How does a spine problem arise?
There are many reasons for spine problems. Notable among those are lifestyle related, structural weakness in disc & medical issues.
Can all back pains and neck pains caused due to spine?
Not all problems are related to spine. Significant number are due to poor musculoskeletal related i.e weak muscles. Most of them get aggravated because of postural and poor lifestyle.
Does posture contributes to back and spine problems?
The strength of your muscles and back pain depends a lot on how one sits and stands. An hunched forward position while sitting or walking with a stoop can cause severe stress over a period of time on your back muscles. This eventually can lead to spine problems.
Can Osteoporosis impact the spine?
Yes. In most cases, the impact of osteoporosis is not felt immediately and therefore goes undetected. One of the common indication of osteoporosis is a bone fracture. These typically happen in places where the body carries lot of stress like spine, hips or wrists. Since the vertebrae gets compressed, spine fractures can happen without any notice. These type of fractures can potentially cause neurological damage to the spinal nerves.
Can spine problems be medically treated?
A lot of medical management options do exist such as exercise, physiotherapy, injections, medications among others are available. In most cases, painkillers are usually given to help deal with pain. However Painkillers have side effects like acidity, renal failure, blood sugar imbalance among others if they are taken for a long time. That is the reason why, painkillers should be used very sparingly.
How long does a patient with spine problems wait before
going for surgery?
At KIMS Hospitals, depending on the severity of the case, we try out various approaches before suggesting surgery. A combined approach of physiotherapy, epidural & root block injections along with anti-inflammation tablets. Only when all these methods are tried and do not work, we look at surgical options.
Can a person after a spine surgery lead a normal
lifestyle?
At KIMS Hospitals, we do minimally invasive surgeries. This helps the surgeon get access to the damaged disc or vertebrae without harming the nearby muscles or tissues. It helps to minimise any disruptions to his normal routine and he gets back to his normal life at the earliest. Other benefits include recovery period being quicker and post-operative period is not painful for the patient.
Is spine surgery risky?
Any surgery carries some amount of risk. They include minor complications to issues like non resolution of the problem. However, with advanced technology at the disposal of the surgeon today, the benefits far outweigh the risks involved.
Dr. Manas Kumar Panigrah,
Sr. Consultant Neurosurgery
KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad