Is The Nucleoplasty Procedure Effective for Low Back Pain?
Degenerative disc disease patients mostly get better without the need for interventional procedures or spine surgery. This article provides an overview of the nucleoplasty procedure for degenerative disc problems in individuals suffering with back pain alone or those with back pain along with radiculopathy.
Many times simply benign neglect allows the degenerative painful symptoms to get better. Other times, chiropractic treatment, physical therapy, and other aerobic exercise can improve patient symptoms.
Undergoing spine surgery for degenerative disc disease is utilized as a last resort in patients whose back and leg pain is intractable to conservative measures. Potential complications of fusion surgery include scar formation, epidural fibrosis, nerve root injury, failure to fuse, hardware failure, failure to relieve pain, infection, or failed back surgery syndrome.
A number of interventional procedures have been done over the last 2 decades to treat degenerative disc and lumbar disc herniations outside of open surgical techniques.
These have included Intra-discal electrothermal treatment (IDET), chymopapain chemonucleolysis, and nucleotomy procedures. None of these has achieved significant success though, and some have caused nerve root injury, anaphylactic reactions, or even cauda equina syndrome.
The FDA, in 2000, approved nucleoplasty with coblation technology for percutaneous disc decompression. An inner disk piece (from the nucleus) is removed and a radiofrequnecy energy is administered. This provides an excitation to the electrolytes, breaking down molecular bonds along with dissolving inner disc.
The radiofrequency energy is kept at relatively low temperatures, with the theory being that the surrounding disc tissue and end-plate cartilage is unaffected. Decreasing the pressure in the disc center relieves the chemical and mechanical factors causing pain. How much disk is removed with a nucleoplasty? About one ml, which is about ten to twenty percent.
Research has shown that new bloodflow can result after the procedure, and this could result in disc regeneration and healing.
Most studies have shown no significant complications related to nucleoplasty. There was soreness post procedure which resolved nicely and an incidence of numbness and tingling and potentially worse back pain.
Looking at all nucleoplasty studies, the successful outcomes average 62%. There is substantial debate as to whether or not nucleoplasty works well in patients with simply low back pain and no radicular component. The procedure has shown, however, that it can helpl symptoms in those suffering from discogenic back pain either with or without a radicular component.
Many times simply benign neglect allows the degenerative painful symptoms to get better. Other times, chiropractic treatment, physical therapy, and other aerobic exercise can improve patient symptoms.
Undergoing spine surgery for degenerative disc disease is utilized as a last resort in patients whose back and leg pain is intractable to conservative measures. Potential complications of fusion surgery include scar formation, epidural fibrosis, nerve root injury, failure to fuse, hardware failure, failure to relieve pain, infection, or failed back surgery syndrome.
A number of interventional procedures have been done over the last 2 decades to treat degenerative disc and lumbar disc herniations outside of open surgical techniques.
These have included Intra-discal electrothermal treatment (IDET), chymopapain chemonucleolysis, and nucleotomy procedures. None of these has achieved significant success though, and some have caused nerve root injury, anaphylactic reactions, or even cauda equina syndrome.
The FDA, in 2000, approved nucleoplasty with coblation technology for percutaneous disc decompression. An inner disk piece (from the nucleus) is removed and a radiofrequnecy energy is administered. This provides an excitation to the electrolytes, breaking down molecular bonds along with dissolving inner disc.
The radiofrequency energy is kept at relatively low temperatures, with the theory being that the surrounding disc tissue and end-plate cartilage is unaffected. Decreasing the pressure in the disc center relieves the chemical and mechanical factors causing pain. How much disk is removed with a nucleoplasty? About one ml, which is about ten to twenty percent.
Research has shown that new bloodflow can result after the procedure, and this could result in disc regeneration and healing.
Most studies have shown no significant complications related to nucleoplasty. There was soreness post procedure which resolved nicely and an incidence of numbness and tingling and potentially worse back pain.
Looking at all nucleoplasty studies, the successful outcomes average 62%. There is substantial debate as to whether or not nucleoplasty works well in patients with simply low back pain and no radicular component. The procedure has shown, however, that it can helpl symptoms in those suffering from discogenic back pain either with or without a radicular component.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about our AZ Pain Center, then visit Preferred Pain's site on how to choose the best Phoenix chiropractors for your needs.
