Sometimes when you have back pain, your health care provider may recommend surgery. This may sound intimidating, but many modern spinal surgery options are minimally invasive. This means there are fewer risks and shorter recovery times.
One frequently performed minimally invasive spinal surgery that helps reduce pain in the spine is a laminectomy.
What conditions can laminectomy treat?
A laminectomy is a procedure for removing a portion of the lamina in your spine. This is the part of your spine that covers the spinal canal to help protect it from harm. Your health care provider may recommend laminectomy if you have:
- Spinal stenosis — Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spinal canal grows more narrow. The spinal canal contains the roots that run through your spine. When it becomes too narrow, pressure increases on the nerves. This causes a lot of pain and can limit your range of motion.
Spinal stenosis can develop for several reasons, but it’s primarily known to be an effect of osteoarthritis. - Herniated disc — The discs between each of the vertebrates in your spine are filled with a fluid that cushions the vertebrae from friction and impact. Some injuries and conditions can cause the fluid from these discs to burst out of the lining of the disc. This is known as a herniated disc.
A herniated disc limits your range of motion and causes a lot of pain. In many cases, the cause of a herniated disc is additional pressure on the spinal canal or the disc itself. Removing a portion of the lamina can reduce this pressure. - Sciatica — Sciatica is a condition in which the nerve running from your lower back into your legs becomes inflamed. This is usually due to irritation from an increase of pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Removing a portion of the lamina can help reduce and prevent the pressure that causes sciatic nerve pain. - Bone spurs — A number of conditions like arthritis can cause the development of bone spurs in the lamina. A laminectomy can remove the portions of the lamina that have excessive growth of bone tissue.
Visit the iRISE Spine and Joint Institute for laminectomy
Do you have pain in your spine-related to pressure caused by the lamina? If your health care provider has tried treating your pain with conservative methods and they’re not working, it may be time for minimally invasive spinal surgery. Contact our team today to learn more about laminectomy or to schedule an initial appointment.