Spinal decompression for neck pain
Spinal decompression surgery reduces pressure on the spinal cord
or spinal nerve roots and may reduce neck pain. To relieve the pressure, your health professional may remove:
- Bony growths (osteophytes) and fibrous tissue that are narrowing the spinal canal
- Parts of the vertebrae (laminectomy) to enlarge the spinal canal, thus relieving pressure on the spinal nerve roots.
- Disc material (discectomy) from a herniated disc
In some cases, once bone and disc material are removed, the affected bone (vertebrae) parts may be joined together (spinal fusion) to stabilize them.
Surgery is only done to relieve severe symptoms of neck pain caused by pressure on the nerve roots (especially from a herniated disc). This pressure on the nerve roots may also cause arm pain, numbness, or tingling. In these cases, surgery successfully relieves pain 80% to 90% of the time.1 However, even neck pain caused by pressure on the nerve roots is usually first treated without surgery.2
| Author: | Carrie Henley Monica Rhodes | Last Updated: October 16, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine Robert B. Keller, MD - Orthopedics | |
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