Treatments and Procedures for Spine Disorders

Treatment for spine disorders depends on the type and severity of disease or injury, and can include pain medications, spinal injections, chiropractic care, physical therapy, immobilization, and rest. If the patient's condition is severe, surgical treatments may include one, or a combination of the following:

• Discectomy is the removal of one or more discs, and is used to treat herniated discs or degenerative disc disease. Discectomies are sometimes used in combination with spinal fusion procedures.
• Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat compression fractures of the vertebrae caused by osteoporosis. A balloon is inserted into the diseased vertebra through a small incision, and inflated to restore the original shape of the bone. The balloon is then removed, and the space it created is filled with cement to form a permanent cast within the bone.
• Laminectomy is the removal of part or all of the bony arch (lamina) on the posterior part of the vertebral bone. The procedure can relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots that may be caused by injury, herniated disc, spinal stenosis or tumors. Laminectomies are sometimes used in combination with spinal fusion procedures.
• Laminoplasty is performed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord caused by spinal stenosis. The procedure creates a "hinge" one side of the spine to open it like door and create more space in the spinal canal. Bone graft wedges are added to permanently enlarge the spinal canal.
• Microdiscectomy is a minimally invasive procedure where a small portion of bone and disc material is removed to relieve compression of a nerve root. The procedure does not change the mechanical structure of the spine.
• Spinal Fusion is a procedure used to correct misalignments of the spinal column and pinched nerves caused by injury, spondylolsis, or spondylolisthesis. The lamina (bony arch of the posterior part of the vertebral bone) and other bone growths are removed. Bone grafts and rods are added to fuse two or more vertebra together and permanently realign the spinal column. Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion and Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion are two different types of spinal fusion procedures.