Rhizotomy and why they are needed
The human spine is made up of many independent parts. Most people are aware of the existence of vertebrae and the intervertebral disc material, but they only make up a portion of the entire spine.
People may visit the physician for a wide variety of reasons. One of the more common reasons why they seek medical treatment, however, is because of spine pain. Many people in the Dallas Metroplex also suffer from spine pain but you have access to Dr. Dickerman and he can help. Regardless of whether it is a nonsurgical procedure that is recommended or surgery, he is the best choice available. In fact, many people in Plano, Richardson and the throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area have relied on his services to get back on their feet again.
One of the issues that are associated with spine pain is the fact that it typically tends to get worse as we get older. A number of nonsurgical options may be considered, such as anti-inflammatory medication, massage therapy, physical therapy, spinal manipulation and nerve blocks. When those types of procedures are unsuccessful at treating your condition, a surgical procedure is then considered. This is something that Dr. Dickerman will discuss with you and there may be options available, including spinal fusion surgery. Dr. Dickerman may also recommend that you have a hardware block procedure after the surgery has taken place.
Although many people who have spinal fusion surgery are able to get on with their life free of pain, there are also times when chronic pain may result from this type of surgery. Hardware blocks are a type of procedure that allows your physician to know if your chronic pain is associated with the spinal fusion surgery or if it is a result of something else. During spinal fusion, hardware is placed in the area to help stabilize the spine and in some cases, it could result in chronic pain. If that is the case, pain management therapy is often provided.
In most cases, hardware blocks procedures are performed under local anesthesia. The anesthesia is injected the area where the hardware from the spinal fusion surgery is located. Once the anesthetic is injected, the patient will be asked to do certain spinal movements. After the hardware block is in place, a reduction in the pain symptoms is often indicative of issues associated with the hardware placed during the spinal fusion surgery.
Hardware blocks are performed on an outpatient basis and it is a minimally invasive procedure, only involving a very small needle that is inserted into the area. In most cases, the patient is in and out in a short amount of time. There may still be some issues associated with this diagnostic procedure, including headaches, dizziness, nausea, infection, allergic reactions, tenderness and bleeding. If you have any of these issues after the procedure, your physician should be consulted.
If you have had spinal fusion surgery and are suffering from chronic pain, it can be a real disappointment. Having a hardware block diagnostic procedure allows you to know if the pain is associated with the hardware in the area or not. It can help to provide you with the whole story so you can begin to treat the pain in the best way possible.