Issue 25.17
No pain, no gain. Thousands of athletes live by this motto. But what if your pain is not the result of your workout but something you live with every day?
Back and leg pain affects millions of Americans every year, causing loss of mobility, lost work, and frustration. The thought of invasive back surgery, with possible problems such as surgical scars, lengthy recovery time and time off from work, is a difficult prospect. However, there is now a treatment option that provides patients with new alternatives for a pain-free life.
The FDA recently approved a new treatment option for moderate Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS):
The Superion ® Indirect Decompression System (IDS) is a safe and effective treatment for leg pain caused by moderate lumbar stenosis. This minimally invasive treatment fills the gap between conservative care and invasive surgery. The board certified physicians at Southwest Spine and Pain are the first and currently only physicians in Utah to be trained in this therapy.
Lumbar spinal stenosis can be the result of aging and “wear and tear” on the spine from everyday activities. It is a narrowing of the spinal canal that may result in pain, numbness, tingling and/or weakness in the back and legs and is usually more noticeable when you walk and decreases when you sit or bend forward. Lumbar spinal stenosis can produce a variety of symptoms:
• a dull or aching pain spreading to your groin, buttocks or legs
• a numbness or “pins and needles” in your legs, calves, or buttocks
• a decreased endurance for physical activities
• loss of balance
• sciatic pain
If you suspect you may have stenosis, see your doctor. It is important to rule out other
conditions that have similar symptoms. Radiology tests, like MRIs or x-rays, may be needed to
diagnose LSS.
Conservative, non-surgical treatments options are the first approach and can begin with:
−Epidural steroid injections to decrease swelling and pain
−Rest and reduce activity level
−Physical therapy and exercise
−Prescription pain medications
If these non-surgical treatment options offer no relief, you may require a more aggressive
treatment, such as surgery. Historically, the surgical alternatives were:
− Direct decompression surgery to remove bone and other tissue around the nerves
causing pain. This surgery helps relieve pressure on your spinal cord and nerves.
−Decompression surgery with spinal fusion. In spinal fusion, a decompression surgery
is performed to remove bone and tissue. Then a bone graft is placed between the bones
(usually vertebrae) in the area of the decompression surgery. The bone graft helps new
bone to grow between the two bones to “fuse” them. This should stop motion in that
portion of the spine. Screws and rods may be used to hold the bones in place.
However, if you have moderate LSS with radiating leg pain and have been treated with non-
surgical options for at least 6 months with no relief from your symptoms, there is another option before direct decompression or fusion surgery: The Superion IDS. The Superion implant is a small titanium device available in different sizes to best match your spinal anatomy. It is
inserted through a small incision in the lower back. The Superion implant is delivered with no
destruction of bone or tissue and minimal bleeding. The simple procedure can be completed in
under one hour and can be done in either the operating room at the hospital or at an out-patient surgical center.
The Superion implant is designed to keep your spine positioned so that when you stand upright
the nerves in your back will not be pinched. You should not need to bend forward to relieve
your pain with the Superion implant in place.
The Superion IDS has gone through a rigorous clinical trial and has been implanted in more than
2,000 patients worldwide. The clinical trial results showed leg pain improvement equal to more
traditional—and invasive—treatment options. At four years after surgery, almost 90% of the
patients in the clinical trial expressed continuing satisfaction.
This new treatment for LSS offers a minimally invasive approach to treating moderate lumbar
stenosis that means hope for relief of ongoing pain without the long recovery of traditional
decompression surgery. Have you been down the treatment road already? If the epidurals and
other conservative treatments didn’t provide the relief for which you were hoping, talk to your
doctor about the Superion Indirect Decompression System. A life with less pain and more
movement could be in your future.
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION?
If you have lumbar spinal stenosis and would like to see if you are a candidate for this procedure, please contact Southwest Spine and Pain Center to schedule a consultation with one of our board certified spine and pain specialists that have been trained in the vertiflex procedure. Southwest Spine and Pain has the only physicians trained in this procedure in Utah.
For more information Dr. Frieden can be contacted at 435-656-2424.
Derek Frieden, M.D. completed his fellowship training in interventional pain management at Harvard Medical Center. He has lived and practiced in Southern and Central Utah for the past twelve years, and previously served as the director of Spine and Pain Medicine at Dixie Regional Medical Center. In addition to being a dedicated clinical research investigator, Dr. Frieden specializes in the evaluation and treatment of painful spinal conditions and multiple painful disorders, utilizing the latest technologies including image-guided minimally invasive procedures