What is a laminotomy?

A laminotomy procedure is designed to relieve a compressed nerve in the back of the spinal cord. Your spine consists of several vertebra stacked on top of each other, with cushiony discs in between each vertebra to let the spine move freely. The back of each vertebra has a small bone, called the lamina. The lamina come together to form the back wall of your spinal canal — the area in which your spinal cord runs.

Some spine conditions cause the lamina to compress one of the nerves in the spinal cord, usually creating both a localized and shooting pain in the leg or arm. The main spine condition that causes this problem is spinal stenosis, which is the narrowing of the spinal canal. Our minimally invasive laminotomy procedure uses advanced technology to remove the portion of the lamina that is engaging the nerve and causing pain.

Patients who have spine conditions that compress the nerves in the spinal cord, such as spinal stenosis, herniated discs, and bone spurs, often live with chronic neck or back pain. The chronic pain caused by these spine conditions can prevent you from doing the hobbies and activities that you love. In some severe cases, they might cause difficulty with your everyday activities, such as walking, sitting, and working.

What are the advantages of a laminotomy?

At Total Spine & Orthopedics, our goal is to help you reclaim your life by offering minimally invasive spine surgeries that help relieve the chronic pain associated with spine conditions. Our patient-centered care means that you will receive the best treatment option for your needs. We believe that health care should always be personalized. That is why we do a comprehensive evaluation of each patient before deciding the most appropriate treatment option to pursue.

Our laminotomy procedure is aimed at relieving nerve pressure found in the back of your spinal canal. If you have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a herniated or bulging disc, or other obstructive spine conditions, please read further to see if our laminotomy procedure is right for you.

What conditions can be treated with a laminotomy?

Nerve compression in the spinal canal can be caused by several spine conditions. A comprehensive review of each patient’s most recent MRI and health records help our Patient Empowerment Consultants determine the cause of your pain and the best course of action for your treatment. The most common causes of nerve compression in the spinal canal include:

• Bone spurs
• Pinched nerve
• Spinal stenosis
• Herniated disc
• Bulging disc
• Arthritis of the spine

What symptoms can a laminotomy relieve?

Symptoms caused by a compressed nerve in the spinal canal can be different for everyone. Symptoms depend on the reason the nerve is compressed (see spine conditions above), the individual and the severity of the spine condition. However, there are some common symptoms that most people experience before undergoing our laminotomy procedure:

• Weakness in extremities — When a nerve is compressed in the back of the spine, it might not be able to send strong signals to the correlating extremity. For this reason, you may experience weakness in your arm or leg, depending on the location of the compressed nerve.

• Pain and discomfort — If the nerve is in your lower back, you may experience pain or stiffness in your lower back when standing or walking for too long.

• Balance problems — If you are experiencing pain and weakness in your leg, you might also experience balance problems due to the compressed nerve in your back.

Contact us today if you would like to learn more about us or how we may be able to help you.