Dr. John Thalgott - What is Spine Surgery
Dr. John Thalgott is an orthopaedic surgeon practicing in Las Vegas, NV. Dr. Thalgott specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries, diseases and disorders of the bodys musculoskeletal system. As an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Thalgott tends to bones, ligaments, muscles, joints, nerves and tendons.... more
What is Spine Surgery?
If a person is experiencing low back pain or neck pain, they can use physical activity, over-the-counter treatments, or anti-inflammatory medication to treat their pain. If the pain is not being resolved through these non-surgical treatments, the next step would be spine surgery. Common conditions that can be treated include degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, and spondylolisthesis.
Degenerative Disc Disease is a condition in which a damaged disc causes pain. It refers to the symptoms of back or neck pain caused by wear-and-tear on a spinal disc. Once a disc is injured, it cannot repair itself. A spiral of degeneration can set in with three stages that appear to occur over 20 to 30 years. Surgery is only recommended if the pain is severe and non-surgical treatments are ineffective.
Herniated Discs can occur anywhere along the spine, but they often occur in the lower back. They are also known as bulging, protruding, or ruptured discs. A disc begins to herniate when its jelly-like nucleus pushes against its outer ring due to wear-and-tear or a sudden injury. This pressure against the outer ring may cause lower back pain. The majority of herniated discs heal through non-surgical treatment such as physical therapy.
Spondylolisthesis is a condition that occurs when the spine has slipped. Typically, this happens in the lumbar spine, but it can happen in the cervical spine. Degenerative spondylolisthesis develops because the disc has become unstable. This condition should be operatively managed but can be managed with injections, exercise, and medications.
