Finally free from spine, disc and back pain

07.06.2011 Back pain is considered as the number one endemic health problem, affecting equally the young and the old."Acute pain, radiating into the legs, or discomfort that lasts longer than three days should be treated as soon as possible," explains Dr. Reinhard Schneiderhan, a spine specialist and orthopedic surgeon based in Munich. He has developed many methods of treatment, such as catheters, laser and heat probe technology. Many other specialists around the world have now adopted his gentle yet highly effective methods.

For the last 15 years the multidisciplinary team of specialists has offered a wide ränge of treatments in its international practice clinic. Out-patients and in-patients recieve spinal pain therapy using minimally invasive methods or surgical techniques which ränge from diso replacements, transplants of artificial disc cells to minimal invasive orthopedic Operations and Joint replacement surgery. In addition, the highly specialized medical experts have carried out more than 15,000 spinal catheter treatments in Europe and more than 12,000 laser-disc treatments and 17,000 heat probe treatments worldwide. Their experience is therefore unrivalled in this field.

Individual diagnosis for targeted treatment

Thanks to a special diagnosis concept, the team, headed by Dr. Schneiderhan, accurately determines the cause of pain. The interdiseiplinary collaboration of specialists combine orthopedics, neurosurgery, trauma surgery, neurology, radiology and general practice, and together produce a more coherent picture of test results.

Modern therapies alleviate Symptoms in a gentle way

Unfortunately, doctors often resort to surgery far too early and most of the time unnecessarily. However, nowadays a wide ränge of alternative methods exist that soothe back pains while treating the surrounding tissues with care. If conservative therapy is possible, then this will be the first choiee treatment. Physiotherapy for example can be carried out in many cases. Instead of open surgery, in most cases Dr. Schneiderhan uses minimally invasive alternative practices. Each of these methods takes usually only 40 to 60 minutes, enabling short hospital stays and faster recoveries. "With the exception of invertebral disc eulture, we offer all other procedures to all patients, as long as they are registered with a medical insurance scheme, have a health insurance certificate and they have been diagnosed with a medical condition that requires hospital treatment," explains Dr. Schneiderhan

Going behind the scenes: the spinal canal

Meanwhile, to understand the basic causes of the complaints, a new diagnostic method, called Epiduroscopy, is now available.
It is a process by which the spinal canal can be visualized. Only 1.2 millimeters wide, the epiduroscope can wind through numerous spinal struetures. "The image is so clear to us that we are able to make the distinetion between inflammation, adhesions, constrictions or remains of herniated dises and then act accordingly", clarifies Dr Schneiderhan.

Spinal catheter for herniated dises or pain relief aftera spinal operation

With the patient under a light anesthesia, the spine specialist uses a tailormade needle to place a small probe precisely in the location of the affected nerve root. Then he injeets a combination of drugs, chosen especially for the patient, several times right into the area of pain. Dr. Schneiderhan pointed out, "The administered painkillers calm irritated nerves and enzymes ease scarring near the spinal cord. Furthermore, a concentrated saline Solution shrinks the tissue that has been affecting the nerve."

Micro-Iaser therapy with quadruple effect

Disc problems are treated with modern micro-laser by back pain expert Dr. Schneiderhan. "We can reach inaccessible places thanks to a tiny 0.2 millimetre wide micro-needle", he explains. That's a major reason why the disc laser is inserted in the cervical spine. The laser energy shrinks tissues, welds small tears and breaks and stops fiber pain. The heat also halts the transmission of pain Signals to the brain.

Heat probe eliminates fiber pain in vertebral joints

The minimally invasive heat probe therapy is used to treat pain in the vertebral joints. Under local anesthesia, Dr Schneiderhan accurately leads a probe, measuring a mere 0.4 millimeters, into an affected vertebral Joint. Heated to 80 degrees celsius, the tip of the probe breaks the conduetivity of the fiber pain.

Small plastic implant helps spinal Stenosis

In the case of a spinal Stenosis, the spinal canal (through which the spinal cord and nerves run) is narrowed. Using the new MAXXSPINE method, the neurosurgeons widen the spinal canal by placing a small plastic implant exactly between the spinous processes of two vertebrae. "The space between the vertebrae is widened which reduces the pressure on the nerves and vertebral joints," said Dr. Frank Sommer, a neurosurgeon at Dr. Schneiderhan's Medical Clinic.

Artificial intervertebral disc and VertiFlex to sustain the spinal flexibility

In the case of more severe bone degeneration, an artificial disc is an appropriate Solution. Using minimally invasive surgery the specialists remove worn dises, correct the position of the vertebrae and anchor the prosthesis with two titanium plates with small teeth on the top and bottom. The benefits of the treatment are: the natural anatomy is restored and mobility of the spine is maintained without any injury to the back muscles or nerves. In the case of a narrowed spine canal the VertiFlex technology enables a dynamic stabilisation. "With the new Dynabolt shock absorber the mobility remains largely preserved" explains Dr. Samer Ismail, neurosurgeon at the clinic.

Vesselplasty and Vertebroplasty: repairing the vertebrae

Two minimally invasive procedures help rebuild vertebrae damaged by osteoporosis. With vertebroplasty, Dr. Schneiderhan introduces a thin needle into the vertebral body and injeets liquid bone cement into the vertebra. Within hours, the cement hardens and stabilizes the vertebra. If there already is a distortion the so-called vesselplasty creates a remedy. Before the injeetion of bone cement the vertebral body is straightened with the help of a balloon, which is then filled with bone cement.