Adjacent segment disease is a condition that can develop in the spine in the wake of a previous surgery, oftentimes spinal fusion. When hardware is inserted into the spine to provide extra support and stability, it changes how stress is dispersed through the spine, and this change can lead to issues for the spinal segments nearest the hardware. These adjacent segments sometimes end up dealing with new problems of their own, leading to the aforementioned adjacent segment disease. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at how adjacent segment disease can be treated.
Adjacent Segment Disease Conditions And Issues
When hardware is inserted or vertebral sections are fused together, the loss in mobility at this spinal segment ends up putting more strain on the adjacent segments that can still bend normally. Over time, this additional stress can lead to a few different issues, including:
- Bone spurs
- Degenerative arthritis
- Degenerative spondylolisthesis
- Herniated Discs
- Spinal Stenosis
- Radiculopathy
Symptoms will vary based on the underlying condition, but many patients deal with a combination of localized pain, discomfort that radiates down the extremities, stiffness, swelling, numbness and a pins and needles like sensation along their spinal column. Needless to say, these symptoms can affect your daily life, and you’ll want to get started on treatment in short order before symptoms progressively get worse.
Treating Adjacent Segment Disease
Treatment will obviously depend on the specific underlying issue that you are dealing with, as treatment for bone spurs will be different than the treatment you will receive for spinal stenosis. With that said, a number of the previously mentioned issues that can develop with adjacent segment disease tend to respond well to conservative care techniques. And while the specifics of each treatment will be tailored to your individual needs, here’s a look at some of the treatments that may be in your future.
- Physical Therapy – Physical therapy uses controlled movements to help strengthen structures and ensure that your spine is able to handle the stress that you throw at it. Used properly, it can help to calm irritation from bone spurs or help a herniated disc realign itself. Sticking with a PT program can also make it much less likely that an issue will return in the future.
- Rest/Activity Avoidance – Short-term rest and activity avoidance can also protect a vulnerable area from additional trauma. We don’t want you to lay in bed forever and expect to make a full recovery, but at the same time, being a little careful about the activities you pursue while your spine is recovering can help to ensure healing stays on track. Be active, but be smart about your activity.
- Corticosteroid Injections – A corticosteroid injection can help to provide some temporary pain relief, but they oftentimes aren’t a great long-term solution. However, if you pair an injection with physical therapy and exercise, you may be able to get the most benefit out of the injection. Don’t view injections as a stand-alone option, but rather as an amazing complementary component of your recovery.
- Anti-Inflammatory Medications – Anti-inflammatory medications are also a good complementary treatment for reducing swelling and discomfort and making it easier to pursue physical therapy.
In the event that the above treatments fail, surgery may be recommended. Again, this operation would be specific to your need and could involve a debridement, a decompression, a fusion or a different procedure. Your spine specialist can walk you through the specifics of your procedure should it come to this, but oftentimes conservative techniques provide enough relief that surgery is not needed. For more information, or for help with a different spinal issue, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
