Chronic back pain is, unfortunately, a widespread problem among adults, in part due to degenerative changes in the spine. The World Health Organization states that low back pain affects up to 619 million people worldwide and expects that number to rise.
Because your spine enables you to move, chronic back pain often leads to disability and time off of work. If you’re at your wit’s end and nothing else has helped, consider spinal fusion surgery with Dr. Omar Osmani.
Dr. Osmani is an orthopedic specialist who offers spinal fusion surgery, physical therapy, and interventional pain management for back pain at the Spine and Orthopedic Center of New Mexico in Roswell, New Mexico. Here, he explains spinal fusion and when to consider it.
A spinal fusion is an invasive surgical procedure, meaning it’s not usually the first treatment option for people living with back pain. However, it may become an option when your pain severely limits your everyday activities or other treatments haven’t provided significant pain relief.
Dr. Osmani often offers conservative therapies for back pain initially. These include home measures like over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, heat, ice, and rest. He may also suggest physical therapy to help strengthen your core and other muscles that support your spine.
If these aren’t enough, Dr. Osmani provides interventional pain management techniques, including epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks.
When all conservative measures fail to provide significant or long-term relief, it may be time to consider surgery. However, knowing what to expect before a spinal fusion is essential.
Thanks to general anesthesia, you sleep as we monitor your vital signs during the procedure. Depending on your specific needs, Dr. Osmani may perform the procedure using minimally invasive or open techniques, making an incision that allows him access from the front, back, or side.
During the procedure, he uses bone and metal implants like plates and screws to join two or more vertebrae together, allowing them to fuse together over time.
He may also remove excess bone or parts of a herniated disc to alleviate pressure on the nerves in the spine. After he places the implants to join the vertebrae, Dr. Osmani closes the incision, and you rest in a recovery room.
Living with instability in your spine causes weakness that can lead to nerve or spinal cord compression. The more your vertebrae move, the more likely you are to have chronic pain from compression and inflammation.
Most people with spinal instability have chronic neck or back pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the arms and legs. Although conservative treatments may temporarily relieve pain, the only way to resolve it permanently is to fix the root cause of the problem — unstable vertebrae.
The goal of the spinal fusion is to join the two or more vertebrae that are causing pain to provide stability and structure to the spinal column.
After the procedure, the bones Dr. Osmani fused grow together to form one solid structure. Depending on your symptoms, he may fuse two, three, or four vertebrae.
The now-solid structure stabilizes your spine and decreases the risk of nerve or spinal cord compression.
After a full recovery, many people experience significantly less pain and an improvement in their ability to perform day-to-day activities. It may take several weeks to months to return to most normal activities and even longer to reap the full benefits of the procedure, but it’s worth the wait.
Call our Roswell, New Mexico, office today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Osmani to discuss a spinal fusion, or you may request an appointment on our website.
