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Bone spur surgery is a procedure that aims to physically remove the bone tissue that is causing discomfort. However, this treatment will only be offered after conservative methods have been exhausted and an acceptable quality of life has still not been attained. Before bone spur surgery is recommended to a patient, he or she will likely have tried a regimen that includes some combination of the following methods:
- Pain medication - prescription or over the counter
- Anti-inflammatory medicines
- Rest
- Spinal decompression
- Stretching
- Alternating heat and ice on the affected areas
- Epidural cortisone shots
- Physical therapy
- More
Types of Bone Spur Surgery
There are two main options for bone spur surgery: open back or neck and endoscopic. While both essentially aim to do the same thing - eliminate the source of pain and other symptoms - they do so in very different ways. For example, open back and neck surgery requires a long incision and the cutting of muscle so that surgeons can reach the spine and treat the condition with traditional, hand-held instruments. However, endoscopic procedures allow for a much shorter incision, just a few centimeters long, because they utilize tiny, specialized tools, including a camera, that are fed through a tiny tube to the procedure site. This strategy allows the surgeons to see the spine and treat the condition without having to "open up" the back.
For more information on minimally invasive surgery for bone spurs, or to discuss all your treatment options with one of our spine doctors after they review your MRI or CT scan free of charge, contact Laser Spine Institute.