Spinal Stenosis Relief Atlanta – Three types of spinal stenosis!

While there are differences in the way stenosis can affect anatomy, all types of stenosis are usually referred as spinal stenosis.  You can get effective Spinal stenosis relief Atlanta provided your chosen orthopedic surgeon makes the right diagnosis. Reading further you will get to know about three types of spinal stenosis.

Central stenosis

Narrowing of the central canal in the lower back region can compress the thecal sac. This narrowing, in turn, can put pressure on the nerve bundle towards the ends of the spinal cord.

Foraminal stenosis

It is the most common types of lumbar spinal stenosis, also known as lateral spinal stenosis. As the nerve root leaves the canal via side hole in the back of the spine, a bone spur which has already developed from an arthritic facet joint or degenerating disc can press the nerve root. In this type of stenosis, the emerging nerve root gets trapped. This form of spinal stenosis can be visualized as pinching of the nerves.

Far lateral stenosis

The individual nerve which exits from the center of the spinal out hole in the back of the spine is known as Neuro-foramen. Beyond the neuro-foramen, there might be narrowing secondary to the development of osteophytes from the herniated discs, facet joints, ligamentum hypertrophy and bulging discs.   This narrowing of the side of the neuro-foramen or the area lateral is known as far lateral stenosis. Often patients have a combination of far lateral and foraminal stenosis.

In extreme cases, where the orthopedic surgeon feels the necessity to perform spinal stenosis surgery, identifying types of compression and different locations becomes important. With apt imaging studies and series of tests, spine surgeon would diagnose the cause, and thus initiate treatment accordingly. Dr. Erik Bendiks is a renowned surgeon for spinal stenosis and back pain treatment in Atlanta.

Spinal Stenosis Relief Atlanta - Symptoms

Spinal stenosis is one condition which has affected the life of many people. This condition not only limits daily activities, but also causes great pain and discomfort. You can get maximum spinal stenosis relief Atlanta only if you tell your orthopedic or spine surgeon everything clearly. Do not hide anything from your doctor as treatment will be initiated on your discussion with him.

Here are a few symptoms of spinal stenosis

The reason why spinal stenosis causes pain and weakness has so far been the subject of debate as well as medical research. Pain in the legs and buttocks, which is one of the most common symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis, might be related to the compression of the microvascular structures which carry blood flow to the nerve roots. Also the spinal stenosis symptoms might be directly associated with the compression of nerve roots. Each of these procedures may hinder the normal function of nerve roots decreasing the endurance as well as the effectiveness of the spinal nerves.

There is very possible that people suffering from degenerative disease of the spine might have no symptoms at all while some may experience mild discomfort in the lower back region. Then there are others who are not even able to stand or walk. People who are suffering from severe spinal stenosis will start experiencing pain in the leg, thigh or buttocks, which further develops with either walking or standing. It only improves when a person takes a rest. Some patients complain of weakness or pain in leg without any back pain.

More severe symptoms related to this condition are weakness, numbness and tingling which occur in the lower extremities. There are some positions can help in alleviating symptoms related to spinal stenosis by increasing the space available for the nerves.

No matter which type of back pain has affected your life, seeking an appointment with an experienced and skilled orthopedic surgeon would help you live a better life. Dr. Erik Bendiks is one of the renowned spine surgeons who have more than a decade’s experience in providing back pain treatment in Atlanta.  

Spinal stenosis surgery – Some important considerations

In the recent years, the number of people suffering from back problems has increased. As a matter of fact, the number of patients suffering from back and neck problem has increased at an alarming rate. In majority cases of advanced claudication, either vascular or spinal, a decompression surgery is needed for treating the symptoms of spinal stenosis. When it comes to spinal stenosis surgery in Atlanta, there are several techniques and opinions; however, there are some main components which are common to all approaches.

Given below are some considerations for spinal stenosis surgery

To start with, a correct diagnosis is extremely important for achieving positive surgical outcomes. Surgeons perform several types of tests to determine the root cause of the problem. Imaging studies are performed for identifying the areas which are narrowing. If all areas are not addressed, then might lead to inferior outcome. In fact, too many parts of stencils can also be a reason for not performing elective spinal stenosis surgery.  

It is important for you to know that day of the exploratory spine surgery are gone. Occasionally, an intraoperative finding might significantly differ from the studies of imaging, however, in modern day imaging methods; there can be a few surprises. One exception could be the presence of instability of the spinal unit. Often unexpected instabilities might be identified as the patient is prescribed muscle relaxants at the time of surgery, and there is very possible that a spine surgeon might identify excessive mobility of a spine unit.   

However, as far as frequency of surprises is concerned, it should be rare because thin-slice CTs and high quality MRIs provides information even about underlying conditions of instability.    Experienced and skilled surgeons might order or ask for dynamic flexion, extension X-rays for detecting instabilities before Atlanta spine surgery.

 Advancement in the world of medical science has brought revolution in spine surgery techniques as well. Modern day techniques for performing surgery aim at minimizing violation or exposure of surrounding tissues. Most spine surgeons try to preserve the facet capsules and spine ligaments for reducing the chance of developing an adjacent-level or next-level stenosis or degeneration in the future.

In the last few years, medical care has improved dramatically, however medical risks like osteoporosis, heart disease and diabetes should also be weighted before taking any decision regarding surgery. In some cases the prudent decision taken by the surgeon might be not to operate weight the risks associated with it. That is why it is important to look for an experienced and qualified surgeon like Dr. Erik Bendiks who has been treating problems related to back and neck for more than a decade.

Fortunately, outcomes of spinal stenosis surgery in Atlanta results for decompression could be the most rewarding surgical techniques used on the spine. Recovery from surgery might take time. However, patients do well in their life after surgery.  As a matter of fact, patients are even able to walk properly after undergoing spinal stenosis surgery. 

 Contact Us

1100 Lake Hearn Dr

NE, Suite 360

Atlanta, GA 30342

Tel: 404-596-7967

Spinal stenosis surgery in Atlanta- A glance

The narrowing of spaces in the backbone leads to pressure on the nerve roots as well as the spinal cord. The narrowing down of spaces might involve a large area or small part of the spine.  There can be several causes of narrowing of the spine, such as a natural process of aging or injury to the spine because of an accident. Usually, spinal stenosis affects both men and women aged above forty years. Spinal stenosis surgery in Atlanta is usually considered a last option for treating this condition.

There are several factors on the basis of which a surgeon decides whether or not does a patient need to undergo spinal stenosis surgery.  Make sure that you share with surgeon your complete medical history. Do not hide anything. Without any biases regarding the general health condition or symptoms, patients should discuss with spine surgeon all his problems.  Orthopedic surgeon you have chosen will start with the physical tests followed by full body examination.

Results of different tests and investigations allow doctor to form his opinion. The movements of patient are checked. If the patient has pain when overextending the spine by bending backwards is also checked by the surgeon. This kind of examination is performed for normal neurological functions like muscle sensation, reflexes and strength.

When Computer Axial Tomography, MRI and X-rays are performed for even common health issues, then how can a problem like spinal stenosis escape all these investigations? Spine surgeons also recommend a bone scan along with several other tests.  In most cases, non-surgical treatment is performed; however, it is often not the permanent treatment. Surgery is performed when the numbness and weakness of the legs and back persists. 

In some cases, Atlanta spine surgery is performed almost immediately if the condition of patient demands so. The purpose of this surgery is to relieve the pressure on spinal nerves and spinal cord for maintaining strength and alignment of the spine. Dr. Erik Bendiks make sure that patients who consult him for spinal stenosis get the best treatment.

Contact-us 

1100 Lake Hearn Dr
NE Suite 360
Atlanta, GA 30342
Tel: 404-596-7967