Pain relief despite spinal canal stenosis

Pain relief and freedom of movement despite spinal stenosis

04/15/2014

For many, life begins with 60+: The children have been out of the house for a long time and everyday work is also a thing of the past. Time to enjoy life. But with advancing age, the health problems come - especially back problems. Wrong loading and poor posture have driven the age-related wear over the years. The result: every movement is only associated with great pain. In many cases, specialists make a narrowing of the spinal canal responsible. If this so-called spinal canal stenosis shows pain that is already radiating to the legs, physiotherapy, heat treatment etc. are often no longer helpful. In such cases, flexible spine stabilization, a new movement-preserving surgical procedure, brings us back to a life free of pain.

„The complaints of spinal canal stenosis often develop over years“, explains Dr. Bernd Illerhaus, spine surgeon and specialist in neurosurgery from the Orthopedic-Neurosurgical Center in Datteln and Recklinghausen. „What initially manifests as mild numbness in the legs often leads to persistent lumbar pain over time, radiating to the legs and buttocks under load.“ Specialists begin conservative treatment with targeted exercise therapy, heat treatment, electrotherapy and other physical applications, as well as acupuncture and neurostimulation. If these measures do not improve, then a pain therapy, often by the administration of anti-inflammatory and cortisone-containing drugs and - in special cases - by injections of local anesthetic in the facet joints. „Therapy resistance or persistent severe discomfort that severely impair the quality of life of those affected can unfortunately no longer be avoided by the surgical treatment of spinal stenosis“, knows Dr. Illerhaus from practice.

To permanently relieve pain in affected persons, surgeons remove disturbing tissue structures that lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal. Doctors speak of decompression. This may be at the expense of spine stability, which must be restored in a second surgical step. As a rule, surgeons stiffen the diseased vertebral bodies. Since the stiffened spinal column section is then immobile, the neighboring joints take over the movement. This additional burden may later cause discomfort in some patients. „Patients should be given extensive advice before surgery, as they are now also dynamic implants, such as those used in flexible spinal stabilization available“, advises Dr. Illerhaus. Instead of statically screwing adjacent vertebral bodies, this method, also known as the TOPS system, returns the desired stability to the spine. It also keeps it moving so there is no excessive load transfer to adjacent areas. For patients, it means being able to lead a life without restrictions and being able to do what they feel like doing. Treated people can enjoy traveling and active sports and leisure activities without pain. (Pm)