At South Texas Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgery Associates, problems with the spine are usually mechanical and cause pain or limitation of ability to accomplish normal activities. If the nerves are compressed, weakness, numbness or radiating pain can occur. Many spine problems can be treated with medication, physical therapy, or other conservative means. When surgery is required, the operation includes a combination of decompression, realignment, stabilization, and fusion.

CONSERVATIVE TREATMENTS:

STOSSA prescribes braces, physical therapy, medications by mouth, injections by pain management physicians such as epidural steroids, and psychological interventions.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY:

STOSSA physicians may prescribe surgery through an aperture or so-called “tube”. Laminotomy, Foraminotomy, discectomy, and even lumbar fusion may be performed through a small incision and aperture docked to the spine.

MOTION TECHNOLOGY:

Lumbar disc replacement and more recently cervical disc replacement have been introduced to allow continued motion rather than the stiffness of fusion.

RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY:

STOSSA physicians may prescribe more traditional methods for decompression and fusion of the low back and neck, based on the particular diagnoses and usually in the presence of previous surgery with scarring.