Back pain treatment

Surgical treatment for pain relief

Our centre promotes high level of Orthopedics in Germany offers both conservative and surgical methods of treatment for various kinds of spinal pathologies. If necessary, doctor prescribes complex pharmacological therapy aimed at reducing inflammation, edema or excess tension. In some cases physiotherapy is prescribed: ultrasound therapy, electrophoresis, magnetic-laser therapy, as well as massage and osteopathy. Our experts use interdisciplinary approach and consider pain syndrome together with other somatic aspects.

Friedrichshafen clinic also offers microsurgical operations for any part of the spine (cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral). We use minimally invasive techniques, and our operating rooms are equipped with all the necessary equipment and microsurgical appliances for high-technology surgeries, such as microdiscectomy with minimally invasive access points, percutaneous spinal stabilization.

Our clinic’s highly-skilled neurosurgeons are experienced in minimally invasive and percutaneous surgeries, they use latest techniques in prosthetics, instrumental fixation of spinal segments and high-tech systems of spinal stabilization.

What causes back pain?

Back pain is one of the most common patient complaints in general medical practice. Some people get so used to it that back pain becomes a part of their everyday life. According to results of scientific research, 60-80% of adult population suffer from back pain. Back pain is an alerting symptom and can indicate the following pathologies:

• Osteochondrosis
• Herniated disc
• Discal hernia
• Myofascial pains
• Spondylarthrosis
• Scoliosis and other spine deformations
• Radiculopathy
• Schmorl's nodule
• Osteoporosis
• Acute malfunctions of spinal blood circulation
• Spine tumours

Needless to say that treatment of back pain should start as early as possible.

• Osteochondrosis is characterized by degenerative affection of intervertebral disk cartilage and reactive changes in adjacent vertebral bodies. Affection of intervertebral disk is a result of recurrent injury (lifting heavy things, excess static and dynamic load, falling, etc) and age-related degenerative changes.
• Discal hernia: fibrous ring situated along disk edge gets thinned and cracked; gelatinous core moves close to the cracks and result in outpouching (prolapse) or hernia (in case of fibrous ring rupture).
• Relative spinal instability is found in affected spinal segment, osteophyte of vertebral bodies (spondylosis) evolves, ligaments and interbvertebral joints are injured (spondylarthrosis). Discal hernia is often found in lower lumbar disks, less often – in lower cervical and upper lumbar ones, very rarely – in thoracic ones, also causing back pain.
• Schmorl's nodule: discal hernia in vertebral body (without affecting any surrounding tissues).
• Radiculopathy: discal hernia in posterior and posterolateral area can cause compression of spinal root (radiculopathy), spinal marrow (myelopathy) or their vessels, affection of nervous roots as a result of infectious processes (tuberculous spondylitis, spinal epidural abscess).

Treatment is chosen after back pain is thoroughly examined and diagnosed.

The following surgical operations are the most common:

Microdiscectomy / Microsurgical back pain treatment

Microsurgical removal of discal hernia through small (about 3 cm) incision by means of special mini-access systems and binocular magnifier.

Transcutaneous (percutaneous) spinal stabilization for back pain relief

Performed in case of pathological spinal hypermobility, spinal instability, simple fractures. Stabilizing systems of leading world manufacturers (Medtronic, Stryker, Synthes) are used for minimally invasive spinal fixation surgery.

Spinal canal decompression

Performed in case of stenosis (constrictions) of spinal canal in one or more levels. Advanced tool and optical magnification systems are used for spinal canal and nervous roots decompression; special implants are used to stabilize affected spinal parts.

Microsurgical removal of spinal tumour as part of oncological treatment

Microsurgical equipment and advanced surgical optical instruments allow to fully remove the tumour and, as a result, to avoid relapses.

In a number of cases we conduct advanced complex surgeries, for example, combined discal hernia removal and spinal stabilization. Modern standards of diagnostics and spinal pathology treatment, experience and high skills of our doctors secure invariably great results of spinal diseases treatment. Minimally traumatic techniques allow making your stay in in-patient department considerably shorter.

Further medical rehabilitation is performed under the care of traumatologists and orthopedists, rehabilitologists and physical therapists. We treat not only back pain but its cause. We look forward to seeing you in our spine treatment centre.