Lower back pain is the second most common reason Americans see their health care providers, behind only colds or the flu. Because low-back pain is so common, because it can be caused by quite a number of factors, and because it can involve a lengthy rehabilitation, the Orthopaedic Spine Program at Chester County Hospital takes a conservative approach with its treatment plans. Surgery, in fact, rarely enters the equation; certainly not until multiple other options are explored.
"If there’s a good explanation for the back pain -— you overworked it or you lifted something too heavy -—and there’s no numbness or tingling, it’s fair to give it a week or two of rest and to treat it with heating pads and ibuprofen" says Mark E. Tantorski, DO, an orthopaedic surgeon at Chester County Hospital with Premier Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Associates. "If it’s not better by then, or you start experiencing numbness and tingling, see your doctor."
Expect your doctor to take a thorough history and conduct a physical exam. "I may get some X-rays as well to get a sense of the structural anatomy," adds Dr. Tantorski. "For the short-term, I’d recommend activity modification."
You doctor will also discuss anti-inflammatory medications, and he may refer you to a physical therapist. Aside from the underlying structural source of your pain, there’s probably an inflamed muscle, which physical therapy would help to "calm down."
"The overwhelming majority of the time, these scenarios are treated non-operatively," Tantorski says. Even when surgery becomes the clear choice, "conservative management" of the pain is recommended first for a few weeks or even months.
However, a back injury sustained in a more traumatic event, like a car accident or a fall from any significant height, necessitates immediate attention. The rare instances where back surgery becomes a more immediate consideration are prompted by serious nerve problems that cause functional neurologic symptoms, such as leg weakness and bladder and bowel incontinence. Then, your doctor would order advanced imaging, such as an MRI, before proceeding with treatment.
New Technology, Improved Recovery Time
Minimally-invasive is a phrase that’s used today to describe a lot of invasive-sounding procedures involving the spine. So what exactly qualifies as minimally invasive? "Any specialized technique that’s been demonstrated to result in less blood loss, a shorter length of stay in the hospital, and a faster recovery than traditional surgery," Tantorski says.
An integral tool in the hospital's ability to provide a number of minimally-invasive procedures is a sophisticated machine called the O-Arm™ Surgical Imaging System, which functions in two parts. An intra-operative CT scan produces detailed images of the spine and surrounding anatomy down to a millimeter of accuracy. And a computer navigation system enables spinal implants to be placed through smaller incisions many times on the patient's side with more precision and greater safety.
The spine specialists at Chester County Hospital use the O-Arm for almost every spinal fusion surgery they perform. That kind of commitment to treating the entire spectrum of spine disorders through the most efficient and effective means possible defines the Orthopaedic Spine Program at Chester County Hospital.
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