Most people will experience pain in their lower back, at least once in their life.

Common causes of back pain include:

• Degenerative arthropathy (osteoarthritis). Usually the pain is aggravated by movement.
• Degenerative discopathy. The spinal nerves may be compressed, resulting in radiculopathy/ sciatica. Typically, patients experience pain, numbness, and weakness in the legs. Based on the localization of these symptoms, we can determine which nerve has been affected.

TREATMENT

Our primary goal is to avoid surgical intervention. We use a step-by-step approach tailored to each patient’s needs. Initially, we begin with oral medication and physiotherapy. If this does not suffice, we use advanced pain treatment techniques, such as epidural injections of corticosteroids or cauterization of the nerves transmitting pain from the vertebral joints. In both cases, the patient returns home on the same day.

The epidural injection is performed using X-ray guidance (C-arm) and involves the injection of a composite steroid mixture near the degenerated disc and suffering nerve.

The cauterization of the nerves in the affected vertebral joints is also X-ray guided and is a procedure by which the small nerves that transmit sensation of pain from the vertebral joints are permanently deactivated with accuracy.

With the techniques mentioned above, most patients avoid surgical interventions.