Back Pain Relief

If you suffer from chronic back pain, you should know that Lakewood Ranch Medical Center in Bradenton now offers a procedure called mild, for minimally invasive lumbar decompression that may be able to help. It's an effective, minimally invasive procedure for treating Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS). The mild procedure can usually be performed on an outpatient basis. Most patients can go home the same day and resume normal activities in just a few days.

What is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?

Your spine not only supports your back and body, it also protects your spinal cord, the bundle of nerves that runs from your brain to your lower body. A bony channel that is called the spinal canal encloses your spinal cord.

As we age, ligaments and bones outside the spinal canal may thicken and begin to press on the spinal canal, causing it to narrow. That narrowing is called spinal stenosis and can lead to pain, numbness and disability as the spinal cord is compressed or pinched. When this narrowing takes place in the lower part of the spine, it is called lumbar spinal stenosis, or LSS.

Treatment Options for LSS

Nonsurgical options for treating LSS include medication, rest and physical therapy. However, nonsurgical options do not correct the source of back pain but instead are used to give temporary relief.

Surgery is usually required to obtain a more permanent solution for patients who have LSS. Traditional surgery is an invasive procedure that requires a long incision in the patient's back, and may involve long hospital stays and lengthy recovery periods.

The mild procedure, developed by Vertos Medical, provides a less invasive option that allows surgeons to operate through a small incision. The potential benefits of the mild procedure include:

Reduced chance of infection and other complications often associated with major back surgery
Minimal discomfort during surgery, with most procedures done under local anesthesia
Shorter hospital stays — usually one day at the most
Reduced recovery time versus other more invasive surgical options
May prevent or delay the need for more invasive surgical interventions

More Information

Learn more about the Vertos Medical's mild procedure how it can help you.

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