedic surgeons in the area, and they'll tell you that this lack of success with back surgeries is quite common, and there's even a term for it; failed back surgery syndrome.

However, there are times when back surgery is a good or necessary option to treat musculoskeletal injuries or nerve compression. If you're thinking about having back surgery, feel free to consult with some of Delhi's best back specialists at Aakash Healthcare, who will help you, decide if surgery is a viable option after ensuring that there are no better alternatives. If you're concerned about the cost of back surgery, don't be: we offer exceptional low cost spine surgery to our patients, with the same successful outcomes.

When is it necessary for me to have back surgery?

Back surgery is used as a last line of treatment in a number of situations. For example, if your spinal discs have deteriorated with age, if you have vertebral fractures due to a spinal injury or osteoporosis, herniated or ruptured discs, spinal stenosis, or spondylolisthesis.

Back pain can be caused by a tumour, infection, or a nerve root problem known as caudaequina syndrome in rare cases. In these cases, surgery should be performed as soon as possible to alleviate pain and prevent further complications

Back pain treatment:

Back pain treatment include:-

• Physiotherapy- A physical therapist can teach you exercise to increase your flexibility, strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, and improve your posture. The use of these techniques on a regular basis can help prevent pain from returning. Physical therapists will also teach you how to modify your movements during a back pain episode to avoid flare-ups while staying active. Heat, ice, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation, as well as some muscle-release techniques, may help relieve pain in the back muscles and soft tissues.

• Medication- Medication is effective in the short term. Doctor may recommend some non-steroidal and inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen or naproxen sodium depending upon the condition of the patient. Patient may be advised some muscle relaxants, or tropical pain relievers. They may also be prescribed codeine or hydrocodone narcotis for shorter period of time.
• Cortisone injections - If other options fail, these can be injected into the epidural space, which surrounds the spinal cord. Cortisol is an anti-inflammatory medication. It aids in the reduction of inflammation around the nerve roots. Injections may also be used to numb areas suspected of causing pain.
• Radiofrequency neurotomy – It is a type of neurosurgery that uses radiofrequency energy. In this procedure, a fine needle is inserted through your skin so that the tip is close to the source of your pain. Radio waves are passed through the needle, damaging nearby nerves and interfering with the delivery of pain signals to the brain.

Surgery for back pain

A few surgical options for back pain are listed below.

• Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are procedures used to repair compression fractures of the vertebrae caused by osteoporosis. A glue-like bone cement that hardens and strengthens the bone is injected through both of these procedures.
• Lumbar decompression back surgery entails:
1. Discectomy – This is a surgical procedure used to remove a herniated disc and presses if a disc is pressing against a nerve root or the spinal cord. Most likely, a sponsor laminectomy and discectomy will be performed concurrently.
2. Spinal laminectomy or spinal decompression, which is performed when spinal stenosis has narrowed the spinal canal, causing severe pain, numbness, and/or weakness. The bony walls of the vertebrae and any bone spurs will be removed during this surgery to relieve pressure on the nerves.

• A foraminotomy is a surgical procedure in which the surgeon enlarges the bony hole where a nerve root exits the spinal canal in order to make more room and prevent bulging discs or joints from pressing against the nerve.
• Nucleoplast or plasma disc decompression is a laser surgery that uses radio-frequency energy to treat people who suffer from lower back pain caused by a mildly herniated disc. The surgeon will insert a needle into the herniated disc, then insert a plasma laser device into the needle and heat the tip, vaporising the tissue in the disc and relieving pressure. This is thought to be a minimally invasive spine surgery.
• Spinal fusion, in which a back surgeon removes the spinal disc between two or more vertebrae and then uses grafts or metal devices to fuse the adjacent vertebrae. Spinal fusion can cause some loss of spine flexibility and requires a lengthy recovery period to allow the bone grafts to grow and fuse the vertebrae back together.
• Artificial disc replacement, a treatment option for people with severely damaged discs that is less invasive than spinal fusion. The disc is removed and replaced with a synthetic disc, which restores height and movement between the vertebrae.