Minimally Invasive Therapies

Spinal cord stimulation is a form of neuromodulation therapy, which has been used by doctors for more than 50 years to help manage chronic pain. A spinal cord stimulator is a device that sends low levels of electricity into the spinal cord to alleviate pain. Recent advancements in this area offer patients a greater chance of significant pain relief. If your current treatment plan isn’t working, or if you’re experiencing side effects, it may be time to consider a spinal cord stimulator as a pain-relief option. If it is determined that you are a good candidate for neurostimulation, the first step is a trial using a temporary system. The trial will typically last 5-7 days and can help determine if a stimulator is right for you. A spinal cord stimulator can be used when other nonsurgical or surgical therapies have failed. Neuromodulation is often used to treat conditions such as back pain, radicular pain, neuropathy, post-surgical pain, amputation pain, pain after a spinal cord injury, peripheral vascular syndrome, and chronic regional pain syndrome. Talk to your doctor to see if this life-changing therapy is right for you.

Like spinal cord stimulators, dorsal root ganglion stimulators use low doses of electricity to alter pain signals. Dorsal root ganglion stimulators target a very specific nerve bundle known as the dorsal root ganglion. These cells are associated with the nerves that carry sensory information from distinct areas of the body to the spinal cord. By targeting these nerve bundles, physicians are able to offer relief for otherwise difficult-to-treat conditions. Such conditions include chronic regional pain syndrome, pain following total knee replacement, pelvic pain, foot pain, and pain following hernia surgery. Newer studies have shown its efficacy in the treatment of lower back pain as well. Talk to your doctor to see if this life-changing therapy is right for you.

If you have suffered a painful compression fracture of the spine, we can treat it with vertebral augmentation, using either vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. Spinal compression fractures are common among patients with osteoporosis.

• Vertebroplasty – Using imaging guidance, bone cement is injected into the fractured vertebra to fuse bone fragments together to help alleviate any pain the fragments may be causing, as well as to strengthen the spine.
• Kyphoplasty – A special needle is used to insert a small balloon into the fractured vertebra, which is then inflated to create a cavity in the bone. This cavity is then filled with a thicker bone cement under lower pressure than is used in vertebroplasty. Kyphoplasty has all the benefits of vertebroplasty, plus it can restore vertebral height – which can help prevent deformity of the spine as well as help alleviate pain caused by bone-on-bone friction or compressed nerves.

The sooner either of these spinal treatments are performed after a compression fracture, the more successful each is likely to be.

The Vertiflex procedure is a treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) – or the narrowing of the spinal canal in the area of the low back. LSS is a degenerative “wear and tear” condition that worsens with age. LSS puts pressure on the spinal cord and may result in pain, numbness, or tingling in your low back, legs, or buttocks. LSS can make it difficult to stand or walk for any length of time. Patients will often complain that their legs feel heavy when they try to walk. Notably, LSS is alleviated when a patient leans forward, sits down, or ambulates with a shopping cart.

Only a small incision is necessary for the Vertiflex procedure. During this procedure, fluoroscopy is used to insert a spacer between the affected levels of your spine. This device will alleviate nerve compression, therefore reducing pain and restoring power to your lower extremities. Over the course of a five-year study, 80% of patients had maintained more than 80% pain relief. The Vertiflex procedure is reversible, preserving the option for a future surgical intervention if necessary. Talk to your doctor to see if this life-changing therapy is right for you.

Minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD) is another quick and safe outpatient procedure used to address moderate to severe lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Only a small incision is needed for the MILD procedure, which involves removing excess ligament tissue and small pieces of bone to widen the spinal canal and relieve nerve compression. This procedure is also performed under a fluoroscope. With this therapy, patients can experience reduced pain – without the need for general anesthesia, stitches, or implants.

The MILD procedure is ideal for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis due to ligamentum flavum thickening. Talk to your doctor to see if this therapy is right for you.