| THE SKINNY | | | | spinal canal. When this opening is reduced due to a |
| Laser surgery for chronic neck pain relief is a | | | | spinal problem or injury, there is less room for the |
| relatively new medical procedure that has proven to | | | | nerves to pass between the bones. This sometimes |
| be at least partially effective in the large majority of | | | | causes a pinched nerve and the usual painful |
| cases. Although laser surgery this is less invasive than | | | | symptoms." |
| more traditional procedures, it is still considered | | | | Since the laser procedures are less invasive, and |
| significant surgery and should be approached as such. | | | | recuperation time is less than traditional spine |
| There are a number of practices in the country that | | | | surgeries, it is not any more difficult on the patient to |
| specialize in spinal laser surgery. | | | | treat more than one condition at a time. It actually |
| Laser surgery for neck pain relief should be | | | | allows patients to return to their lives sooner. |
| considered only after physical therapy protocols have | | | | UNDER THE "KNIFE" |
| been exhausted. There are also pharmaceutical | | | | First, IV sedation and a local anesthetic are |
| products that have proven effective for cervical pain | | | | administered, then a small incision is made and a |
| management, such as Lyrica and Celebrex. | | | | round tube is inserted into the incision. A series of |
| Laser surgery for chronic neck pain relief is a | | | | tubes of increasing size are placed over the first |
| relatively new medical procedure that has proven to | | | | tube, one at a time, to slowly create an opening to |
| be effective in the majority of cases. Although laser | | | | the spinal canal. The muscles are rarely pushed out of |
| surgery this is less invasive than more traditional | | | | the way and are not torn or cut. The last tube is |
| procedures, it is still considered significant surgery and | | | | about 18 millimeters in diameter (about as big as a |
| should be approached as such. There are a number | | | | small marker) and the surgical instruments: laser, |
| of practices in the country that specialize in spinal | | | | camera, suction, irrigation and other necessary |
| laser surgery. | | | | instruments are inserted through it. |
| DOUBLE WHAMMY! | | | | Once everything is in place, the surgical team can |
| Unfortunately, most patients have multiple conditions | | | | begin the procedure. Some patients experience |
| occurring at once and may require a combination of | | | | immediate pain relief during the procedure when the |
| surgical techniques. Patients can have a pinched nerve | | | | nerve(s) are released. Decompressing the spinal canal |
| caused by spinal stenosis or foraminal narrowing, as | | | | can directly affect the patient's back or neck pain |
| well as having neck or back pain due to arthritis of | | | | and can resolve them permanently. Finally, the tube is |
| the spine (facet disease). To treat these maladies, | | | | slowly removed, the muscles to move back into |
| both a foraminotomy and a laminotomy can occur | | | | place and the procedure is complete. Sometimes, but |
| simultaneously. | | | | not always, a stitch or two is necessary for the |
| Wikipedia defines a laminotomy as: "a neurosurgical | | | | incision. |
| procedure that removes part of a lamina of the | | | | OUTA THERE! |
| vertebral arch in order to decompress the | | | | After only 1 or 2 hours of monitoring, the patient is |
| corresponding spinal cord and/or nerve root." | | | | free to go! The minimal recovery time is obviously |
| Cure-back-pain.org defines a foraminotomy as: "a | | | | attractive to patients at the outset. All indications are |
| back surgery procedure used to enlarge the opening | | | | that laser spine surgery is here to stay! |
| through which a spinal nerve passes as it exits the | | | | |