Dr. Himanshu Popli
DR.HIMANSHU POPLI specialised in diagnosing orthopaedic issues with the best technology available and the most advanced methods of treatments used for reliable and effective results. Moreover, he is also focused & passionate about sports trauma, replacement and arthroscopic surgeries.
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Disc Prolapse
Disc prolapse, also known as a herniated disc, occurs when a spinal disc’s inner gel-like core pushes through its outer layer, compressing nerves.
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1. Causes of Disc Prolapse:
Disc prolapse can be caused by age-related degeneration, repetitive strain, heavy lifting, trauma, or poor posture and body mechanics.
2. Symptoms:
Symptoms of disc prolapse include sharp or radiating pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, reduced range of motion, and difficulty standing or walking. Pain may worsen with movement, coughing, or sneezing, and can affect the back, neck, or limbs, depending on the affected disc.
3. Diagnosis:
Diagnosis of disc prolapse involves a thorough medical history and physical examination. Doctors assess pain location, reflexes, muscle strength, and sensation. Imaging studies such as X-rays, MRI, or CT scans confirm the diagnosis and reveal the disc prolapse’s extent and location. MRI provides detailed images of soft tissues, while CT scans offer information about bone structures. Electromyography (EMG) may also be conducted to evaluate nerve function and identify nerve root compression, ensuring an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis.
4. Treatment:
Treatment for disc prolapse includes rest, physical therapy, pain medications, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Epidural steroid injections may be administered for severe pain to reduce inflammation. If conservative treatments fail, surgical options like microdiscectomy or laminectomy may be considered to relieve nerve compression and stabilize the spine. Surgery aims to promote recovery, improve function, and alleviate pain, enhancing the patient’s overall quality of life.
Spinal Stenosis
Treatment of Spinal Stenosis
What are the reasons for Spinal Stenosis?
Spinal stenosis is a condition characterized by the narrowing of the spinal canal, which can lead to compression of the spinal cord and nerves. It can be caused by several factors, including:
1. Age-related Degeneration : Natural wear and tear on the spine, leading to osteoarthritis and disc degeneration.
2. Herniated Discs : Discs can bulge or rupture, compressing the spinal cord or nerves.
3. Bone Spurs : Overgrowth of bone can narrow the spinal canal, often due to osteoarthritis.
4. Thickened Ligaments : Ligaments can thicken over time, causing narrowing.
5. Spinal Injuries : Traumas can cause dislocations or fractures, impacting the spinal canal.
Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis
The symptoms of spinal stenosis depend on where this condition takes place and the extent of severity.
- When the compression affects the spinal cord giving rise to myelopathy it includes such things as loss of bowel, or bladder, worsening in balance, inability to drop an object.
- When there is lumbar spine stenosis, the symptoms range from back and leg pain, numbness, tingling and weakness in legs and feet and myelopathy.
- When there is cervical spinal stenosis (stenosis of neck), the symptoms include numbness and tingling sensations and myelopathy of the arms and hands.
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Treatment of Spinal Stenosis
Some of the treatment include:
Medical Treatment
The initial management includes use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen. It is the kind of medicine that assists in decreasing inflammation and swelling around the nerves that experiences compression. Epidural steroid injection can also be administered in order to lessen the inflammation caused at the location of nerve compression.
Physical Therapy
It also assists in toning the muscles that cover the column and hence shift some of the weight off the spine.
Surgery
As for the surgical intervention, it is prescribed when the patient fails to obtain adequate relief from the non-surgical treatment. There are various types of surgeries of spinal stenosis; but the aim of all surgeries is to gain more space for the compressed spinal cord or nerves. The various surgeries include the process of the removal of the bone and or tissues, which is putting pressure on the spinal nerves in the lower back and this is referred to as decompression. All such surgeries must be followed by effective management of the postoperative period. The procedure entails both the open surgery and minimally invasive surgery depending on the circumstances and the patient’s condition.
Spondylitis
What is Spondylitis?
The issue of Spondylitis develops in relation to major changes in the spinal section, including spine spurs and degenerative intervertebral discs. Overall, it is an aging problem but all the same, indicates that the older generation is more vulnerable in the country. As age increases the bones and the ligament in the spine begin to wear which forms sharp projections called osteo-arthritis. Our intervertebral discs also degenerate and become weak and this results in disc herniation and development of bulging discs.
Though nowadays Spondylitis has become a very common problem and the symptoms of Spondylitis are major in the people of the group of 20 to 50 years of age. Using the age criterion, 80% of the people with age above 40 years have radiological features of Spondylitis.
Types of Spondylitis
- Cervical Spondylitis
- Multilevel Spondylitis
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Lumbar Spondylitis
- Lumbosacral Spondylitis
Where does Spondylitis occur?
Cervical Spondylitis arises in the neck’s cervical spine area, Lumbar Spondylitis develops lower in the lumbar spine region while Thoracic Spondylitis affects the upper and the midsections of the thoracic spine region. Out of all the mentioned disorders, lumbar Spondylitis and cervical Spondylitis are found to be prevalent in the larger population.
Symptoms of Spondylitis
In most cases, the top presented symptoms are not very severe to begin with. Actually, Even lumbar spondylitis, this disease is very common among many people, yet pinpoint symptoms are very rare. The possible manifestations may be among the following:
- Back pain and neck pain due to nerve compression
- Pinch nerve in the neck can cause back pain and shoulder pain and headache
- Nerve compression and lower back pain
- Pain running down to the leg
Diagnosis
The diagnosis procedure may include the following:
- Physical examination
- X-ray to check for bone spurs and other abnormalities
- CT scan to get detailed images of the neck
- EMG to check that nerves are functioning normally
- MRI helps the doctor to locate the pinched nerves
Medication
The doctor may recommend medication that helps the patient if over the counter medicine does provide ample relief, it includes:
- Narcotics for pain relief
- Muscle relaxant medicine like cyclobenzaprine, which relaxes the muscle and treats muscles spasms
- Anti-epileptic drug to relieve pain that is caused by nerve damage
- Steroid injection; it significantly reduces tissue inflammation and consequently alleviates pain
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Therapy
One notable luminary of treatment is the physical therapy which is regarded as being of most importance and might offer several advantages. Physical therapy assists in intervention of pain in the spine as well as increasing strength and flexibility. According to the needs of an individual, physio therapists prescribe therapy and exercise, sometimes even before a patient can approach them.
Surgery
If medication, therapy and other conservative treatments do not put a lot of effect, the doctor might recommend surgery if you are in severe pain.
