In December’s first blog, we got into lumbar spinal stenosis, its causes, and how treatment usually progresses. Those treatments often involve surgery, either a laminectomy or spinal fusion, to address the nerve compression that is spinal stenosis.
But Dr. Trujillo and Summit Healthcare Pain Clinic may have a better option for you. It’s called mild® and we’ll detail how it works in this final blog of a forgettable COVID year.
Who is right for mild® treatment?
Not every patient with lumbar spinal stenosis can have mild® treatment. During your appointment to see if it can work for you, Dr. Trujillo will go through your medical history and various possible tests:
- Check limitations in mobility, standing duration, walking distance ability
- MRI, CTs scan, or X-rays — Imaging tests that show bone, ligament, and discs
- Myelogram — Spinal canal x-ray
As with all pain treatments, he’ll begin with the most conservative options, such as physical therapy, medication, possible steroid injections, maybe spinal cord stimulation. If those don’t relieve your pain, and if you have a specific buildup of bone and ligament tissue that is causing your compression, mild® treatment could be the next step.
How is mild® done?
mild® is an FDA-cleared procedure that has been performed safely on thousands of patients. After applying local anesthesia, Dr. Trujillo makes a tiny incision, smaller than a child’s aspirin tablet. Fluoroscopy is then used to guide Dr. Trujillo to the precise site of the nerve compression. Through this incision he inserts specialized tools designed specifically for mild® procedures. These tools are then used to remove small pieces of bone spur and excess ligament that have created the narrowing in the spinal canal. This creates more space for the nerves in the canal. This decreases or eliminates the nerve compression, which reduces pain and restores mobility.
The procedure takes less than 1 hour. There isn’t use of general anesthesia. There are no implants or stitches. The small incision can usually be closed with only a Steri-strip.
Documented results
As mentioned above, mild® is an FDA-cleared treatment. Clinical studies used to gain FDA clearance have shown that it is a safe procedure that can help patients stand longer and walk farther, with very low risk. Studies have shown an increase is standing time from 8 to 56 minutes. Walking distance increases rise from 246 feet to 3,956 feet. Pain is reduced by 53 percent.
Interested in doing something about your lumbar spinal stenosis without resorting to open surgery and fusion? Call us at Summit Healthcare Pain Clinic, (855) 768-4968. We can help.
