Spinal decompression surgery ©Rhumour

Lower spine surgery

When my MRI scans a couple of years ago showed very significant narrowing of the canal in which the spinal cord is held in my lumbar/sacral vertebrae, a result of arthritis and stenosis (In lumbar stenosis, the spinal nerve roots in the lower back are compressed, causing sciatica - tingling, weakness or numbness that radiates from the low back and into the buttocks and legs). I was advised to have decompression surgey to relieve pressure on the cord and radiating nerves, thereby reducing the risks of further damage. 

In my case, the original damage dates back into the mid seventies, when I experienced whiplash to my neck and a burst disc in the lumbar region as

Spinal decompression surgery

Modern surgical techniques are offering benefits to many people who have had spinal injuries in road traffic accidents, etc, or who have arthritis and other degenerative problems with their spine.  As I have benefitted from such surgery, I would like to offer some insight into these procedures in the hope that it may help  others who are considering the offer of similar procedures.