Patients who are suffering from low back pain have a lot of company — it is the leading cause of disability worldwide and the main reason that American workers lose valuable productivity time. Research shows that 75-85% of Americans report back pain at some point in their lives.
If you are afflicted with lower back pain, you are probably searching for a solution. NU-Spine: The Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Institute is home to renowned neurosurgeon Branko Skovrlj, MD, offering minimally invasive spine surgery options at locations in New Jersey to end your back pain permanently. Here, we discuss instances when back pain may indicate a more severe condition.
When Is Back Pain Serious?
Back pain may strike only occasionally, perhaps after a particularly grueling workout or following a day of sitting in meetings for hours on end. Or your lower back may throb constantly or regularly bother you with shooting pains.
Common signs that indicate you may have more severe lower back problems requiring intervention include:
- Pain that radiates from your lower back down one or both of your legs
- Discomfort that is aggravated by twisting, bending, standing, lifting, or walking
- Persistent pain that does not go away with rest
- Unexplained weight loss in addition to lower back pain
- Pain accompanied by weakness and a tingling sensation in your legs
Most cases of lower back pain worsen over time if left untreated, and there are instances when symptoms require immediate medical attention. Visit the emergency room if you feel back pain:
- After an accident or sports injury
- Accompanied by a fever
- That brings on sudden bowel or bladder incontinence
What Are the Main Causes of Lower Back Pain?
Low back pain is universal and:
- Affects people of all ages and backgrounds
- May improve or worsen over time, depending on the cause and a patient’s lifestyle
- May respond to conservative lower back pain treatment and lifestyle changes
- Becomes a chronic and debilitating condition for many patients
- Costs Americans almost $50 billion each year for chronic lower back pain treatment
- Leads to missed work and reduced productivity that costs another $100 billion each year
The source of lower back pain is not always easily recognizable. A patient may have pulled a muscle or strained their back weeks ago but only now starting to experience discomfort.
Besides pulled muscles and strains, common conditions that may lead to lower back pain include:
- Arthritis
- Herniated discs
- Slipped discs
- Compressed nerve
- Muscle sprains
- Spinal stenosis
- Sacroiliac joint disease
- Compression injury
- Hunchback
- Deformity
- Osteoarthritis
- Stress fractures
Patients should see the medical professionals at NU-Spine when they start experiencing persistent lower back pain, or if the pain is limiting activities. The medical team will work with each patient to find the source of their pain and produce a customized treatment plan.
How Do I Relieve Lower Back Pain?
In some cases, lower back pain dissipates and eventually disappears on its own. To relieve minor lower back pain non-surgically, patients can try:
- Over-the-counter medications
- Physical therapy
- Core strengthening exercises
- Prescription-strength pain medications
- Cortisol injections
New Jersey’s top neurosurgeon, Dr. Skovrlj, uses the latest technologies and techniques to deliver the best chronic lower back pain treatment. He offers a wide array of minimally invasive surgical procedures to treat low back pain comprehensively and completely. As a leading neurosurgeon for back pain, Dr. Skovrlj can recommend a treatment plan that is most appropriate for each patient’s case.
What Surgical Options Are Available for Lower Back Pain?
At NU-Spine, after a patient has had a complete physical exam, imaging tests, and a review of their medical history, Dr. Skovrlj may recommend treating the lower back pain via a surgical method. The surgical method chosen will depend on the patient’s diagnosis and could include one of the following:
- Laminectomy: By removing the lamina covering the back of the spinal canal, a surgeon can enlarge the canal to relieve internal pressure.
- Minimally invasive laminectomy: Especially useful for lumbar stenosis, this procedure reduces the impact on the body to the least amount possible.
- Corpectomy: A neurosurgeon relieves pressure on a patient’s spinal cord by removing a damaged vertebra and the nearby disc. The material must be replaced with a bone graft and a small metal plate for greater stability.
- Discectomy: A neurosurgeon removes a portion of the vertebral disc pinching a patient’s nerve.
- Spinal fusion: By fusing two of a patient’s vertebrae, the neurosurgeon can correct deformities and reduce pain for a patient.
- Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF):A form of spinal fusion, a TLIF procedure involves removing a disc and fusing the two adjacent vertebral bones.
- Extreme lateral lumbar interbody fusion (XLIF/X-LIF):A minimally invasive surgery technique, XLIF incorporates disc excision into the fusion process.
- Lumbar foraminotomy: This spinal decompression procedure enlarges the area around two vertebrae where the nerves pass through to relieve pressure.
- Hemilaminectomy: During this surgery, several pieces of the lamina are removed from a patient’s spinal column when vertebrae or nerves are pinched or restricted.
- Microdiscectomy: A minimally invasive procedure for pinched nerves, patients with a herniated lumbar disc have a section of damaged or herniated intervertebral discs removed.
- Lumbar decompression: Used for a wide range of lower back problems, this procedure treats compressed nerves.
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery May Help Lower Back Pain
In some cases, minimally invasive spine surgery is the treatment a patient needs for lower back pain. Dr. Skovrlj is known for his use of minimally invasive spine surgeries to help relieve back and spine pain in his patients. This form of surgery involves making a small incision at the target area. There, a small tube that holds a microscope, camera, and precision tools is inserted, and the surgery is performed.
A minimally invasive spine surgery eliminates the need to cut through muscle and tissues. Other benefits include:
- Quicker results
- Decreased blood loss
- Less muscle and nerve damage
- Limited bruising
- Faster recovery time
- Lower risks
Many patients can go home the same day they have surgery. Our team believes healing at home benefits the patient, adhering to our goal of getting patients on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.
Reach Out to NU-Spine to Relieve Lower Back Pain
Patients who are looking to begin their pain-free journey should reach out to the medical team at NU-Spine. Branko Skovrlj, MD, serves throughout northern New Jersey, with locations in Paramus, Woodbridge, Toms River, and Holmdel. If you are looking for a world-class neurosurgeon and leading spine specialist, contact us today.
