Understanding Treatment for Spine Conditions

Spine conditions cover a broad spectrum of issues. Ranging from normal wear and tear on the spine known as degenerative disk or arthritic disease to herniated disks, spinal stenosis and scoliosis, these conditions can greatly affect your life by limiting mobility or causing debilitating neck and back pain. Fortunately, there are both surgical and nonsurgical options spine surgeons can use to effectively treat spine conditions.

Do all spine conditions require surgery?

No. Many people falsely believe when they visit a spine surgeon that surgery is their only option. In reality, the majority of spine conditions can be effectively treated without surgery. If you’re considering spine surgery, it’s important to speak with your surgeon and make sure you have exhausted all nonsurgical options first. These include physical therapy, injections such as epidural steroid injections and radiofrequency ablations, and lifestyle changes which can include losing weight, quitting smoking, practicing good posture and building core strength. All of these things over time can do wonders in terms of treating back and neck pain while keeping you off of the operating table.

What surgical options are available?

There are two main areas of spine surgery: traditional and minimally invasive. Traditional spine surgery tends to have larger incisions, resulting in longer recoveries. However, it has been successfully performed for decades and, based on which spine condition you have, may be the best option, especially for certain tumor and deformity cases. Minimally invasive spine surgery encompasses a variety of techniques and advanced technologies aimed at reducing the amount of tissue damage needed to accomplish the goals of spine surgery. For example, robotics may be used to place screws to increase accuracy and precision in their placement. 

How can a patient help ensure the best surgical outcome?

It is always best before you “go under the knife” to optimize your health. Proper management of other medical issues, such as diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease, can greatly affect a patient’s recovery as well as their likelihood of complications after surgery. Patients can also impact their outcome by optimizing their physical condition as much as possible and making positive lifestyle choices. Quitting the use of nicotine products, including vaping and dipping, is a great measure to take before spine surgery
as its use is associated with increased risk of complications. Patients over a certain BMI also have higher rates of complication and generally tend to be less satisfied with the results of spine surgery so managing your weight before can do wonders in increasing the likelihood of a positive outcome.

Brenton Pennicooke, MD, MS, is a Washington University neurosurgeon and has an office on the campus of Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital. To schedule an appointment, please call 636.928.WELL.

Learn about our Neurosurgery Center