Radiculitis Treatments
Unless there are concerns of nerve death or other permanent injury to the patient, the first step for treating radiculitis should be through conservative and not surgical intervention. Depending on what underlying condition is causing the radiculitis, conservative treatments have a high success rate and in many occasions will lead to a full recovery.
Non-Surgical treatment for radiculitis may include heat and/or cold therapy, exercises to help strengthen your back, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy combined with activity modification. Most people that do well with the above treatments will find that their symptoms are lessened or relieved within 6 weeks.
Advanced diagnostic tools and procedures are used to help develop a treatment program that fits your specific needs. The location of your radiculitis, how bad your symptoms are, and how long you have been feeling them are all factored in when determining what radiculitis treatment plan is good for you. Atlantic Spine Center will consider you history, what your needs are, and tailor a plan that is right for you.
Surgery for Radiculitis
In the majority of radiculitis cases, surgery is only offered once all conservative methods of treatment have been explored. In some cases, however, such as in the event of progressive muscle weakness, a radiculitis operation may be needed to avoid permanent damage. Since muscle weakness is a clear symptom of nerve impingement, or even nerve death, relieving nerve pressure becomes more of a priority under these circumstances.
If you are a candidate for radiculitis surgery, there are several surgical procedures available for you. The procedure that is right for you will depend on many factors, most importantly the condition causing your radiculitis.
Endoscopic Discectomy
If the underlying condition causing radiculitis is a disc tear, a disc bulge, or a herniated disc, an endoscopic discectomy may have positive results. During the procedure you will be under a local anesthetic while a small metal tube, the size of a pencil, is guided into the troublesome area of the spine by x-ray guidance. This tube serves as a passage for the surgical tools to avoid cutting or tearing muscles that is common in other open back surgery methods.
Endoscopic Foraminotomy
This is a surgical procedure that can help with radiculitis caused by degenerative changes in the spine, spondylolisthesis, or failed back or neck surgery syndrome. Under local anesthesia, a small metal tube, the size of a pencil, is inserted into the lumbar spinal nerve hole (neuroforamen). The spinal nerve is found with a camera looking through the tube, and protected. Under direct vision, bone spurs, scars, ligament overgrowth, protruded discs, and part of the troubled lumbar facet are removed with appropriate tools.
