Gone are the days when you had to choose between one of the few available treatment options for your disc disease or back pain. The main “default” solution used to be spinal fusion surgery, in which the injured or degenerated disc was removed altogether, and the adjacent vertebrae had to fuse together in order to alleviate your spine problem.
Spinal fusion is still performed to treat many cases of back pain, but it is no longer the main solution to fix a damaged disc issue. The artificial disc received first approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006, and today it is one of the most revolutionary advancements in spine surgery and back pain treatment.
An artificial disc is a prosthetic disc that is made of bio-grade metal and plastic, and your spine surgeon may recommend this treatment if a damaged disc is what is causing your back pain or lack of movability in your spine. If conservative treatments and physical therapy have failed to provide relief from your chronic back pain or neck pain, then removal of your damaged disc and replacement with an artificial disc may be the answer.
Let’s talk about why your spine surgeon may recommend that you have an artificial disc implanted into your spine, and where you can go in Lone Tree, Colorado Springs, Parker, Castle Rock, and Centennial for world-class spine surgery and lasting relief from your back pain.
To Heal Pain in the Lumbar, Thoracic, or Cervical Spine
If you have degenerative disc disease that is causing pain in your lumbar spine (low back), thoracic spine (mid-back), or cervical spine (neck), an artificial disc can help alleviate this pain. Your damaged disc is now not performing its complete job of cushioning the vertebrae, preventing them from rubbing together while also supporting the spinal cord – so a new replacement disc will serve this purpose.
To Alleviate Disc Damage Without Fusion Surgery
Thanks to artificial disc replacement as an alternative to spinal fusion surgery, you no longer run the risk of certain complications. In a fusion, two or more adjacent vertebrae in the spine are fused together and locked in place. However, this puts extra pressure on the vertebrae and discs that are located above and below the fused vertebrae in the spine, because movement is nonexistent in the fused section. When you twist your back, the sections above and below the fused area do the work, rather than the whole spine working together.
Replacing a damaged disc with an artificial disc retains the normal functionality of your original spinal disc. The whole spine works together as it should. The components of your artificial disc are designed to withstand rotational forces and stress for an extended period of time, just like a natural disc would.
To Treat Back Pain and Neck Pain Without Painful Disc Treatments
The artificial disc has various benefits, including:
- No bone grafting is necessary in artificial disc replacement surgery as it normally is in fusion surgery.
- Artificial disc replacement is less painful during recovery than after fusion surgery.
- A prosthetic disc enables normal movement in that section of the spine, unlike after fusion surgery where movement is permanently halted.
- There is less blood loss during artificial disc replacement surgery than in a spinal fusion.
- Recovery is quicker than after other forms of spine surgery.
Artificial Disc Replacement in Denver and Colorado Springs, CO
If you have severe back pain or neck pain and conventional treatments have failed to relieve your pain, look no further than Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery. Your spine surgeon will evaluate your spine condition and determine whether you are a suitable candidate for spine surgery, or if a different treatment would work well in your case.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation, contact our friendly staff today by calling us at (303) 790-1800 or by filling out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to helping you regain your spine health!
