Bone spur surgery in the spine is one of the potential treatment options for people suffering from common excess bone growths, also known as osteophytes. Bone spurs in the neck or back can be caused by a number of factors, including aging, arthritis, disc degeneration, traumatic injury, poor posture, overuse, and more. While bone spurs by themselves are not harmful and can occur in many places in the body, spurs have the potential to be problematic, particularly spine bone spurs. That’s because bone spurs anywhere on the spinal column can possibly impinge on a nerve or another bone, which can lead to intense neck or back pain and other negative side effects, such as weakness in the extremities, numbness, restricted movement, radiating arm and leg pain, and in some cases, disability.
If osteophytes have grown to the point where they are causing you pain or other problems, there are a number of bone spur treatment options your physician may recommend. Some are as basic as rest, weight loss, exercise, physical therapy, cortisone injections, or medications, such as anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, and pain relievers. In some cases, however, bone spur surgery is a potential option. Laser Spine Institute is proud to offer our patients with the most advanced endoscopic procedures available for dealing with this issue:
- Foraminotomy – This procedure is designed to reduce pressure on nerves that are being compressed by the intervertebral foramen, the area in the vertebra where a nerve root leaves the spinal cord. Bone spurs can be a possible cause of this pressure, and foraminotomy can enlarge the passage through which the nerve exits the spinal cord.
- Laminotomy – This procedure increases the amount of space available for the neural tissue, releasing the nerve(s) and relieving pressure the spinal cord and/or spinal nerve root.
Traditionally, bone spur surgery options have been invasive, open back procedures that have often left patients with potentially lengthy, painful recovery processes and higher infection rates; however, the innovative, minimally invasive procedures performed at Laser Spine Institute – including bone spur surgery treatments such as foraminotomy and laminotomy – can often provide relief from neck or back pain quickly, without as long of a recuperation period or risk of infection. Our outpatient procedures result in minimal scar tissue formation and have a very high success rate. For a complimentary MRI or CT scan review, or to learn more about our state-of-the-art bone spur surgery procedures, surgical centers, and streamlined patient experience, contact us today.
