Spine treatment

Elderly patients who are osteoporotic (where the bones are softer) are prone to getting a spine fracture from a trivial fall. Patients can be treated with medications and sometimes a brace.

Slipped disc can also occur in the neck. In young patients with a slipped disc in the neck causing compression of the nerves, the offending disc can be removed and an artificial disc can be inserted to restore movement of the neck.

A slipped disc occurs when the cushion between the bones (vertebrae) slips out of its usual confines. Often, there is no need for surgical treatment. If the disc compresses the nerves in the spine, surgery for slipped disc may sometimes be required to free the nerve (decompression).

Nerves in the spine may be compressed for a variety of reasons. Often the treatment for this is non-surgical comprising of medications and physiotherapy. Should the symptoms or signs not improve, spinal surgery may be required to free (decompress) the nerve or nerves.

In cases where we need to perform a spinal operation, it can be done using minimally invasive (keyhole) techniques in order to decrease post-operative pain, quicken recovery and shorten the hospital stay. A number of spine surgeries and procedures are suitable for this to the benefit of the patient.

An injection done under X-ray guidance may sometimes be done for the treatment of spinal problems such as pain in the lumbar spine, neck pain or radicular pain (pain down the arm or leg originating from the spine). In certain instances, a spinal injection may sometimes give additional information so that targeted treatment of the spine can be done. Patients are usually discharged a few hours after the spinal injection procedure.

Successful treatment of a spine problem first and foremost depends on an accurate diagnosis. From a thorough clinical history and examination with adjunct investigations, we ensure the right diagnosis is made. Conditions of the sacroiliac joint or the hips may sometimes mimic a spine condition.