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Conditions

Lower Back | Lumbar & Sacrum

The middle part of your spine is the least vulnerable of all the spinal column. But when you feel pain in the thoracic spine, the consequences can be devastating. Pain and curvature symptoms are the most noticeable issues of the thoracic spine. At the first sign of these symptoms, visit NU-Spine: The Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Institute in New Jersey. Founder and lead spine surgeon Dr. Branko Skovrlj gets you out of back pain by addressing your spinal disorders. Call today for an appointment.

Spine Treatment for Lower Back (Lumbar Sacrum) Conditions in New Jersey

If you feel pain in the lumbar spine, the consequences can be devastating. Pain and spine curvature symptoms are the most noticeable issues of the lumbar spine. At the first sign of these symptoms, visit NU-Spine: The Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Institute in Paramus, Woodbridge, Toms River, Jersey City, and Holmdel, NJ.

Founder and lead spine surgeon Branko Skovrlj, MD, helps relieve back pain by addressing your spinal disorders. Learn more about the lower back pain and the conditions that affect it.

What’s the Lumbar Spine?

The vertebrae labeled L1 through L5 make up the lumbar region of your spine. They are located from your hips up to the bottom of your ribcage. This area of your spine is known for:

  • Having vertebrae that are larger than those in the cervical and thoracic spine
  • Supporting most of the weight from the upper parts of your body
  • Having round, rubbery pads, called discs, which sit between the lower back bones and act as shock absorbers so you can move freely without bones rubbing against each other

The spine is connected to your hip bones by the sacrum, which is considered part of the lumbar, or lower back area. The five vertebrae in the sacrum are fused. With the hip bones, they form what is called the pelvic girdle.

Because the lumbar spine is the workhorse of your back, it is prone to injury more often than the other spinal regions. Risk factors for lumbar spine disorders include:

  • Age
  • Weight
  • Level of fitness
  • Lifestyle habits, such as smoking
  • Genetics and birth defects
  • Type of occupation
  • Psychological factors

What Kinds of Problems Cause Lower Back Pain?

 

General back pain and specific lower back pain may come on suddenly. When it is acute pain, it will usually respond well to conservative treatments such as rest and pain relievers. Chronic low back pain ranges from mild and irritating pain to debilitating, Many times, if left untreated, the pain will worsen. Common spine conditions that can lead to chronic low back pain include:

  • Failed Back Syndrome: When lower lumbar back pain exists despite surgical intervention. Often, a medical professional will go back in to remove scar tissue to try to alleviate pain. Other options include physical therapy and injections to help relieve symptoms.
  • Flat Back Syndrome: When a person’s lower spine doesn’t naturally curve slightly inward. The condition causes pain for the patient and may lead to them having to walk with a cane. Flat back syndrome can be treated with a spinal implant.
  • Lumbar Deformity: When part of the lower back is turned at an unnatural angle or makes an abnormal shape. A doctor will perform surgical correction and stabilization to fix a lumbar deformity.
  • Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease: Chronic condition that can result from osteoarthritis in the spine. As a person ages, the discs dry out. Some people do not have any symptoms, while others will notice signs in their 30s and 40s. There are nonsurgical and surgical treatment options.
  • Lumbar Degenerative Joint Disease: Chronic condition of osteoarthritis in the vertebrae in the lower spine. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, and it happens when cartilage in the joints breaks down.
  • Lumbar Herniated Disc: When the soft interior pillow-like cushion pushes through the outer shell, it is called a lumbar herniated disc. Typically, the vertebrae in the spine are cushioned by discs, which act as shock absorbers between the bones. A herniated disc often can be treated with minimally invasive spine surgery.
  • Lumbar Kyphosis: An exaggerated forward rounding of the back. It often is due to weakness in the spine that causes the vertebrae to compress or crack. Bracing is a popular nonsurgical treatment for kyphosis, but it also can be surgically repaired.
  • Lumbar Myelopathy: An injury to the spinal cord caused by severe compression. The compression could be a result of spinal stenosis, disc degeneration, disc herniation, or other trauma to the spine.
  • Lumbar Radiculopathy: Sometimes called nerve root compression, is the pinching of a nerve or damage to the nerves in the spine that causes pain. This condition can resolve itself over time with physical therapy and other pain management techniques, but in serious cases, surgery may be needed.
  • Lumbar Slipped Disc: When the soft, jelly-like center of a disc breaks through the harder outside layer. Because there is less support between the vertebrae, patients with slipped discs feel pain when they move.
  • Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Refers to the narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back. Lumbar spinal stenosis often happens to older patients because of the natural aging process.
  • Lumbar Sprains: Happens when ligaments are stretched or torn from the place to which they are attached. A strain can result from a sudden injury or gradual overuse.
  • Pars Defect: Stress fracture in the vertebrae of the lower spine. This is a common cause of lower back pain in children, and it can happen on one or both sides of the vertebrae.
  • Post-Laminectomy Syndrome: After a patient has undergone a laminectomy or other form of back surgery, and they are still feeling pain.
  • Sacroiliac Joint Disease: Painful condition that affects the sacroiliac joints. The sacroiliac joints sit where the lower spine and pelvis meet. The condition can cause pain and stiffness in the buttocks and lower back. Sometimes, pain can radiate down one or both legs.
  • Lumbar Spondylosis: Refers to age-related degeneration of the vertebrae and discs of the lower back. It usually is marked by the breakdown of one or more of the discs used to separate the vertebrae of the spine.

Get a Free MRI Review

If you have gotten a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and are looking for a free MRI review for a second opinion or treatment recommendation, Dr. Skovrlj and NU-Spine are New Jersey’s top spine specialists.  NU-Spine specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, focusing on both functionality and aesthetically pleasing results.

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Is an Option

NU-Spine’s neurosurgeons focus on minimally invasive spine surgery because the benefits are enormous. Besides a smaller incision site and a shorter recovery time, the benefits of a minimally invasive spine procedure include:

  • Quicker results
  • Decreased blood loss
  • Less muscle and nerve damage
  • Limited bruising
  • Faster recovery time
  • Lower risks

In most cases, a patient goes home, where the patient is most comfortable, to begin the healing and recovery process on the same day surgery is performed.

Relieve Lower Back Pain at NU-Spine

Patients suffering from lower back pain may think there is no relief or cure for their pain, but there are many treatments available. Lower back treatment with minimally invasive spine surgery is reliable, quick, and effective when performed by a leading expert in the field. NU-Spine: The Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Institute serves patients across New Jersey, including Paramus, Woodbridge, Toms River, Jersey City, and Holmdel. Contact NU-Spine today to find out how to get rid of lower back pain for good.

Lower Back Lumbar & Sacrum

Conditions
  • Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
  • Lumbar Degenerative Joint Disease
  • Lumbar Herniated Disc
  • Lumbar Slipped Disc
  • Lumbar Muscle Spasm
  • Lumbar Radiculopathy
  • Lumbar Sprain
  • Lumbar Stenosis
  • Sacroiliac Joint Disease
  • Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
  • Spondylolisthesis
Treatments
  • Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy
  • Endoscopic Lumbar Foraminotomy
  • Endoscopic Rhizotomy
  • Hemilaminectomy
  • Laminectomy
  • Microdiscectomy
  • Minimally Invasive TLIF
  • Open Lumbar Decompression and Fusion
  • X-LIF Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
  • Sacroiliac Fusion
Start Your Path to Relief: Contact Us Today!
Spine Center Locations

1. Paramus
37 W Century Road Suite 105A
Paramus, NJ 07652

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3. Woodbridge
573 Amboy Ave.
Woodbridge Township,
NJ 07095

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5. Toms River
1901 Hooper Ave. #B
Toms River, NJ 08753

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2. Jersey City
631 Grand Street, Suite 2-100
Jersey City, NJ 07304

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4. Holmdel/Bell Works
101 Crawfords Corner Rd.
Suite 1116-B
Holmdel, NJ 07733

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6. Freehold
1000 West Main Street
Suite 201
Freehold, NJ 07728

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