Severe back pain is something that nobody wishes to deal with, but some people unfortunately can’t get around or avoid. Previously a burden that was nearly impossible for people to deal with, and often would require surgery to fix. These issues often had great disadvantages, with huge drawbacks such as long surgery and recovery times. Traditional spine surgery would involve making large incisions and dissecting spinal muscles in order to access the spine enough to allow for the procedure to be undergone
Furthermore, the results of spinal fusion would often result in reduced movement due to patients’ spines, and in worse cases, some could grow vulnerable to diseases that made further surgery difficult. These factors made spinal surgery an incredible ordeal to go through, with lasting consequences that come with your spine being fixed.
How Motion Preservation Devices Make A Difference
However, with technological progress, there have been several advancements in design for how doctors perform spinal surgery, to the point where most of the previous disadvantages are now minimal issues. One of the most notable changes is the use of motion preservation devices. Used in opposition to traditional spinal fusion, these machines are rapidly becoming mainstream in how spinal surgery is conducted. Understanding how motion preservation devices work is fundamental to understanding the quality care and detailed treatments they can do.
Motion preservation devices can typically be divided into three categories. First are interspinous process spacers, which open muscles so that nerve endings are moved from the spinal region towards the legs, thus reducing pain and lessening activity restrictions. Next are posterior dynamic stabilization devices, which are somewhat comparable to having an internal brace on your spine and meant to treat people with degenerative disc disease in combination with spinal fusion. Finally, facet replacement and total element replacement devices address facet pain or lumbar spinal stenosis, with the former replacing the facet joints in the spine and the latter replacing the back of your spine entirely.
Each of these devices work under similar treatment goals: being used in minimally invasive surgeries that minimize the time spent in surgery, the time spent in recovery, and the area operated on, among other things, all while preserving as much movement in the spine as possible.
In addition, these devices also allow for maintenance of your normal postures without affecting your spine curve, and with the posterior stabilization devices, if they do not work correctly the first time they are easy to salvage and revise. With these various functions and great advantages, it is easy to see why these devices have become so prominent in modern spinal surgery practices.
Spinal surgery is just one of the many medical practices that has changed for the better over the years, and motion preservation devices are a big factor in that growth. With their variety of functions and numerous advantages, they are a medical breakthrough not just for spine surgery, but surgery as a whole. They have lessened patients’ burdens and made things easier for surgeons, thus showing how important they really can be.
If you or someone you know is facing any spinal issues that might need professional examination and assistance, Alliance Orthopedics is ready to provide quality care to you. With highly skilled specialists here in New Jersey such as world-renowned Dr. Alok Sharan, our Director of Spine and Orthopedics in Matawan, New Jersey. Using a combination of physical therapy and chiropractic (among other techniques), our large staff body has the professional experience and credentials to back up what they can do. We can help you find the recovery methods that you need, and we are fully dedicated to helping you get better faster. For more information on what we can do for you, feel free to contact us at any of our main offices. We look forward to hearing from you!