Back pain is the leading cause of missed work in America. If you are suffering from spine pain in Houston, you aren’t alone — more than 26 million American adults experience frequent back pain. An aching back may be a minor nuisance, but in some cases, spine pain can interfere with life and keep you from enjoying the activities you love.
Don’t let spine pain interfere with your daily life any longer. Dr. Vivek Kushwaha is an experienced spine doctor treating patients’ spine pain in Houston. When you schedule an appointment with Dr. Kushwaha, he will get to the bottom of your pain and recommend the best course of treatment for the best possible outcome.
What’s the source of your spine pain?
Spine pain can be the result of any number of conditions or injuries, including muscle strain; herniated, bulging or ruptured disc; degenerative disc disease; arthritis; spinal stenosis; scoliosis and traumatic injury.
How is spine pain treated?
Some causes of back pain may be treated with medication and therapy, while others may require spine surgery. The right course of treatment for your spine pain depends on the cause and degree of your pain. Some common surgeries used to treat spine pain in Houston include:
Anterior cervical discectomy: Used to treat spinal stenosis, the goal of this procedure is to lessen pain by limiting painful motion between vertebrae. A metal plate and screws are commonly placed along the front of the cervical spine to provide stability and increase the rate of fusion. Bone graft is used to fill in the space left after the disc is removed.
Extreme lateral interbody fusion: During this surgery, which is used as a treatment for degenerative disc disease, the front part of the lumbar spine is fused from the side. Disc material is removed and a fusion graft is placed into the disc space. The graft is usually bone or a cage combined with bone.
Cervical disc replacement: This procedure is used to treat a diseased cervical disc which has caused the space between vertebrae to become too narrow and part of the vertebrae or cervical disc to press on the spinal cord or spinal nerves, causing pain, numbness or weakness. During the surgery, a diseased cervical disc is replaced with an artificial disc. Cervical disk replacement may be recommended when symptoms do not respond to nonsurgical types of treatment.
SI joint fusion: A treatment for low back pain that is attributed to the sacroiliac (SI) joint. The SI joint is a large joint in the pelvis that connects the sacrum and the ilium of the pelvis and bears weight on both sides of the pelvis. The function of the SI joint is to provide additional shock absorption for the spine. With age, stability in the SI joint can decline and the joint can degenerate, resulting in pain and stiffness in the lower back and lower limbs. Minimally invasive SI joint fusion is one surgical technique used to stabilize the joint, minimizing movement and providing significant pain relief, particularly in the lower back and/or leg.
Lumbar spinal fusion: Surgical treatment for scoliosis, a painful medical condition in which a person’s spine is curved from side to side and may be rotated. This surgery may also be the recommended treatment for herniated, bulging or ruptured discs or degenerative disc disease. During this procedure, two or more vertebrae are fused together using graft with the purpose of immobilizing the vertebrae that are causing pain.
Lumbar discectomy: Another treatment for herniated, bulging or ruptured discs. During this surgery, the herniated portion of an intervertebral disc, which is causing pain by bulging into the spinal cord or radiating nerves, is removed.
No matter the cause of your spine pain, it’s time to treat it so you can get back to living life. If you are looking for a doctor who will treat your spine pain in Houston, contact Houston’s experienced spine surgeon, Dr. Vivek Kushwaha, today.