Pain management techniques for the spine
Both the cervical (neck) and lumbar (lower back) regions of the spine are very common and frequently the reason for many missed workdays. The most frequent causes of low back pain are sprains and strains of the lumbar muscles. Although the thoracic spine can also experience spinal pain, injuries to this area are far less common than those to the lumbar and cervical spines due to its greater rigidity.
Non-operative
Reduced activity and even bed rest for a brief period of time—typically one to three days—can help cure sprains, sprains, and even structural neural compression from disc herniations. This should be as short as possible because extended bed rest can cause muscle stiffness and loss of strength, which exacerbates pain and suffering. If the pain is mild to moderate, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often the first line of treatment. For more severe pain complaints, opioid medications and muscle relaxants can be added or used instead.
Physical therapy may be suggested by the physician. Together with the doctor’s diagnosis, the therapist’s thorough evaluation will determine a treatment plan tailored to the patient’s spinal discomfort. Stretching exercises, ultrasonography, electrical muscle stimulation, ice and heat therapy, pelvic traction, and light massage are among possible forms of therapy.
A blockage of nerve roots
Under X-ray supervision, a steroid and local anesthetic (numbing medication) are injected into the region where the nerve leaves the spinal column. Your doctor will typically prescribe a nerve root block if you have discomfort in your arm or leg that travels along a single nerve.
Block Facet Joint
A facet joint block is a minimally invasive technique where a doctor guides the injection of medicine into a facet joint to relieve pain using fluoroscopy or CT imaging.
The paravertebral block
In order to stop the spinal nerves from emerging from the intervertebral foramen, a local anesthetic is injected into the area next to the vertebrae. This procedure is known as a paravertebral block. Because there is no covering fascia over these spinal nerves, they are susceptible to the effects of local anesthetics.
Many pain management techniques are being employed, such as:
- Injections into Spinal Epidurals
- Injection of Cervical (Neck) Epidural
- Mid-Back Thoracic Epidural Injection
- Injection of Costotransverse and Costovertebral Joints
- Injection of Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbar Interlaminar Epidural
- Injections of Transforaminal Epidural Handle Back and Leg Pain
- Injections of Epidural Steroids for Low Back Pain
- Low Back Lumbar Epidural Injection
- Caudal Epidural Injection (Sacral Spinal Canal)
- Injections for spinal nerve blocks
- Block of Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbosacral Nerves
- Thoracic, Lumbosacral, and Cervical Medial Branch Block
- Block of Sympathetic Nerves
- Injections into the Spinal Joints
- Injection of the Cervical (Neck) Facet Joint
- Mid-back thoracic Injection of Facet Joints
- Lumbar (Low Back) Injection of Facet Joints
- Injections into the Sacroiliac Joint (SI Joint)
- Injection Therapy for Muscle Pain
- Injections into Trigger Points
Terms Used in Surgery
Artificial disc surgery (disc arthroplasty)
surgically substituting a prosthetic disc intended to preserve spinal mobility for a sick or herniated cervical or lumbar disc. These typically have two metallic (often titanium) plates that lock into the spine with a plastic core in between.
The discectomy
removing a herniated intervertebral disc surgically or in part. Additionally, anterior and posterior microdiscectomies are performed, typically without fusion.
Discectomy of the cervical region
The most common surgical procedure for patients with cervical disc herniation (as seen in Figure 2 above) who need surgery is anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF). The surgeon must execute this treatment through the front of the neck, and several implant types, such as anterior titanium metallic plates and screws, might be used.
The laminectomy
surgically removing the majority of a vertebra’s bony arch or lamina in order to decompress its neural components generally, either with or without discectomy.
The laminotomy
An incision created in a lamina to provide surgical access in order to remove bone spurs and disc herniations and relieve pressure on neural structures like nerve roots