Spinal Arthritis Surgery – Alternatives to Highly Invasive Procedures
Spinal arthritis surgery may be recommended for patients who find little to no relief from at-home or doctor-prescribed noninvasive treatments. Since arthritis can never truly be cured, treatment typically focuses on easing a patient’s symptoms, which can include pain, tenderness, numbness, stiffness, and swelling in the neck and/or back. The noninvasive treatments that are used to treat spinal arthritis typically involve non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), pain medication, moderate exercise, the use of hot and cold compresses, and spinal injections.
Surgical Treatment
When noninvasive treatments fall short of easing chronic pain after several weeks or months, a doctor or spine specialist may recommend spinal arthritis surgery. A variety of surgeries can be used to treat spinal arthritis, most of which involve decompression. Decompression surgery entails the removal of bone matter that’s pinching nerve tissue, and may be followed by spinal fusion to immobilize painful joints. These highly invasive operations require lengthy recuperation and present the risk for a variety of complications, including failed back surgery syndrome and infection.
Alternatives to Surgery
Spinal arthritis treatment can also be achieved with minimally invasive, laser-assisted spine procedures. These safe and effective alternatives to open back or neck surgery:
- Are performed on an outpatient basis
- Require no general anesthesia
- Allow 75 percent of patients to return to daily activities within two weeks
- Boast a 90 percent patient satisfaction rate
Contact Laser Spine Institute Scottsdale to learn more about our state-of-the-art procedures and to schedule a complimentary consultation. In addition to our surgical center in Scottsdale, Laser Spine Institute also has several medical consultation facilities and surgical centers located nationwide to provide you with the most convenient treatment possible.
