How Spine Decompression Can Relieve The Pain Of Aggravated Nerves
Spine Decompression
Spine decompression is a treatment which is designed to treat back pain conditions which are painful due to the aggravation of a nerve in the spinal region. This treatment can be carried out in different ways, some of which involve surgery and some which do not. The ways which do involve surgery involve a differing degree of risk, due to the fact that some are more invasive than others. There is always a good case to be made for testing out physiotherapy treatments before any thought is given to major surgery, as all surgery involves risk to some degree.
There are many different causes of back pain, and it can be difficult to make an exact diagnosis. This will need to be done, though, before any treatments can be considered. All that can be done in the short term is the prescription of painkillers which can ease the symptoms of the condition. If the pain is in the region of the lower back, there is every chance that the problem is with the discs in the lumbar region. These discs are an asset in that they allow free movement, but they can also be problematic.
The discs in the lower back can be treated with non-invasive methods. These involve using a traction machine to put pressure on that part of the body, with the intention of forcing the bulk of the disc away from the nerve it is aggravating. A variation on this is the treatment known as inversion therapy, which involves being suspended and hanging upside down. This is a more extreme variation of the system of lying down with the feet slightly above the head, which can relieve back pain in some patients.
Invasive methods of spinal decompression vary in the pressure which is applied to the body. Microdisectomy is mildly invasive, as it involves the removal of part of a disc, or of the gel which is contained within the disc, using a form of keyhole surgery. This surgery will be relatively easy for the body to cope with, although it will still need to withstand a local anesthetic. Return to work or normal life should be relatively swift, as there is no major surgery to recover from.
There are other spine decompression procedures which involve greater risk, but which are necessary where chipped bone or warped bone has impacted upon a nerve. Any condition which involves pressure in a nerve can affect the body in many different places and in different ways. The procedure known as laminectomy can remove bone matter which is impacting upon a nerve, although this will need a general anesthetic. There will obviously need to be a much longer recovery period following this type of operation, but you will notice great relief following spine decompression.