Do you have severe lower back pain and intensive non-surgical treatment has not helped alleviate your discomfort? If you’ve gone six months or longer without any improvement after seeing a chiropractor, surgical options may be the next step to take. If you are unable to complete everyday activities because of your pain, you may want to speak with a spinal surgeon.
Surgery could repair your ability to function and alleviate the severe pain. According to the publication Spine-Health, there are two types of surgery options available for patients with lower back pain: spinal fusion and artificial disc replacement.
Spinal fusion forms a direct skeletal connection between the vertebrae surrounding the discs that are bothering the patient. This obstructs the motion of the painful discs and thereby provides pain relief. Pedicle screws and other medical devices are used to form structural support during this surgery.
Artificial disc replacement in the lumbar region has become a more popular form of treatment in recent years. The first disc implant was approved for use in 2004, while a secondary one was patented and received approval in 2006. The way this type of surgery works is by removing the painful disc and replacing it with a prosthetic implant built of metal. This form of treatment is used in specific cases of disc pathology.
In order for surgeons to decide which type of surgery may be appropriate in particular cases, patients must undergo MRIs, x-rays, and even CT scans or provocative discography. However, both doctors and patients should pay attention to one study that found artificial disc replacement had higher safety and efficacy levels as compared to lumbar fusion at a two-year follow-up, according to the blog MedKiozk. The authors of the study suggested for the medical community to adopt artificial disc replacement on a large scale.