 Practice Clinic Dr. Schneiderhan |
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 Back aches - what can I do? If you suffer from spine or back pain, you will have to ask, which treatment could be the right one. We would like to show you several successful gentle procedures: the Racz-catheter, lasers and microlasers and the electrothermal therapy.
Gentle Treatment for Severe Back PainHow long does conservative treatment for back pain make sense? When is surgery necessary, and which procedure is the right one? When are minimally invasive techniques appropriate? Why is it so important to stop pain form becoming chronic? Who should I turn to, the orthopedic specialist? The neurosurgeon?Our innovative approach to treating back pain provides the answers to such questions. An interdisciplinary approach has the advantage of allowing experts from different specialties to coordinate and implement treatment as a team. In this way, the decision for a particular procedure - whether medical, surgical or minimally invasive - can be made quickly, comprehensively and competently. There's also help for people with chronic back pain and post nucleotomy syndrome (recurring pain following intervertebral disc surgery). The following procedures are especially effective against severe on-going pain. Our team of experts will advise you on the right procedure for your needs. The Racz Catheter Using only local anesthesia, a thin catheter is inserted through the skin and spinal column until reaching the painful nerve root. X-rays are taken during the procedure to ensure accurate catheter placement. Once in place, the catheter allows pinpoint application of a special solution of enzymes and medication at the source of the pain. The result: scar tissue dissolves, tissue swelling and inflammation disappear, bringing relief to the affected nerve root. The catheter remains in place for three days for repeat applications. Lasers/Microlasers X-ray imaging is used to guide an ultra-thin laser through a canule to the affected intervertebral disc. The effects of laser treatment are fourfold: the highly concentrated energy shrinks intervertebral disc tissue; the nerves responsible for the pain can be neutralized; the transmission of pain signals from the disc to the brain is interrupted; and small tears in the disc tissue can be sealed. All in all painful stimuli to the nerve root are eliminated. The procedure lasts about one hour and can be conducted under a light general anesthesia on an out patient basis. A recent innovation is the microlaser. 60 percent thinner than previous lasers, it measures only 0.2 mm in diameter, with the canule used to insert the microlaser measuring only 0.65 mm. The microlaser is especially gentle on tissue. And, in contrast to older, larger lasers, the microlaser can get into narrow areas between vertebral bodies. The high wavelength of the microlaser makes an extremely precise application of laser energy in disc tissue possible. Electrothermal Therapy Electrothermal therapy finds use in the treatment of chronic pain as well as osteoarthritis of the small joints between vertebral bodies. After local anesthesia is applied, a canule is inserted into the back and guided by x-ray imaging to the exact source of pain. Next, a flexible fiber, 0.4 mm in diameter and tipped with a heating element, is thread through the canule to the affected nerve. The computer-controlled heating element is brought to a temperature of 70 Celsius, and the surrounding tissue is coagulated. The heat destroys the affected sensible nerve fibers, interrupting transmission of pain signals to the brain. Of course, we also specialize in the latest, most innovative minimally invasive surgical techniques. Compared to the much larger incisions used in older procedures, a one to three centimeter mini-incision is all it takes to operate on prolapsed discs or a stenotic spinal canal. The advantages: quicker wound healing, less pain, lower likelihood of painful scar tissue formation, shorter hospital stays. And surgery is often possible on an out patient basis. |
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