Lumbar fusion Essay -- Health, Diseases, Back Pain

In 1993, Will, a 49-year-old pipeline welder started experiencing lynchpin pain. At first base he believed the pain was due to normal muscle strain subsequently achievementing hard on the job, but many years afterward the pain serene hadnt subsided, and had become increasingly worse. In 2002, Will was experiencing higher(prenominal) levels of pain in his light back, and pain traveling down the back of his left leg. Over the course of a year this pain grew into a stabbing sensation in his thigh, that would come and go in galvanising shock like bursts. Will was having a difficut time working with fast onsets of debilitating pain so he decided to take nearly time off from work and consult his doctor.Wills first examination by his primary care physician consisted of testing his flexibility and checking his back muscles for maladroitness and spasms after performing load bearing exercises. Wills doctor found signs of a muscle strain, so he sent him home with a ethical drug of i buprofen, and advised Will to take some time off work to rest. Taking things easy after two weeks off from work hadnt meliorate Wills condition, so he returned to wait his doctor. X-rays were taken and the doctor discovered signs of arthritis in Wills spikelet. The doctor wasnt sure of his diagnosis, so he reffered Will to a spine therapy specialist to undergo physical therapy in hopes that the pain might be alleviated after strengthening the back muscles. If the back pain still didnt improve after taking these measures, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the lumbar sphere of influence would be considered. Low back pain is the fifth most vernacular reason for all physician visits in the United States, 1 so when doctors see patients with cases of chronic lower back pain like Wills, they typically educe medicati... ...her big consideration is that artificial disc replacement surgery requires an earlier approach through the stomach, and can cause major damage to important blood vessels, intestines, and urinary system components. Wills herniated discs are located in the lower lumbar region, and these vertabae have a low degree of flexation compared to vertabrae higher up in the spine. This means that replacement discs wont aid that much in retaining mobility, and lumbar fusion wont reduce flexation by that high of a degree. The bewilder of the surgeon should also be taken into consideration, and few surgeons have adequate experience with total disc replacement at this time. These reasons lead me to believe that a lumbar fusion would be the safest surgery for Will, providing adequate pain relief, and wouldnt qualify his range of motion enough to warrant replacement discs.