Herniated Disk - Spinal Disk Problems Treatment in India

What Are Spinal Disk Problems?

Only a person who has experienced a damaged spinal disk understands the agony and helplessness it brings. The pain can be excruciating. Every movement seems to make it worse.

This pain is a warning signal that you should heed. If you take appropriate action, the discomfort usually stops, and the problem can be corrected.

Spinal disks are rubbery pads between the vertebrae, the specialized bones that make up the spinal column. Doctors call them intervertebral disks. Each disk is a flat, circular capsule about an inch in diameter and one-quarter inch thick. They have a tough, fibrous, outer membrane (the annulus fibrosus), and an elastic core (the nucleus pulposus).

The disks are firmly embedded between the vertebrae and are held in place by the ligaments connecting the spinal bones and the surrounding sheaths of muscle. There is really little, if any, room for disks to slip or move. The points on which the vertebrae turn and move are called facet joints, which stick out like arched wings on either side of the rear part of the vertebrae. These facet joints are separate from the discs and keep the vertebrae from bending or twisting excessively, which could damage the spinal cord and the vital network of nerves that runs through the center of the spinal canal formed by the stack of vertebra.

The disk is sometimes described as a shock absorber for the spine, which makes it sound more flexible or pliable than it really is. While the disks do separate the vertebrae and keep them from rubbing together, they are far from spring-like. In children, they are gel- or fluid-filled sacs, but they begin to solidify as part of the normal aging process. By early adulthood, the blood supply to the disk has stopped, the soft inner material has begun to harden, and the disk is less elastic. By middle age, the disks are tough and quite unyielding, with the consistency of a piece of hard rubber. These changes related to aging make the outer protect

Understanding Spinal Disk Problems --Herniated Disk

Under stress, a disk's inner material may swell, pushing through its tough outer membrane. The entire disk can  become distorted or bulge in spots. With an injury, all or part of the core material may protrude through the outer casing at a weak spot, pressing against surrounding nerves. If further activity or injury causes the membrane to rupture or tear, the disk material may further extrude, causing pressure on the spinal cord or the nerves that radiate from it. This may result in extreme pain. In the beginning, there may be spasms in the back or neck which will greatly limit your movement. If nerves are affected, you may develop pain that moves into a leg or an arm.

Disk herniation is most often the result of a gradual, aging-related wear and tear called disk degeneration. As you age, your spinal disks lose some of their water content. That makes them less flexible and more prone to tearing or rupturing with even a minor strain or twist.

Most people can't pinpoint the exact cause of their herniated disk. Sometimes, using your back muscles instead of your leg and thigh muscles to lift large, heavy objects can lead to a herniated disk, as can twisting and turning while lifting. Rarely, a traumatic event such as a fall or a blow to the back can cause a herniated disk.

Minimally Invasive Spine Laminotomy Surgery in India 

The laminotomy procedure is a minimally invasive endoscopic surgery carried out on an out patient basis.Laminotomy is a surgical procedure that helps to decompress the spinal cord or the spinal nerves that emerge from the vertebral column. It is done with aim of removing any structure that narrows the spinal canal and free the entrapped nerves.

In this procedure a small incision is made in the lamina as opposed to laminectomy where the entire lamina is removed. As a result laminotomy procedure decompresses the spinal cord without compromising with the spinal stability.

When is  Laminectomy recommended ?

Laminectomy is recommended when one or more of the following symptoms and disorders that affect the lower back are seen in the body:

• ·         Ankylosing spondylitis
• ·         Degenerative disc disease
• ·         Herniated disc
• ·         Sciatica
• ·         Spinal stenosis
• ·         Spondylosis (also known as spinal osteoarthritis)

How does the procedure work?

Laminectomy is performed under general anesthesia, in this the patient is usually positioned lying on the side or stomach. Then a small straight incision is made over the damaged vertebra. And then a retractor is used to spread apart the muscles and the fatty tissues covering the spine. When the laminae have been reached, the bony arch is cut in order to get to the ligamentum flavum (which is a band of yellow tissue attached to the vertebra that helps to support the spinal column). Thereby an opening is made in the ligamentum flavum to reach the spinal canal and then to the compressed nerve. At this point the cause of compression will be visible (that may be a herniated disk, tumour, fragmented disk etc) which is then rectified. This Surgery is completed in one to three hours.

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