Back pain is the number one cause of missed workdays, but the reality is that back pain doesn’t just affect your career 一 it affects every aspect of your life. And that’s where the pain management specialists at LA Pain Doctor come in. Dr. Firas Hijazi and Dr. Satvik Munshi are experts when it comes to helping patients in Metairie, LaPlace, Harvey, and New Orleans, Louisiana find relief from back pain.
Depending on the source of your back pain, there are many therapies available, including medications, joint injections, nerve blocks, physical therapy, and lifestyle modification guidance.
In this blog, we take a deeper look at one potential treatment for nerve pain in your back: kyphoplasty.
There are many reasons why your back might hurt. Muscle strains, herniated discs, and compression fractures are just a few examples of factors that may contribute to back pain. Pinpointing the source of the pain is key when shaping a treatment plan. For example, muscle strains and compression fractures both cause pain, but they respond to different treatments.
Compression fractures can lead to nerve pain. When compression fractures occur, you’re more likely to see kyphosis (a hunch in your back) as the height between vertebrae decreases, but that’s not the only symptom. Compression fractures can lead to nerve pain if the compressed vertebrae put pressure on your nerves. This can lead to sharp shooting pain, tingling in your arms and/or legs, numbness, lower back pain, and 一 in severe cases of nerve damage 一 bladder or bowel leakage.
Kyphoplasty is a procedure designed to treat compression fractures and the nerve pain that results from those fractures. Kyphoplasty stabilizes the affected part of your spine and reduces the pressure on your nerves by restoring the space between the affected vertebrae.
During the procedure, your LA Pain Doctor provider carefully inserts a special needle near the affected vertebrae using the guidance of an X-ray. Once the needle is in position, we insert a medical balloon and inflate it slowly. As the balloon is inflated, it gently lifts your vibrate to its proper height. Once the space between vertebrae is restored, special cement is inserted for added stability.
Kyphoplasty provides many benefits including:
Although the procedure is quick and most people find relief soon after the procedure, Dr. Hijazi and Dr. Munshi continue to guide you through your healing process (and provide all post-treatment instructions) so that your recovery is as smooth as possible.
Don’t let nerve pain keep you from living the life you want. To learn more about how kyphoplasty relieves nerve pain, contact one of our six Louisiana offices or request an appointment online.
