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Do you suffer from back pain in Frisco, Texas? You are not alone– debilitating back pain is experienced by a large section of American adults. This pain can range from short-term and mild to chronic and debilitating. In fact, the CDC lists back pain and disorders as the number one cause of disability in the U.S.
Luckily, there is something you can do about it. Consider visiting a spine specialist in Frisco TX to help with your back pain, such as Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Texas or MINT.
What Kinds Of Doctors Treat Back Pain?
Contrary to popular belief, many doctors can treat back pain. The first stop for most patients with back pain is their primary care physician. These general practitioners can help with minor back pain by assigning treatment plans such as physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and pain management as warranted. Most patients with back pain do not require surgery and can remedy their back pain with these treatments.
If these non-surgical treatments are not enough, a primary care physician may suggest that their patient visit a spine specialist in Frisco TX, such as a Neurosurgeon.
What Is A Neurosurgeon?
A Neurosurgeon is a medical doctor who, in addition to medical school and all the accompanying training, has completed a 5-6 year residency in clinical settings. This residency focuses on the treatment of Neurological Conditions. A Neurosurgeon works with disorders of the nerves, including the brain, the spine, and the spinal cord.
Pain comes from nerves that are damaged or pinched. A Neurosurgeon can run diagnostic tests and perform X-Rays to discover the exact pain-causing area on your spine. They can then build a treatment plan to “decompress” the pain-causing nerve.
A Neurosurgeon can diagnose and treat a wide variety of spine disorders that cause pain, such as stenosis (narrowing of the spinal column), slipped and bulging discs, spinal tumors, bone spurs, and loss of spinal stability.
What Is Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery?
Many patients avoid the Neurosurgeon for fear of getting surgery. But the reality is that most patients do not need surgery, and those that do have better surgical options than patients in the past.
Traditionally, spinal surgeries involved large incisions required to get to the pain-causing spine area. This meant moving a muscle and tissue, blood loss, inflammation, and trauma to the body. These kinds of spinal surgeries have long recovery times and often require the patient to be bedridden.
But with minimally invasive spinal surgery or MISS, you don’t have to worry about those things. Unlike spinal surgery of the past, MISS uses nanotools guided by a micro camera. This means a smaller incision, less trauma to the body, and a faster recovery time.
How Does Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery work?
If your spine specialist in Frisco TX feels that you are a good candidate for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, the procedure will begin with mild sedatives and local anesthetic– unlike traditional surgery, MISS does not require the patient to be unconscious.
The Neurosurgeon and their team will create an incision in the back that is less than an inch long. A dilator the size of a pencil will be placed in this incision– this dilator will be used to gently push aside tissue and allow the nanotools to access the required area of the spine. After the Neurosurgeon completes the surgery, they will remove the nanotools and dilator, closing the incision with a bandage or single stitch.
The patient is then monitored for an hour or two and then allowed to go home to recover. That’s right, MISS is an outpatient procedure! Though the patient will need to be driven home, Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery means no longer staying at the hospital.
How To Find Out If You Are A Good Candidate For Neurosurgery
The best way to find out if you are a good candidate for Neurosurgery is to reach out to Spine Specialists in Frisco TX, such as Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Texas (MINT). MINT offers virtual appointments for patients who are not sure if they are good candidates and works with most insurance carriers to get the best price for their treatment.
Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Texas
Dr. Scott Kutz is a board-certified Neurosurgeon who specializes in Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery. Dr. Scott Kutz and his team at Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Texas have proudly served the Frisco Texas, area for years. If you are ready to tackle your stubborn back pain, reach out to Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, and take the first step to live a pain-free life today!