A Look at Tiger Woods’ Sciatica Injuries
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Everyone knows about the sciatica pain Tiger Woods had to endure and how agonizing it was. Many fans had lost hope to see Tiger Woods playing golf again. Well, let’s get back to 2010 where this all started. The early signs of Woods back pain emerged in 2010.
A torn ACL, Achilles tendon, and leg injuries were the primary contributors to his back pain. In 2010, while he was playing the “Players Championship,” he felt back spasms. As a result, he withdrew from the major round of the championship.
The diagnostic procedure showed that he had a bulging disc in the spine. Although he had recovered through non-surgical methods, it turned out that he had to undergo a series of surgeries to fix the issue.
Tiger Wood Back Surgery
A few years later, when the back injuries worsened due to severe back spasms, he underwent back surgery in 2014. The surgery was done to repair a pinched nerve in the back. However, it was not a success because Tiger had to undergo another back surgery – only a year later in 2015.
This time, the surgery was about removing a portion of the disc in his back. This portion of the disc was causing problems for him. According to the doctor who performed the surgery said that Tiger’s disc in the back was compressing his spinal nerve.
Sciatica Tiger Woods
When it comes to sciatica Tiger Woods and the sciatica treatment in Plano TX, many of his fans thought that his career was over, but thanks to the minimally invasive surgery called anterior lumbar interbody fusion, Tiger came back and won a championship in 2019.
The procedure is known as spinal fusion surgery. This involves removing the disc and the connective tissue, which acts as a shock absorber between two vertebrae. Also, it involves the fusion of the bones together that are adjacent to each other. The purpose is to make the adjacent vertebrae into a single, solid bone. This is why the procedure is called fusion.
There are many advantages of spinal fusion surgery such as pain relief, improved flexibility, and stability of the spine. On the other hand, research shows that in some people, the procedure can cause a reduction of back flexibility. However, in 97% of patients, the procedure has been found successful.
Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Before we tell you about the Sciatica treatment in Plano TX – i.e. the anterior lumbar interbody fusion, you will be surprised to know that sciatica Tiger Woods was fixed through this procedure. The approach was found effective in repair his back.
The surgeon attached a fusion implant to his back. In particular, the surgeon attached the implant to the L5-S1 section where he had diagnosed the problem. After Tiger had undergone a wide range of non-surgical treatments such as medication, physical therapy, and rehabilitation, he didn’t find any success with them.
More interestingly, the spinal fusion surgery, which is a minimally invasive procedure was effective for sciatica Tiger Woods. Thanks to this approach, Tiger could come back, play golf, and win the championship. It was like a miracle for Tiger Woods.
Sciatica treatment in Plano TX
Anterior lumbar interbody is a minimally invasive surgical technique that solved the problem of sciatica Tiger Woods. It a surgery method used to treat disc issues in the lower back. Fusion locks together two vertebrae to correct their alignment and stop painful sensations.
As the name indicated, the surgeon makes an incision in the belly front to remove the disc. Then, he or she places a bone graft in the empty space to relieve the nerve pinching. In general, the purpose is to restore the height of the two vertebrae and make them fuse. Due to the fusion, the two or more vertebrae fuse into a single solid piece.
This type of surgery is beneficial for treating a wide range of conditions such as instability, painful disc degeneration, spinal imbalance or deformity, and spondylolisthesis. It is a well-tolerated surgery procedure. Here at Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas, our qualified, experienced, and skilled surgeons perform this surgery professionally.
The best thing about this type of sciatica treatment in Plano TX is that it is a minimally invasive procedure, which means less pain and faster recovery than other traditional or open back surgery.
Conclusion
Tiger Woods’s spinal fusion was a success. It was like a dream come true for the world’s best golfer. Sciatica Tiger Woods was indeed a problem, but thanks to the minimally invasive surgery, Tiger has finally overcome the back pain issue.
