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Back Pain - September '07
Relieving back pain without surgery
Hassan Semaan, MD
In recent years, modern medicine has tremendously improved the quality of life for people struggling with back pain. “Living with back pain can cause breathing complications and often results in an inactive lifestyle, which may lead to some psychological concerns as well,” says Hassan Semaan, MD, neuroradiologist and assistant professor at The University of Toledo Medical Center.
That’s why the UT Medical Center has formed a comprehensive spine care team to treat patients with the latest techniques and treatments. The team also strives to treat each patient with the most conservative methods before resorting to spine surgery. Dr. Semaan explains that there are several interventions for back pain, so patients don’t have to live their life around severe discomfort. “Our most common pain management interventions include kyphoplasty, vertebroplasty, nerve blocks and epidural injections,” he says.
Treating fractures to the spine
According to Dr. Semaan, compression fractures to the spine put a person in excruciating and debilitating pain. “Pain is the body’s way of protecting the nervous system in cases of fracture and we are able to stop it by stabilizing the fracture,” he says. Fractures often result from osteoporosis, which is a softening of the bones due to aging. Some forms of cancer can also cause the vertebrae to weaken and collapse. Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are two procedures recommended for compression fractures.
Kyphoplasty – The latest minimally invasive procedure to alleviate painful compression fractures. The fractured bone is drilled to create a channel. A balloon is inserted into the channel and inflated to raise the collapsed bones on each side. As the balloon is removed, bone cement is inserted to hold the vertebrae in place. Kyphoplasty can restore the patient’s height, minimize deformity and relieve pain. It is commonly used to treat fractures from osteoporosis.
Vertebroplasty – A minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure that injects bone cement into the cracks of broken vertebrae. The cement hardens in the cracks and stabilizes the spine to reduce pain. Most patients are able to leave the hospital within a few hours following the procedure. Vertebroplasty is often used in younger patients with fractures that occurred within the last six months.
Treating nerve damage and irritation
Nerves originate in the spine and travel to other areas of the body, such as an arm or leg. They have branches that reach to different muscles and skin throughout the body. One common condition is a pinched or irritated nerve due to back injury or aging.
According to Dr. Semaan, epidural injections and nerve blocks are some of the most effective treatments for relieving back pain and treating pinched or irritated nerves.
Epidural injections – A needle is inserted into the spinal canal and a low-dose steroid is injected as close to the nerves as possible without causing damage. By injecting the medication closer to the nerve, Dr. Semaan says the steroid dosage can be lower, minimizing the negative side effects of steroids. “Most patients can have an improved quality of life with only one injection a year,” he says. “People with pain from more than one nerve distribution are the best candidates for epidural injections.”
Nerve Blocks – Nerve blocks are similar to epidural injections, although they inject the medication outside of the spinal canal instead of inside the canal near the nerve root. “Patients with pain from only one nerve are the best candidates for nerve blocks,” says Dr. Semaan.
UT Medical Center has a superior comprehensive care team with a highly trained, dedicated group of neurosurgeons and spinal surgeons. “We work as a team to provide the best outcomes for each patient,” says Dr. Semaan. “Since we are a teaching institution, we can go the distance to benefit our patients.”
For more information on UT Medical Center’s comprehensive imaging and radiology services, call 877-451-2299.
