Nicholas Post, M.D. FAANS, a board-certified neurosurgeon has joined the NY Spine Institute medical staff. NYSI is now the only private practice on Long Island to offer true comprehensive spinal care spanning spine-specific and general orthopedics, neurosurgery, physical therapy, and pain management subspecialties for patients with acute, chronic, or debilitating orthopedic or complex spine and brain conditions.
Spinal neurosurgery procedures can be a path toward a more comfortable life for patients living with acute and chronic back pain. The New York Spine Institute (NYSI) doctors use numerous neurosurgery procedures to address back pain. Learn more about the conditions that cause chronic back pain and the spinal neurosurgery procedures that can help.
Conditions Linked to Chronic Back Pain
Living with chronic back pain is uncomfortable, especially without treatment. Determining the proper remedy requires an understanding of the pain’s source. Some of the conditions commonly linked with chronic back pain are:
Arthritis: Osteoarthritis often occurs in the lower back and can cause spinal cord compression.
Degenerative disk disease: The protective disks between vertebrae may shrink over time, destabilizing the spine and causing pain.
Herniated disks: Abrupt movement or gradual wear and tear may cause bulging or ruptured disks.
Osteoporosis: Vertebrae may become brittle over time, increasing the risk of fractures.
Sciatica: Herniated disks and spinal stenosis can irritate the sciatic nerve, causing pain in the lower back and legs
Skeletal abnormalities: Conditions like scoliosis, or spinal curvature, can affect posture and cause pain, numbness or weakness.
Spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal happens over time, most often in older patients with osteoporosis or scoliosis.
Types of Back and Spine Treatments
Neurosurgeons use numerous procedures to manage chronic back pain. Some may recommend neurosurgery for back pain, but there are also minimally invasive outpatient options.
Here are some of the most common back and spine treatments:
Cervical or lumbar discectomy: A minimally invasive procedure where the surgeon removes a herniated disk to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Spinal fusion: A traditional surgery where the surgeon fuses vertebrae to stabilize the spine to treat scoliosis, spinal stenosis, arthritis or a herniated disk.
Laminectomy: Removing a segment of a lumbar vertebra to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or sciatic nerve. Microlaminectomy is a minimally invasive version of this treatment
Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty: Minimally invasive treatments that reduce spinal compression from osteoporosis by adding a substance that forms a buffer between vertebrae
Artificial disk replacement: An artificial cervical or lumbar vertebra can relieve pain caused by degenerative disk disease or a spinal injury
Do You Need a Neurosurgeon?
NYSI can connect you with an experienced neurosurgeon for back pain. Request an appointment to see how we can help.
