If you struggle with chronic back pain, you are by no means alone. An estimated 619 million people worldwide experience this potentially debilitating issue, which can have a disastrous impact on quality of life. Fortunately, a minimally-invasive surgical technique known as endoscopic rhizotomy can alleviate your pain by shutting off the nerve that conducts the pain signals from the brain to the back. Let’s explore how endoscopic rhizotomy works and how it might solve your chronic back pain problem.
Understanding Chronic Back Pain
Anyone can experience a temporary, acute back problem. However, if your symptoms continue to trouble you for at least 12 weeks, you have what
doctors consider chronic back pain. Chronic back pain can interrupt your sleep, make your work or household chores impossible to perform, and prevent you from enjoying your favorite leisure activities.
Chronic back pain can occur for a variety of reasons. Common causes include:
- Degenerative disc disease – In this progressive condition, the vertebral discs flatten, bulge outward, and may rupture.
- Osteoarthritis – The facet joints that mobilize the vertebrae can develop painful osteoarthritis due to age-related wear and tear or a traumatic injury.
- Ankylosing spondylitis – This form of spinal arthritis causes inflammation and damage in the larger vertebral joints such as the sacroiliac.
Traditional back pain treatment methods can help, but they can also present their problems. For instance, major back surgery can require months of painful recuperation. Opioid drugs only ease the pain temporarily while raising concerns about addiction and overdose.
Introducing Endoscopic Rhizotomy
Endoscopic rhizotomy differs from traditional “open” surgery. In this technique, the surgeon makes a few tiny cuts instead of a large incision. Long, thin instruments can then target the troublesome nerve. An advanced imaging technique called fluoroscopy helps the surgeon implant an electrode at the trouble site. The electrode’s effects on the nerve tissue help guide the surgeon’s hand in treating the affected nerve.
How Endoscopic Rhizotomy Works
Once the precise area of nerve impingement or damage has been pinpointed, the surgeon selectively ablates the pain-causing nerve fibers by cutting them with a special retractor designed to fit inside the endoscope’s narrow tubing. The precision of this technique minimizes damage to surrounding tissues, leaving a smaller wound that heals more quickly and easily than a large incision could.
Benefits of Endoscopic Rhizotomy for Chronic Back Pain
There are many good reasons to consider a Houston endoscopic rhizotomy for your chronic back pain. Take a look at the benefits of this approach.
- Effective pain relief: Research shows that 80 percent of rhizotomy recipients are either satisfied or very satisfied with the results. The overall one-year success rate approaches 96.7 percent.
- Minimally invasive approach: The tiny incisions and minimal tissue damage lower your risks for postoperative bleeding, infection, nerve damage, and other complications.
- Shorter recovery period: You’ll be able to return to your normal activities much more quickly than if you opted for traditional back surgery.
- Potential to avoid spinal fusion: By alleviating your pain, endoscopic rhizotomy may help you avoid a spinal fusion, a more invasive surgery that immobilizes vertebrae and permanently reduces your range of motion.
Safety and Risks
Even a relatively safe and successful procedure such as endoscopic rhizotomy comes with some risks. Potential complications or side effects include numbness, bruising, swelling, and pain at the incision sites. To optimize your odds of a trouble-free procedure, choose a Houston orthopedic surgery center that specializes in this type of work.
Eligibility and Considerations
If you suffer from chronic pain due to spinal arthritis, degenerative disc disease, spondylitis, stenosis, or related conditions, you may be a prime candidate for endoscopic rhizotomy. However, if you are pregnant or fighting off an infection, you may need to delay the surgery or look at alternative treatment methods.
Consider a Houston Endoscopic Rhizotomy for Back Pain
As you’ve seen, endoscopic rhizotomy offers a powerful solution to chronic back pain that conservative treatment can’t address. At the same time, it can spare you the lengthy recuperation time and postoperative issues associated with more invasive surgical techniques. Consult a qualified provider today to find out whether you make a good candidate. The right procedure, performed by the right practitioner, could make all the difference in your future quality of life.
