Cervical Spine Surgery
Cervical spine surgery is an elective surgery many doctors and surgeons recommend to treat chronic back pain. 90% of patients with cervical disc pain will recover on their own over time. But the remaining 10% may require additional treatment to find relief from back pain. Cervical spine surgery is an option to treat back conditions such as spinal nerve compression and impingement or spinal stenosis that can be the root cause of chronic back pain. Herniated discs are often the culprit of nerve compression and pain. A herniated disc can occur because of wear and tear over time, arthritis caused by degeneration, or back injury. Signs and symptoms of a herniated disc include back and neck pain, muscle spasms, inflammation, weakness, numbness, or tingling of the lower extremities along with severe back pain.
About the Procedure
When performing cervical spine surgery, AICA Orthopedics skilled spinal surgeons have two options. The spine can either be approached from the front, anterior position or the back, posterior position. Most surgeons prefer the anterior position as it is easier to maintain a normal spinal posture and results in a decreased risk of muscle injury from this angle. Spinal surgeons at AICA Orthopedics will assess your spinal pain and determine which course of action is best for your cervical spine surgery. Cervical spine surgery to address spinal weakness or nerve compression may require both decompression and spinal fusion. In a discectomy cervical spine surgery, the problematic disc will be removed to correct the nerves pressing on the spinal cord. If necessary, vertebrae are then joined together to create spinal stability. Spinal fusion also requires a bone graft in the disc space for a more solid fusion. In this instance, a patient’s own bone can be used to create a bone graft. Bone is taken from the hip and used for the graph. In some instances, a minimally invasive procedure called a microdiscectomy can be performed. This surgical procedure involves making smaller incisions and removing the disc using tools such as a microscope or other magnifying device. The goal of cervical spine surgery is to alleviate chronic back pain. At AICA Orthopedics, our spine surgeons are some of the best around. We strive to do all we can to help you find relief from pain and freedom to live your life without restrictions.
Recovery After Cervical Spine Surgery
Following cervical spine surgery, you should be able to begin moving around. You will most likely feel some pain, especially in the operated area that will ease over the next few days and weeks. Spinal fusion surgery can take longer to fuse and heal, anywhere from 3 months to a year, so you may still feel pain or other symptoms of the procedure for some time after. Rehabilitation after cervical spine surgery can aid in the recovery process to make it easier for your body to heal and speed up the healing process. Physical therapists at AICA Orthopedics will provide physical exercises that are specifically designed to strengthen the back and spine as well as help increase range of motion. Always check with your spine surgeon and physical therapist before doing any other physical activity. Too much movement before your body is fully healed can do more harm than good. Spinal surgeons and physical therapists at AICA Orthopedics utilize the multiple tools and resources at AICA Orthopedics to follow up after surgery. High-tech imaging scans that can be done on-site help our dedicated team of specialists take a close up look at the spine to see how the healing process is progressing. Once specialists feel the recovery process is complete, they will release you to perform normal activities once again.
A Dedicated Team of Specialists
The process of recovering from cervical spine surgery is already taxing enough. You don’t need to add to the stress of a surgical procedure by scheduling appointment after appointment and running all around town to make it to those appointments. Thankfully, at AICA Orthopedics, you have a dedicated team of orthopedic specialists on hand all at one convenient location. Meet with your spine specialist, have an MRI scan done, and receive physical therapy services all in one place. We know that life can get busy and sometimes your health can take a back seat to the busyness of the day-to-day grind. But don’t suffer from back pain any longer. We make it easy to receive the quality care and treatment you deserve that is convenient and easy to schedule. Choose AICA Orthopedics for chronic back pain treatment and find relief from pain. Call us today for more information.
