Spinal Decompression

Spinal decompression provides long-lasting relief from pain caused by pinched spinal nerves. Roland Reinhart, MD, and his experienced team specialize in minimally invasive lumbar decompression, which treats compressed nerves caused by lumbar (lower back) spinal stenosis. The mild® procedure is safe and effective; you can return to most activities the next day. If your pain doesn’t improve with conventional medical care, it’s time to contact the office of Roland Reinhart, MD, in Palm Desert, California. Contact the team through online booking or call the office today to learn more about spinal decompression.

What is spinal decompression?

The nerves traveling through your spine can become pinched after an injury or by a degenerative spine condition. Spinal decompression refers to several minimally invasive procedures to treat pinched spinal nerves.

Most spinal decompression surgeries remove pieces of the vertebra. While these procedures enlarge the opening and ease your pain, they usually require a spinal fusion to restabilize your spine.

At the office of Roland Reinhart, MD, the team specializes in minimally invasive spinal decompression, better known as the mild procedure, a treatment for nerve compression caused by lumbar (lower back) spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal). The mild procedure is a proprietary process of Vertos Medical Inc.

The mild procedure doesn’t alter the vertebrae or require spinal fusion. Instead, it eases your pain by making a tiny opening and removing the tissues pinching the nerves.

Why does spinal stenosis need a decompression procedure?

The nerves in the spinal canal travel through openings in the vertebrae. The space in these protective pathways narrows when tissues protrude into the openings. When any opening narrows, you have a condition called spinal stenosis.

Common causes of spinal stenosis include:

• Herniated discs
• Thickened ligaments
• Degenerative disc disease
• Bone spurs
• Slipped vertebrae (spondylolisthesis)

As a damaged disc, ligament, or bone juts into the bony openings, they compress the nerves.

What symptoms might indicate I need spinal decompression?

Lumbar spinal stenosis causes lower back pain in the area of the pinched nerves. The pain can be severe enough to limit your movement. You might also have pain and tingling shooting down your legs. A severely damaged nerve causes numbness and muscle weakness.

What happens during a mild procedure for spinal decompression?

Your provider applies a local anesthetic and gives you a sedative, allowing you to stay awake and comfortable during the procedure. They make a small opening (poke hole) in your lower back.

They insert a specially designed mild device through the opening to remove pieces of bone and ligaments pushing against the nerve. This restores the opening, eliminates nerve compression, and relieves your pain.

The mild procedure takes about an hour. After recovering in the clinic, you can go home that day. Though your provider will ask you to rest for the remainder of the day, most people return to their activities without limitations the next day.

Call the office of Roland Reinhart, MD, today or contact the team using online booking to learn if you’re a candidate for spinal decompression with the mild procedure.