Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1518198
Health Matters: Providence Saint John's Health Center | 9 some work on my phone." Today, Drew is back to playing golf a couple of times a week and says that the surgery has had a surprising impact on his game—he's a better golfer than he was before. "I swing super- smooth now," he says. "Because of the fusion in my neck, I don't torque my body as much." Dr. Nagasawa says he was impressed with his patient's determination to get well. Drew regained the ability to move his legs almost immediately after surgery, and Dr. Nagasawa recalls that five days after surgery, "Drew ended up walking out of the hospital on his own, which far, far exceeded my expectations." "When I saw Dr. Nagasawa's expression," Drew says, "that's when it clicked for me how big a hurdle I'd overcome." SURGICAL TREATMENTS FOR BACK PAIN The right treatment starts with the right diagnosis, which can be tricky, because pinpointing what's causing back pain isn't always easy. In cases where the pain stems from functional problems, such as damaged discs, compressed nerves or malaligned vertebrae, surgery may be needed. Here are three of the most commonly performed: Microdiscectomy. If a disc that provides cushioning between two vertebrae has ruptured (aka herniated) and is causing pressure on the spinal nerves, the surgeon may decide to remove the herniated portion via this procedure. Spinal fusion. Fusions involve adding hardware to join (or fuse) two or more vertebrae permanently. The surgery is intended to relieve pressure on spinal cord nerves to stop pain and to stabilize the spine. Artificial disc replacement. Unlike a spinal fusion, this newer option of replacing a degenerating biological disc with an artificial one made of metal (or metal and plastic) allows the spine to still move in the affected area.