A new minimally invasive procedure is hitting its mark with certain types of low back and leg pain sufferers, significantly reducing their pain and disability.
Called X-stop, the procedure is designed to help relieve pain symptoms as a result of spinal stenosis, a condition effecting more than 400,000 Americans, most over the age of 60.
According to Paul Maurer, M.D., associate professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center, the simple, straightforward nature of the X-stop device and the procedure itself make it a great option for patients suffering with spinal stenosis.
“X-stop is really an exciting breakthrough, for it gives us a chance to cure or greatly diminish pain associated with spinal stenosis once conservative treatments have failed,” Maurer said. “The procedure can be done in a about a half hour, does not require the removal of any bone or soft tissue, and in some cases, the patient can even go home the same day.”
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back. The degenerative condition occurs gradually as we age as a result of the “wear and tear” on the spine from everyday activities. This narrowing can squeeze and irritate the nerves that branch out from the spinal cord, causing back pain, leg pain, general weakness, and a loss of balance.
Mild and moderate pain symptoms can be controlled with pain medicines, exercise, physical therapy and even a corticosteroid shot that reduces inflammation. However, for about 20 percent of spinal stenosis sufferers, a laminectomy is the only option that effectively relieves significant leg pain. During this surgical procedure, part of the vertebrae is removed to create space for nerves, relieving pressure on the spinal cord or the spinal nerve roots. Patients stay in the hospital between two and three days, and often face two or three months of recovery time.