DRX9000 Spinal Decompression

Spinal Fusion

Lumbar spinal fusion is a type of surgery that is intended to treat the lower back pain that results from degenerative disc disease (DDD). As is the case with most conditions, surgery is not the first option most doctors would recommend, however, as it is considered invasive and riskier that than less invasive treatment options. Many people with degenerative disc disease have sufficient relief of symptoms without surgical treatment, but even so, it is important to note that spinal fusion is an available and viable option for some patients.

Who Might Benefit

You may be a candidate for spinal fusion surgery if you have pain associated with DDD that has not been alleviated by other methods. If you have tried extensive physical therapy, medications, homeopathic remedies, chiropractic techniques, and other methods, but you have not experienced the results you or your doctor would like, your doctor may recommend surgery.
If you have lower back pain that interferes with your daily living and activities you used to enjoy, you may be a candidate for surgery. There are risks associated with any surgery, and spinal fusion is no exception to that rule, so if your doctor does offer surgery as a possible treatment option, you should be sure to know, understand, and consider the risks as compared to the possible benefits. You may even consider seeking a second opinion by another doctor or health care professional who specializes in the spine.

The Surgery Itself

When the surgeon performs a spinal fusion, he or she takes a tiny fragment of bone and places it in the disc space in the front of the spine. He or she may also place bone fragment along the back of the spine. Even though the surgery is called a spinal fusion, the surgeon does not really fuse the spine. By placing the bone in those areas, the bone grows together, and essentially, the spine fuses itself. With DDD, the discs that are between the vertebrae, wear down (degenerate), and movement in that area of the spine becomes painful as a result of that degeneration. When the vertebrae fuse, the movement in that area is eliminated, so the pain is reduced or eliminated.