Neck and Back Pain

Non-surgical Options 

Conservative spine treatment, that precedes any surgery, is typically a back specialist's first-line approach to many spine condition such as lower back, neck, arm or leg pain, sciatica, and neck-related headaches or other issues caused by disc herniations, muscle strain or spinal stenosis. Treatment may be as simple as rest and refraining from strenuous activities as well as preventative measures including strengthening exercises.

We may also recommend:

Physical Therapy

This can help strengthen muscles, improve flexibility and prevent recurrences. The physical and occupational therapists can guide you through a program specific to your needs to help you return to your active lifestyle.

Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI)

Injections of cortisone and local anesthetic directly into the inflamed areas can help reduce swelling from a bulging or herniated disc.

Facet Joint Injections

Injections of cortisone and local anesthetic into the small vertebrae joints in your spine can help reduce inflammation and provide long-term pain relief for many patients.

Also known as “keyhole" surgery, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) provides patients at CHRISTUS SOUTHEAST TEXAS Spine Center and Golden Triangle Neurocare with the potential for several benefits over traditional surgery including:

• Reduced recovery time and a quicker return to daily activities
• Less surgical blood loss
• Reduced use of pain medications
• Shorter hospital stays

Which Spine Procedures Can Be Performed Using Minimally Invasive Techniques?

The field of minimally invasive spine surgery is changing rapidly as new techniques and procedures are developed. The most common types of minimally invasive spine procedures currently performed include:

• Repair of herniated discs, such as microdiscectomy
• Correction of fractured vertebrae, as in kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty

Preserves Motion 

Artificial disc replacement, or cervical disc arthroplasty, removes a painful vertebral disc and replaces it with a prosthetic implant. This surgery preserves motion in the affected segment, gets patients back to their busy lives quickly, and reduces future operations due to pseudoarthrosis.

Performing Kyphoplasty Surgery

 

The goals of a Kyphoplasty surgical procedure are designed to stop the pain caused by a spinal fracture, to stabilize the bone, and to restore some or all of the lost vertebral body height due to the compression fracture.

During Kyphoplasty surgery, a small incision is made in the back through which the doctor places a narrow tube. Using fluoroscopy to guide it to the correct position, the tube creates a path through the back into the fractured area through the pedicle of the involved vertebrae. Using X-ray images, the doctor inserts a special balloon through the tube and into the vertebrae, then gently and carefully inflates it. As the balloon inflates, it elevates the fracture, returning the pieces to a more normal position. It also compacts the soft inner bone to create a cavity inside the vertebrae. The balloon is removed and the doctor uses specially designed instruments under low pressure to fill the cavity with a cement-like material called polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). After being injected, the pasty material hardens quickly, stabilizing the bone

Surgery 

Spinal fusion is surgery to permanently join together two or more bones in the spine so there is no movement between them. These bones are called vertebrae.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Inter-body Fusion (ACDF)

Anterior cervical discectomy and inter-body fusion with instrumentation is one of the most effective procedures to treat cervical pathologies. In this procedure, all or part of the disc separating the vertebrae is removed, and the vertebrae are permanently fused together to eliminate movement.

Posterior Cervical Fusion

Posterior cervical fusion uses contemporary fixation techniques for the occipitocervical and upper thoracic spine, such as multiaxial screws, laminar hooks, and lateral connector attachments to a longitudinal rod.

Minimally Invasive Decompression and Fusion Compared to open surgery, minimally invasive decompression and fusion techniques minimize damage to muscles and skin, blood loss, and scarring. Patients can also expect a shorter hospital stay after surgery.

Transformation Lumbar Inter-body Fusion (TLIF)

This lower-back surgery stabilizes the spinal vertebra and the disc or shock absorbed between them, reducing pain and nerve irritation. Lumbar fusion surgery creates solid bone between adjoining vertebra, eliminating any movement between the bones.

Direct Lateral Inter-body Fusion (DLIF)

Direct lateral inter-body fusion is a minimally invasive surgery using integrated, image-guided tools and neural monitoring to shorten surgical and recovery time and return patients more quickly to normal, active lives. The surgeon accesses the lumbar spine through the muscle, fusing the vertebrae to address degeneration, deformity, and other conditions of the lower spine.