What Are the Most Common Minimally Invasive Spine Treatment Options?

Back pain is extremely common, impacting approximately 80% of people at some point in their life. There are many potential causes of back pain, with injury, muscle strain, spinal deformity, and degenerative conditions being some of the most common reasons. Back pain is considered chronic when it lasts for longer than three months. In these situations, the debilitating pain can have a significant long-term impact on your quality of life.

The good news is that chronic back pain – even when it leads to severe pain – can often be treated without surgery. There are a wide range of minimally invasive, nonsurgical spinal treatment options available that can provide the relief you need from chronic back pain. Before recommending surgery, most spine specialists will generally pursue one or more of the following minimally invasive treatment options to see if you experience the relief you need.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is one of the most effective and important components to a minimally invasive spine treatment program. Your spine specialist and physical therapist will collaborate to create a customized program that addresses your specific condition and symptoms. While attending regular sessions with your physical therapist is important, you’ll also need to be diligent about performing all the at-home exercises prescribed for you in order to achieve the relief you need.

Your physical therapy regimen will help improve your strength, flexibility and stability in the region associated with your back pain. Your customized plan may include a combination of:

• Core strengthening exercises
• Stretching and flexibility exercises
• Aerobic exercises
• Exercises to retrain your posture

In some instances, physical therapy may also include treatments such as spinal manipulation, dry needling or electrical stimulation.

Spinal Injections

Spinal injections can be very effective at alleviating back pain and are often administered in conjunction with other treatment plans such as physical therapy. While spinal injections can help reduce pain short-term, they are typically not intended as a long-term stand-alone solution. Instead, the goal of spinal injections is to minimize pain so that you can maximize the effectiveness of other treatments, such as physical therapy, which can help provide more long-term relief from your condition and symptoms.

Depending on your specific condition and symptoms, your spine specialist may recommend one of the following types of spine injections:

• Epidural Steroid Injection – Cortisone steroid injections are administered directly to the spine to reduce swelling and irritation around a nerve or a section of your spinal cord
• Facet Joint Injection – X-ray guidance is used to administer medication directly to a facet joint that links two spinal bones together
• Selective Nerve Root Injection – X-ray guidance is used to administer medication directly into a nerve to provide pain relief
• Joint and Soft Tissue Injection – A steroid is administered directly into a specific soft tissue area or joint to relieve pain
• Sacroiliac Joint Injection – An injection is administered into the joint connecting the tailbone to the pelvis to relieve pain in the lower back and leg
• Radiofrequency Ablation – Radio waves generate heat that will kill nerves or soft tissue causing your back pain

Medications

Medications are often prescribed in conjunction with other minimally invasive spine treatments to help you manage chronic back pain. The following types of medications are commonly used to alleviate symptoms associated with spine and back conditions:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen
• Muscle relaxants
• Nerve pain medications
• Topical creams or patches for localized relief

Opioids are typically not recommended to treat back pain since they are better suited to address short-term acute pain than long-term chronic pain.

Additional Minimally Invasive Spine Treatments

In some instances, your spine specialist may recommend one or more of the following treatment options as part of your care plan:

• Acupuncture – Thin needles are inserted into specific points of your body to stimulate pain relief and restore proper back function
• Massage – Massage therapy can be used to relieve muscle tension and improve blood flow in the region of the spine associated with your back pain
• Chiropractic Care – Spinal adjustments by a chiropractor can help improve alignment and reduce discomfort
• Laser Therapy – Laser treatments can be administered to improve back pain symptoms
• Electrical Nerve Stimulation – Electrodes are placed on your back that send electrical impulses which interrupt pain signals

When Should I Consider Spine Surgery?

If you fail to experience relief from your back pain after the minimally invasive treatments discussed above have been exhausted, spine surgery may be required to address your condition. Often, a minimally invasive spine surgery procedure may be utilized in order to reduce surgical risks and shorten your recovery time. Your spine surgeon will recommend the ideal procedure based on your specific condition and symptoms.

Helping You Restore a Pain-Free Life

Colorado Advanced Orthopedics is committed to providing the exceptional care you need to alleviate chronic back pain. Our team of board-certified, fellowship trained orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine physicians perform a wide range of spine treatments to address just about any condition you may have. We offer both minimally invasive nonsurgical treatments as well as spine surgery procedures.

Dr. Justin Grant performs all of our minimally invasive nonsurgical spine treatments. He’s a board-certified sports medicine physician with experience performing a wide range of minimally invasive treatments, including spine injections. He’ll also collaborate with our in-house physical therapy team to ensure your physical therapy program is aligned with the goals of any additional treatments he’s administering as part of your care plan. This coordination between your doctors and physical therapists ensures the best possible treatment outcomes.

If surgery is necessary, you’ll work with our spine surgeon, Dr. J. Alex Sielatycki, who will recommend the right procedure to address your specific condition. Dr. Sielatycki is also assisted by Dr. Jonathan Schoeff on many of the spine surgery procedures he performs. Dr. Schoeff is a general surgeon who performs the surgical tasks necessary to give Dr. Sielatycki access to the spine. This team effort delivers the best surgical outcomes, helping you restore a pain-free life.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment. Colorado Advanced Orthopedics serves patients in Meeker, the White River Valley, Grand Junction and throughout the Western Slope.