A common symptom of several spine conditions is local and radiating pain caused by a compressed nerve along the spinal cord. This pain can range from nagging to debilitating, sometimes resulting in a loss of activity and quality of life.
Spine Laser Institutes understands that searching for a treatment solution can be difficult and many people don’t know where to start. Many of our patients had tried conservative treatment options and pain management therapies for years before turning to procedures such as a discectomy. We aim at treating your spine condition at its root cause; this helps us to provide more lasting relief than most conservative treatment options.
At Spine Laser Institutes our focus is centered on our patients and what is best for their needs. If you have any questions about our discectomy procedure or any of our other procedures, we invite you to contact our patient care team at your convenience at 561-899-4777.
What is Discectomy Procedure?
Our minimally invasive discectomy procedure offers relief from chronic pain caused by a herniated disc or bulging disc. Your spine is comprised of individual bones, called vertebrae, that rest one on top of the other to make up the structure of your spine. In between each vertebra is a cushion, called a disc. The discs allow the vertebrae to move and bend without touching the nerves along the spinal cord. When one of the discs begins to deteriorate, it moves out of its normal parameters and often compresses a nerve along the spine. Thus, most people experience localized and radiating pain accompanied by a herniated or bulging disc.
A discectomy procedure is a minimally invasive way to help treat the pain associated with a herniated or bulging disc by alleviating the pressure on the affected nerve. During the procedure, our surgeons will remove a portion of the herniated or bulging disc that is pressing on a nerve in the spinal cord. Our minimally invasive techniques allow our surgeons to remove the portion of the disc that is compressing the nerve without altering the stability of the spine.
Common Symptoms Relieved by a Discectomy
While the most common spine condition treated by our discectomy procedure is a herniated or bulging disc, there can also be several other conditions relieved by this minimally invasive procedure, including:
Symptoms of these spine conditions can vary, based on the individual and the severity of the condition. The most common symptoms that people experience include:
- Arm or leg pain — In addition to the localized pain that you may feel at the site of the compressed nerve in your back, you may also experience radiating or shooting pain in your extremities. If your spine condition is in your cervical spine (neck), you may experience pain in your arm and shoulder. If the compressed nerve is in your lower back, you might experience radiating pain down your buttock and leg. The pain may worsen with sudden movements, such as sneezing or coughing.
- Numbness or tingling — Often accompanied by the pain in your arm or leg, you may experience a tingling or numbness that extends to your farthest extremities, such as your hand or foot. Some people may only experience numbness or tingling without radiating pain.
- Weakness — If the compressed nerve is unable to send strong signals to your surrounding muscles, you may experience weakness in the arm and hand or leg and foot.
If at any time you lose control of your bladder or bowels, seek medical attention immediately.
Our surgeons specialize in minimally invasive discectomy procedures. To learn more about our award-winning surgeons and to schedule a consultation, call 561-899-4777.