Lower back pain is the second most common neurological condition after headaches in the United States, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Lower back pain may be caused by muscle spasms or injuries, or...
A lumbar or spinal fusion is an operation in which two or more of your vertebrae are fused, or joined together. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes you may be a candidate for a lumbar fusion if you have a degenerative disease in...
Lumbar fusion surgery will change your life, hopefully for the better. The surgery can relieve years of lower back pain, making physical activities like cycling not only possible but pain-free. The surgery is a serious one, however, and rushing...
The lumbar area of the spine, composed of the vertebrae from T11 to S3, often becomes damaged over time. Lumbar spinal fusion aims to reduce back pain by stabilizing the damaged area of the spine. Pain comes from inflammation in damaged discs or...
Your lumbar spine is composed of the five vertebrae at the base of your spine. Lumbar fusion surgery is performed to stop the motion at a painful or dysfunctional vertebral segment. The Spine Health website notes that several conditions may...
The incidence of spinal fusion surgery increased 220 percent from 1999 to 2001, according to research done by the University of Washington. More than 122,000 spinal fusion procedures were done in 2001. The most common reason for fusion was...
As long as you refrain from potentially dangerous movements such as lifting, bending, climbing ladders, stooping, squatting and twisting after lumbar fusion surgery, some exercise actually fosters healing. Normal movements such as walking,...
A lumbar spinal fusion is a surgery performed to relieve back pain. During the operation, the surgeon removes the lumbar disc and replaces it with a bone graft. The vertebral bones on each side of the graft fuse, forming one solid area of bone....
Anterior lumbar fusion--also called anterior lumbar interbody fusion, or ALIF--may relieve pain caused by instability in the spine. To stabilize damaged vertebrae, the surgeon inserts a bone graft to stimulate the healing process that eventually...
Lumbar fusion is surgery in which your surgeon fuses two vertebrae in the lumbar region -- the lower back. If you have a spinal misalignment, tumors or weakness that is causing pain or discomfort, your doctor might recommend a lumbar fusion to...
A lumbar fusion is major surgery, and it takes about three months to heal, according to Spine-Health. The immediate postoperative period is not a time to try to lose weight, and The Hospital for Special Surgery of the Women’s Sports Medicine...
A lumbar fusion is a surgical procedure that combines two vertebrae from a lower back misalignment. Exercise is the best long-term treatment for a lumbar fusion. Strength training can quell the symptoms associated with a lumbar fusion....
The spine consists of the spinal cord (which carries nerves from the brain throughout the body) and bones called vertebrae which surround the spinal cord and protect it. In between the vertebrae are structures called discs, which support and...
Lumbar fusion involves performing a bone graft to fuse two of the bones in your lower spine so they no longer move independently of each other. Return to normal activities can take up to six months, but in the meantime, exercises to strengthen the...
Lumbar, or spinal, fusion is a corrective surgery to repair sections of your spine that are damaged due to degenerative conditions. During the surgery, the bones in your spine will be fused, or glued together. Post-surgery, you'll participate in...
Fear of causing post-surgery complications after lumbar surgery is normal and healthy. Twisting motion, picking up heavy objects and excessive forward bending are certainly inadvisable, as these can put pressure on the lumbar spine in the lower...
A lumbar fusion is a surgical procedure in which two or more of your vertebrae are "welded" together to form one strong bone. This procedure is often used to help treat conditions such as degenerative disc disease, scoliosis or fractures,...
Anterior lumbar interbody fusion, or ALIF, is a surgical procedure in which the vertebrae within the lower spine are repaired utilizing an incision site within the abdomen. During this procedure, at least two vertebrae are joined together by...
Most people with lower back pain do not require surgery. However, in some cases, a procedure called spinal fusion may be beneficial. Fusion describes any surgery that allows two bones to grow, or fuse, together. Spinal fusion in the lumbar spine...
A lumbar spinal injury can result from a sports injury, an automobile accident or a household fall. Spinal fusion surgery may be required to repair the injury. In order to reduce pain and regain mobility, post-surgical exercises and physical...
Pain and instability in the vertebral joints of the lower spine cause many people to seek medical help. When conservative treatments such as medication, chiropractic adjustment or physical therapy fail to yield results, some may opt for surgery....
Lumbar spinal fusion surgery involves fusing spine bones, or vertebrae, together in the area of the spine between the ribs and hipbone, according to the MayoClinic.com. Fusing is a term used to describe two vertebrae bones being permanently placed...
Successful spinal fusion surgery can literally take the pain away from patients with chronic back pain caused by vertebral degeneration. A pro-and-con discussion of lumbar spinal fusion, however, should begin with considerations on the general...
Spinal fusion is designed to reduce pain in patients with damaged bones in the spine. Surgeons may perform the procedure through the abdomen, called the anterior approach, or through the back or posterior approach. A posterior lumbar inter-body...
The lumbar or lower back region is made up of five vertebrae, L1 through L5. The lumbar region is the area of the spine that controls a majority of your body's movement and flexibility. Over activity of the lower back muscles can lead to pain and...
Decompression and spinal fusion surgery are the most common surgeries used to treat problems with the lower back, according to the website Spine-Health. Decompression surgery consists of removing a small portion of the bone from the nerve root in...
Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure used to alleviate back or neck pain caused by damage to the small bones, or vertebrae, of the spine, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The surgeon places a bone graft between the...
The facet joints link the vertebrae on the spinal column. They are covered with articular cartilage, which helps cushion the bones. Arthritis can cause these joints to deteriorate, resulting in severe pain. Treatments like medication, surgery and...
The lumbar disc is the cushioning tissue between each spinal segment. When an abnormal pressure is placed on the disc, the jelly-like center can push the outer edges into contact with a spinal nerve and cause pain. Most back pain resolves with...
