Operative role in management of axial back pain:
Although most cases of axial back pain are resolved over time with conservative
care, and there is a spontaneous improvement of 70% after 5 years in a study of a
group suffering from chronic back pain, surgical intervention can be used for the
management of persistent pain or when the presence of pathology was approved
such as degenerative changes secondary to an internal disc disorder. Other reported
indications for surgery include translational instability, segmental instability, post-
laminectomy syndrome, persistent lumbar pain after lumbar discectomy, annular
tear, failed back syndrome, and recurrent disc herniation.
Surgery for spinal canal narrowing:
Spinal stenosis is more common in the elderly, which is a compression of the
nerves or spinal cord in the cervical or lumbar spine. When the nerves are
compressed, the patient may have symptoms in the arm or leg, such as numbness,
tingling, pain, or weakness. Fortunately, most treatment options for spinal stenosis
are non-surgical, such as modification of activity, physiotherapy, anti-
inflammatory drugs, and modalities of interventional pain management which are
basically epidural injections for fixed injections to help decrease the inflammation
associated with spinal stenosis.
For patients who fail to responds to maximum non-operative management, we can
consider a surgery for the spine. Surgeries for spinal stenosis can be divided into
two categories; conventional spinal surgical techniques and minimally invasive
surgical techniques. The conventional technique is done by cutting the muscle of
the spine, getting the pressure off the nerves, and possibly restoring the spinal
column. Other patients may benefit from a minimally invasive technique, where
incisions are smaller.