Approximately eight out of ten people will struggle with back pain at some point in their lives. As the life expectancy of humans continues to increase, cases of chronic back and neck pain also increase as a result of longer lifespans increasing stress on the body. In fact, chronic back pain is the leading cause of disability around the world. While acute back and neck pain can be treated with conservative care like medication and physical therapy, some cases do not respond to these approaches. Traditionally, open surgery has been the gold standard to provide patients with relief, but it comes with many risks. Newer approaches using minimally invasive surgical procedures show significant benefits to patients experiencing chronic back pain with fewer risks related to blood loss, infection, and surgical time.
Learning Objectives:
Describe the common causes of chronic spinal pain and their impact on nerve function and patient symptoms
Explain the evolution of spine surgery from open to minimally invasive and ultimately to ultra-minimally invasive techniques
Identify the indications and benefits associated with ultra-minimally invasive procedures such as medial branch transection and discectomy
