Laser Spine Surgery: alternative to spinal fusion

Today, patients have many choices for the treatment of chronic back pain. These options range from simple conservative measures such as rest to very invasive procedures such as spinal fusion.

Initially, most patients seek out the less aggressive treatments for obvious reasons. Whether it is physical therapy or pain injections, numerous patients are successfully treated in the United States every year.

Patients who do not respond positively to physical therapy or epidural steroid injections frequently seek out other care. It is at this point that many patients are referred to an orthopedic spine surgeon or a neurosurgeon for a consultation and many times receive the difficult news that they need a fusion.

However, there are minimally invasive alternatives to spine fusion that have provided relief to thousands of patients. For example, Celling Treatment Centers (www.cellingtreatmentcenters.com) in Austin, Texas, provides minimally invasive alternatives to spine fusion for patients with chronic low back pain. These procedures can help patients avoid the potential severe complications and need for future surgery associated with spine fusion.

The minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures do not require the large incisions and metal screws and rods associated with a spinal fusion and the recovery is typically days/weeks rather than months/years.

Most patients undergo pre-operative testing so that all sources of pain are addressed in a single setting. Together with the use of a patient's own stem cells, these minimally invasive spine surgery provides a more biologic and less invasive approach.

The quick relief obtained and the short recovery period after minimally invasive spine surgery has been a reasonable alternative to the lengthy and painful recovery from a spinal fusion for many patients.

Prior to advances in minimally invasive spine surgery, there were few options for painful conditions of the spine other than a fusion. However, today there are options and spinal fusion is no longer a first line treatment.

Modern minimally invasive and laser spine techniques allow for management of even the most complex of spinal problems. These techniques take years of experience to master. That is why there are few centers such as Celling Treatment Centers across the country.

Most of these specialized spine centers offer free reviews of imaging studies, such as MRI scans as a cost-effective way for persons with back pain to determine if they are a candidate for one of the procedures.