Back pain is one of the most common reasons for physician visits globally. As per WHO, nearly half to 80% people experience back pain at some point in their lives. For some people, the pain may be temporary but for many it becomes chronic affecting work, sleep and overall quality of life.
The rising incidence of spinal issues is attributed to modern stressful lifestyles, constant gadget use and lack of exercise leading to problems like slipped discs, spinal stenosis, spondylitis etc. Thankfully, advancements in spine treatment make it possible to manage chronic back/neck pain through excellent surgical and nonsurgical techniques.
As a planned city focused on better infrastructure, Chandigarh has state-of-the-art healthcare services especially spine surgery facilities manned by exemplary doctors. best spine surgeon in chandigarh adept at advanced spine procedures help diagnose the exact back problem and chalk out suitable management plan leveraging cutting edge technology and patient centric care for faster recovery.
In this blog, we explore common spinal disorders, how spine specialist in chandigarh evaluate them, latest surgical techniques offered and optimal recovery protocols focused on resuming maximum functionality post spine treatment.
Decoding Common Spinal Disorders
Spine constitutes 33 vertebrae interspaced by discs encasing the spinal cord running through a canal formed by the vertebrae. Disorders hampering this spinal alignment adversely impact the nerve network causing chronic back/leg pain.
Herniated Discs: The gel inside discs that act as cushion tear through the exterior causing the material to push into spinal canal. This compressed nerves causes tingling, numbness besides pain.
Spinal Stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal due to aging bone spur growth or slipped disc impinging spinal nerves manifesting as cramping leg pain and numbness.
Degenerative Disc Disease: Disc damage due to aging disc tear or leak in outer layer causes inflammation around spinal nerves aggravating pain.
Spondylitis: Inflamed spinal joints and discs worsen back stiffness and reduce flexibility for rotation/bending.
Scoliosis: Abnormal sideways spinal curve that may affect posture/gait with worsening pain due to disc/nerve pressure
Spine Evaluation by Orthopaedic Doctors
Best spine doctor in chandigarh undertake methodical assessment to arrive at exact diagnosis considering medical history, neurological defects, affected functional areas etc.
Patient History & Symptoms
The specialists probe type/duration of pain, trauma history, loss of sensation, affected mobility along with past treatments and response. Family spinal disease history offers clues on likelihood of hereditary component determining approach.
Physical Evaluation
Physical examination tests range of motion limitations, affected nerve responses, postural defects and tender trigger points through the spine revealing abnormalities.
Diagnostic Imaging & Scans
Xrays help assess overall spinal alignment including detection of fractures, arthritis, infection in vertebrae. Advanced MRI scans confirm disc & ligament issues, tumours, bone spurs, spondylitis impacting the spinal canal/nerves in detail through high resolution images. CT scan gives finer bony spinal anatomy visualization offering the doctors multidimensional perspective of the problem.
Selecting Optimal Treatment Approach
Based on clinical evaluation and test reports, best spine hospital in chandigarh decide suitable line of treatment that may be nonsurgical/surgical options leveraging latest technology and medical best practices for spinal conditions management.
Conservative Treatment First
Majority of back pain cases respond well to nonsurgical treatment involving oral medication coupled with alternate therapy like physiotherapy, yoga, acupuncture based on diagnosis. Lifestyle correction encompassing weight loss, improved posture and core strength remains key. Minimally invasive pain blocks/steroid epidural shots offer relief when conservative therapy fails.
Recovery Protocol After Spine Surgery
To enable resuming normal activities fast while allowing adequate healing post complex spine surgery, Dr. Ajay Singh spine specialist in chandigarh follow structured protocols focused on pain management, controlled mobility, inflammation reduction and physical therapy under specialist guidance.
- Gradual increase in walking with adequate rest post discharge along with back bracing for extra support till sutures heal. Follow up assessment by nursing staff ensures infection free recovery.
- Medications include muscle relaxants prescribed to alleviate post op muscle spasms and pain killers dosage adjusted based on pain intensity trends noticed across follow up visits.
- Physiotherapy starts after 2 weeks of spine surgery focused initially on core, neck and pelvic exercises graduated to strength building. Therapeutic modalities like IFT, heat/cold therapy ease persistent pain areas.
- Advance core muscle strengthening and weight bearing exercises at 6 weeks help regain flexibility. Ergonomic modifications in sitting or sleeping postures continue based on surgeon advise during recuperation phase lasting 3-6 months.
The positive prognosis associated with spine surgery success rate of 90% performed expertly leveraging latest technology enables resuming daily activities in 6-12 weeks. While activity restrictions around lifting weights and contact sports may continue for few months, most patients experience significant improvement in managing chronic back/neck pain and neurological symptoms post surgery with better spine health awareness and requisite lifestyle corrections.
Key Takeaway
Dr. Ajay Singh best spine surgeon in chandigarh has cutting edge healthcare infrastructure and patient centric clinical approach focused on functional recovery empowers patients to regain active pain free lives post spine surgery. Trust and transparency remains crucial in the patient-doctor relationship to determine optimal treatment plan based on diagnosis and unique needs. As medical tourism rises, Chandigarh’s world class integrated spine care pathway promises hope for millions seeking a life transformed.
