If you’ve visited a spine specialist because of persistent or severe back pain, you may have been diagnosed with a herniated disc . When you watch this video, you’ll see an animation of how a herniated disc can occur and how it might be treatable with spine surgery at a clinic in Los Angeles. The intervertebral discs of the spine provide cushioning and flexibility. When the exterior wall of a disc degenerates, it becomes more vulnerable to injury. A crack in the exterior wall can allow the inner material to protrude through to the outside. Subsequently, this material can compress a nearby nerve, leading to symptoms like back pain.

Spine surgery isn’t always necessary for herniated discs. In fact, many patients can find sufficient relief of their symptoms with conservative treatments like rest and physical therapy. But when the symptoms persist longer than six weeks, spine surgery might be recommended. The spine specialist can remove the herniated portion of the disc, which relieves pressure on the nerves.

Spine specialists in Los Angeles commonly use PRP treatments, or platelet rich plasma treatments, and stem cell injection therapy to treat spinal injuries and back pain. PRP treatments require your spine doctor to take blood from your veins, concentrate the platelets, and inject the platelets back into the injured part of the body. Stem cell injection therapy is more advanced, and can differentiate into new tissue that is lost, and stimulate the body’s repair response.

Watch this video to learn more about stem cell injection and PRP treatments. Your spine doctor may recommend stem cell injection if you suffer from a degenerative or chronic disease, and PRP treatments if you are suffering from sudden back pain due to a back injury or spine injury.

If you’re suffering from a spine injury in Los Angeles , a spine and pain center can provide non-operative spine care and minimally invasive spinal surgery. Minimally invasive spine surgery is less risky, has a shorter recovery time, and causes less post-surgery pain than traditional spine surgery.

A spine surgeon can perform minimally invasive spinal surgery using an endoscope, microscope, and a special retractor. This ensures that a very small incision can be made while still maintaining incredible precision and accuracy. Because of the tools that are used, minimally invasive spine surgery causes much less damage to your muscles and surrounding tissue than other forms of spine surgery would.

A less invasive procedure that causes less damage typically results in a shorter recovery time for you. Many patients experience very little post-spine surgery pain. Minimally invasive surgery also facilitates an increase in post-spine surgery spinal function over the long term, and patients are less likely to experience a recurrence of back pain.

In the past, spine surgery required long, complicated procedures that caused a lot of pain. Thanks to new advancements in the field, spinal surgeons are now able to perform these procedures with less pain and reduced recovery times. Keep reading to learn about the benefits of this minimally invasive surgery in Los Angeles :

It Is Highly Precise
When performing minimally invasive spinal procedures, a surgeon must rely on knowledge of the anatomy and state-of-the-art technology to reach a specific area of the spine. Because the procedure is so targeted, the surgeon is able to access and repair the exact areas needed. This is highly beneficial, as the spine is one of the most important parts of your body.

It Causes Less Pain
With the help of computer navigation and monitoring, surgeons can perform these minimally invasive procedures on such a specific area that patients feel much less pain during and after the procedure. Patients who get minimally invasive spinal surgery report less post-operative pain than those who have had traditional spinal surgery.

It Requires Less Recovery Time
By targeting the precise area that needs attention, a spinal surgeon can perform a procedure that requires much less recovery time than surgeries of the past. Without affecting other areas during the procedure, a minimally invasive procedure heals much faster than other more invasive surgeries. This means that the affected area can heal faster so a patient can regain function and return to his or her normal life.

It Is Not as Hard on the Body
Patients have much lower levels of blood loss during minimally invasive procedures, which reduces the risk for other surgical complications. Minimally invasive spine surgery does not have as much soft tissue damage as full procedures. It also leaves a much smaller incision and creates less scarring, while providing the patient with improved function.