In the beginning of winter, the weather is cold, and there are more and more patients with lumbar disc herniation.
Lumbar disc herniation has now become a disease known to women and children. Although I have written a lot of articles about the disease in popular science before, there are still many friends in the message area and backstage private messages who are still consulting about the disease. It can be seen that most people actually don’t understand how this disease occurs and what it should be. How to treat.
Today, let's continue to talk about: lumbar disc herniation.
In fact, the so-called intervertebral disc is actually a round soft cushion located between the two bones of the spine. It can act like a shock absorber, so that when you bend and twist, the two bones will not rub against each other, and play a buffering role.
When one of the intervertebral discs is squeezed out from the middle of the bone by pressure and breaks through the outer ligament, it can compress the nerves in the spine, causing pain, numbness and weakness in the lower back and legs.
Generally, less severe disc herniation can be relieved by rest, oral pain medication, and physical therapy. However, if the symptoms persist for a few months and still do not get better, it may be more serious, and surgery is required. Compared with other treatments, surgery can relieve pain faster, but there may also be some complications and surgical risks.
1. Who may need surgery?
Of course, first of all, the patient's own physical condition is better, at least able to withstand the operation and anesthesia, and if you have the following conditions, you can consider surgery:
(1) feel unbearable pain, so that you can't move around at will Or perform daily activities
(2) feel numbness or weakness of limbs due to nerve compression
(3) control of the bladder and rectum is weakened so that incontinence occurs
(4) it is difficult to stand and walk
z2 Can I choose surgery?
In fact, the purpose of surgery for patients with lumbar disc herniation is mainly to eliminate the compression of the nerves from the herniated disc, thereby reducing the patient's pain. The current main surgical methods are:
(1) Discectomy
During this operation, the surgeon will remove the damaged intervertebral disc to reduce nerve compression. He can perform the operation in the following ways:
1) cut a large incision. Open discectomy is performed by cutting the lumbar back and removing the disc under direct vision.
2) Minimally invasive. This is done through a much smaller incision. A thin tube is inserted into a small incision on the back and a camera is inserted to view and remove the damaged disc.
(2) Laminectomy + discectomy
Sometimes, the surgeon also needs to remove a small piece of bone from the vertebra, called the lamina. Lamina formation covers and protects the spinal cord, and removing all or part of it helps the surgeon reach your herniated disc. It can also reduce nerve pressure, relieve leg pain and sciatica.
1) Laminectomy can remove only part of the lamina.
2) Laminectomy can also remove most or all of the lamina.
can also remove the intervertebral disc at the same time as the lamina is removed, or you can perform two operations to remove the lamina and the intervertebral disc separately. However, due to varying degrees of influence on the stability of the spine, spinal fusion fixation may be required.
(3) Spinal fusion
After a discectomy or laminectomy, the surgeon may fix the two vertebrae at both ends of the disc with a steel plate to make your spine more stable. This is called spinal fusion. Surgery. The fusion will stop the spine from moving to prevent you from suffering any more pain.
(4) Artificial intervertebral disc surgery
Only a few people can perform artificial intervertebral disc surgery, because only a few intervertebral discs in the lower waist can do such an operation. The doctor will use a false intervertebral disc made of plastic or metalReplace damaged intervertebral discs. The new disc will help keep your spine stable and make you move more easily.
3. What are the risks of surgery?
Intervertebral disc herniation surgery is usually safe. Risks are rare, but any operation has some risks, including:
zzzz33 There is a small chance that the surgery will not improve your symptoms. However, it is possible that the pain may be temporarily relieved and then recur within a period of time.(1) incision infection
(2) damage to nerves or blood vessels
(3) new problems with intervertebral discs
(4) cerebrospinal fluid leakage zz
surgery can free most people with intervertebral disc herniation from pain and other symptoms, but it is not suitable for everyone. In about 5% of cases, the intervertebral disc may protrude again.
Although surgery provides faster relief than other therapies, it is not always the best option. Before deciding on treatment, it must undergo a detailed examination and physical examination by an orthopedic doctor to choose the best treatment plan.
4, postoperative attention to
intervertebral disc herniation surgery is usually very effective and faster than other treatments. Within a few weeks after the operation, you should begin to experience improvement in symptoms such as pain, weakness, and numbness.
Physical therapy or rehabilitation therapy can help patients recover faster. You can go to a rehabilitation center or exercise at home. Walking can also help you restore the motor function of the spine. But in the first few weeks after the operation, please be careful not to:
(1) lift heavy objects; (2) sit for a long time; (3) bend or stretch too much
The doctor will tell you when you can drive, go back to work, and do other things. Daily affairs. If everything goes well, you should be able to work within 2 to 4 weeks. If you must lift heavy objects or use large machines at work, you may have to wait 6 to 8 weeks.
