Alternatives To Open Spine Bulging Disc Surgery

By Patrick Foote

A doctor or spine specialist will usually only recommend bulging disc surgery if conservative (non-invasive) treatments are unable to alleviate symptoms. Open back or neck surgeries are highly invasive procedures, requiring hospitalization, large incisions, muscle disruption, and a lengthy recovery period. Additionally, these surgeries often carry a significant risk for infection, failure, or bleeding.

Alternative Treatment Options

For people seeking pain relief, open spine surgery may not be the preferred – or best – method of treatment. Along with alternative treatment options such as herbal supplements, chiropractic adjustments, massage, and Pilates or yoga, other alternative treatments for bulging disc symptoms can include:

— Spinal decompression therapy – Spinal decompression involves the stretching of the spine with the help of a specially-designed, computer-assisted table. While lying face down on the table in a pelvic harness and grasping handgrips, the patient will feel his or her spine being gently stretched as the table slowly pulls apart. This action creates negative pressure in the intervertebral discs, which generates a partial vacuum that may retract bulging or herniated disc material back into its normal space, at least temporarily.

— Acupuncture – This Chinese method of healing dates back thousands of years and involves the insertion of thin, stainless steel needles into strategic points along a patient’s meridians, or energy channels. Practitioners of this ancient method believe that pain and sickness develop because of blocked meridians, which are cleared with the use of the needles. Exactly how acupuncture relieves pain is unclear, but medical experts think nerve stimulation and the release of natural, pain-killing endorphins are involved.

Always Consult with Your Doctor

There are no definitive studies to officially confirm the effectiveness of alternative treatments. Consulting with one or more physicians or spine specialists should always be the first step before implementing any alternative treatment regimen, especially if your condition is so severe that bulging disc surgery has been recommended for your case.

Occasionally, spine surgery becomes a valid option if conservative treatment or alternative methods have failed to provide relief after several weeks or months. There are essentially two choices: open back or neck surgery, and minimally invasive procedures performed with tiny instruments with the aid of an endoscope.

Open Back Procedures

Open back or neck surgery often involves spinal fusion, which is the immobilization of one or more vertebral segments using metal or plastic hardware and a bone graft. These procedures usually require general anesthesia, overnight hospitalization, excision of a large portion of the spinal anatomy, and a long, arduous recuperation period. The type of surgery necessary to alleviate symptoms will depend on the location of the bulging disc and the severity of the associated spinal nerve compression. Types of open back or neck surgery include:

— Laminectomy – an open back procedure that involves the complete removal of the lamina, a bony segment that is part of the vertebral arch.

— Discectomy – an open back procedure that involves the complete removal of the affected intervertebral disc.

— Foraminectomy – an open back procedure that involves the removal of a large amount of the bone and tissue that form the foramina (the openings through which nerve roots exit the spinal column).

— Corpectomy – an open back procedure that involves the complete removal of the vertebral body.

— Spinal fusion – the use of metal plates, rods, and screws, along with a bone graft, to immobilize one or more vertebral segments.

Potential Setbacks and Complications

There are a number of risks associated with any surgical procedure. Open back or neck surgery carries its own unique set of potential complications. A patient is at greater risk of developing failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) if any of the following occur:

— Surgery performed incorrectly

— Infection or excess bleeding

— Allergic reaction to anesthesia

— Bone graft rejection

— Fusion hardware failure

— Secondary symptoms generated in previously healthy vertebral segments

— Scar tissue impinging on a nerve root

— Inadequate decompression of affected nerve or nerves

If you are considering bulging disc surgery, be sure to discuss with your doctor all of the potential setbacks. Never consent to a major surgical procedure unless you are certain you have all the information necessary to make the best decision possible. This includes asking questions about all of your surgical options, including laser-assisted, minimally invasive procedures performed with the aid of an endoscope.

About the Author: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for

bulging discs

and several other spinal conditions.

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