What is a herniated disc?
Herniated disc is an increasingly common problem among the population. Specifically, about 20-33% of spine pathologies affect the cervical region.A herniated disc (also called bulged, slipped or ruptured), refers to a problem in the intervertebral discs. Normally, this pathology is solved with an intervention carried out by a spine specialist.
A herniated disc occurs when a fragment of the disc nucleus is pushed out of the annulus, into the spinal canal through a tear or rupture in the annulus. The most common herniations are the L5 S1 disc protrusion and the L4 L5 disc protrusion.
How do you recover from cervical disc herniation?
Arthrodesis is the most common surgical treatment for herniated cervical discs. This technique must be performed by a herniated disc specialist since it involves fixing segments in the cervical spine. It can cause loss of mobility and new hernias or cervical arthrosis, in the short or medium term. Recovery is slow and requires immobilization.
Dr Ghassan Elgeadi's team has great spine specialists in the Community of Madrid. Using innovative techniques, he manages to avoid the complications of arthrodesis by performing an arthroplasty or cervical disc replacement surgery. In this way, the physiological movement of the cervical spine can be saved.
This technique, carried out by expert doctors in a herniated disc, consists of removing the disc and the hernia that compresses the nerve root and/or spinal cord to replace it with a disc prosthesis. One of the main objectives is to avoid limitations in neck movement after surgery.
It is a minimally invasive technique that only requires approximately 2 cm into the neck after the cervical flexure.
The patient is discharged 24 hours after surgery and does not require immobilization. Once the effects of anesthesia wear off, the patient will be able to move their neck.
In short, arthroplasty or cervical disc prosthesis is the most innovative surgical technique used to treat spinal pathologies (disorders). This is because it is less risky and provides greater benefits for patients with cervical herniated disc at one or more levels.
Please visit the website in which you can meet the spine specialist doctors who are part of Doctor Elgeadi's team.
What Is Neck Pain Caused By Cervical Sprain?
In order to adequately define cervical sprain, it is necessary to clearly differentiate the different terms related to this pathology.
● Neck Pain: is a symptomatic concept which does not respond to a specific injury. Patients usually experience neck pain.
● Cervical Sprain: is an affectation of the cervical vertebral joints due to distension (partial or complete tearing of muscle fibers). An initial diagnosis can be made based on the patient's symptoms, but additional tests are essential to provide a firm answer.
● Cervical Whiplash: it occurs as a consequence of a flexing-extension mechanism on the cervical spine, but it does not refer to accidental injuries. It is common for its appearance after a traffic accident.
What is Radiofrequency (RF) regarding the spine?
Radiofrequency (RF) is a simple treatment for the treatment of a herniated disc that is applied using a system of special needles. There are two types of radiofrequency (RF): conventional and pulsed radiofrequency.
Conventional radiofrequency produces heat lesions in the tissues, being able to reach a temperature of 80°C.
Pulsed radiofrequency is more controlled and does not cause tissue damage. It is applied through an alternating current in the form of pulses that is constantly deactivated to avoid overheating of the tissues.
Its objective is to produce partial lesions or complete ablation of the sensitive branches that innervate the posterior joints of the spine (facet joints). In this way, spinal pain caused by the wear and tear of these joints (arthrosis) is relieved.