What are the most common problems in the lower back?
Problems such as lumbago and lumbosciatica. Lumbalgia is a pain in the lumbo-sacral area and sciatica gives irradiation to one or both legs. These pains are formed as a result of degenerative changes in the spine that everyone suffers throughout life. Low back pain is mainly caused by facet pain.
Facets are the joints of the spine, or also due to degenerative changes in the disc. They can also occur radiating to the legs when there are nerve compressions due to herniated discs, protrusions or even canal stenosis caused by degenerative changes of the facets.
Treatments that can be performed
In most cases, conservative and minimally invasive treatments can be performed. Conservative treatment includes rehabilitation and all available physiotherapy techniques. Minimally invasive treatments are infiltrations, for example epidurals, to the small joints of the spine, the facets, where the medication is placed exactly where the problem occurs.
It is a very effective and safe treatment. However, there are cases where this treatment does not solve the problems, and surgery remains.
What role does surgery play in low back pain?
Surgery should always be a last resort. Nowadays, new techniques allow causing minimal discomfort, such as surgery for disc herniation and lumbar canal stenosis, where a microscope is used. The patient goes home the day after surgery. If implant placement is indicated, such as in severe instability or degenerative deformity, advances in this field mean that the patient recovers more quickly and can be discharged earlier to return to a normal, pain-free life.
