A herniated disc causes disc tissue to leak into the spinal canal and, in the worst case, compresses the spinal cord. This clinical picture can occur anywhere in the spine, but is most common in the lumbar spine. The first symptom is usually back pain. This is caused by irritation (stretching or tearing) of the intervertebral disc and/or stabilising ligaments. If the pain increases, it can lead to a dysfunctional or crooked posture of the body and tension in the back muscles.
This can trigger various symptoms, such as neck pain in the case of a
herniated disc in the cervical spine
or (electrifying) pain in the shoulders or arms
herniated disc in the lumbar spine
pain radiating to the buttocks and legs
. This pain corresponds to the respective supply area of the irritated nerve. Severe and persistent pressure on the spinal nerve can lead to neurological deficits. These usually begin with sensory disturbances (numbness, "falling asleep", tingling, "formication") in the area supplied by the affected nerve. As the symptoms progress, the individual muscles and muscle groups in the arms, hands, legs and feet supplied by the affected nerve become paralysed.
Physiotherapy and pain therapy can alleviate the symptoms, but if the findings are pronounced and the neurological symptoms increase, only surgery can provide relief.
In the case of herniated discs in the cervical spine, surgery can be performed from the front or back, depending on the position of the herniated disc. Herniated discs in the lumbar spine are operated on from behind. Under anaesthetic, a small incision is made to microsurgically remove the protruding disc tissue from the spinal canal and create space for the affected nerve. Depending on the location of the herniated disc, endoscopic surgery is also possible in some cases. If paralysis (= loss of strength) caused by the herniated disc existed before the operation, recovery may occur depending on the duration of the pressure on the nerve.

In the case of spinal canal stenosis, bony and connective tissue growths cause narrowing in the area of the spinal canal, which can also exert pressure on the spinal cord or a nerve. These can occur anywhere in the spinal column. They occur most frequently in the lumbar and cervical spine.
The first symptom is usually lumbar back or neck pain. As the condition progresses, lumbar stenosis often causes pain to radiate into the buttocks and legs. This leads to a pain-related shortening of the walking distance (spinal claudication). Stenosis of the cervical spine often leads to gait instability and impaired fine motor skills in the arms and hands. Severe and persistent pressure on the spinal nerve can lead to neurological deficits. These usually begin with sensory disturbances (numbness, "falling asleep", tingling, "formication") in the area supplied by the affected nerve. At rest, however, there are sometimes no symptoms. If the loss progresses, the individual muscles and muscle groups in the arms, hands, legs and feet supplied by the affected nerve become paralysed.
In many cases, physiotherapy and pain therapy can alleviate the symptoms, but in severe cases only surgery can provide relief. It is important that the operation primarily treats the radiating pain. This operation has little or no effect on the back pain due to signs of wear and tear on the vertebral joints.

With increasing age, the spine, in particular the intervertebral discs and vertebral joints, can show increasing signs of wear and tear. In the most unfavourable case, this can lead to movement-dependent displacement of vertebral bodies lying on top of each other, known as spondylolisthesis.
This instability causes position-dependent, deep-seated back pain, which can also radiate into the legs under certain circumstances. This clinical picture usually occurs in combination with a narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal canal stenosis). If conservative measures (physiotherapy, pain therapy) have not sufficiently alleviated the symptoms, surgery may be considered. This primarily involves microsurgical widening of the spinal canal and connecting the unstable section of the spine with a screw and rod system and a spacer between the vertebrae. This "stiffening" prevents further pain-inducing movement of the vertebral bodies against each other. As it takes around 6-8 weeks for the screws to heal, follow-up rehabilitation should be avoided.

Inflammatory changes in the spine primarily require non-surgical treatment. In the absence of neurological disorders, such as paralysis, bladder or rectal disorders, antibiotic therapy is primarily used, the response to which must be checked regularly using magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, the spine is immobilised using an adapted corset. If, however, the inflammatory changes increase or new neurological symptoms occur, surgical treatment is necessary. This operation removes inflammatory tissue and immobilises the spinal column section.
During this operation, screws are inserted into the affected vertebral bodies and connected using rods to immobilise the segment with inflammatory changes.

Fractures (breaks) can occur in the entire spinal column as a result of violence to the spine, for example due to an accident or fall. Depending on the extent, severity and localisation of the injury, this can result in pain, paralysis or even paraplegia. Unstable injuries should therefore be treated quickly.
Depending on the type of injury, this operation is performed from the front or back. In some cases, a combination of both procedures may be necessary in order to create sufficient stability in the injured area of the spine.
In posterior surgery, a rod-screw system is used to create stability in the affected section of the spine. If surgery from the front is necessary, the affected section of the spine is stabilised using plates, screws or a placeholder. Depending on the extent of the injury, surgery from the back can be performed openly via a straight skin incision or minimally invasively (percutaneously = through a small incision in the skin). The procedure from the front is performed by open surgery.

Severe back pain can occur with fresh fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine. In some cases, the insertion of special bone cement into the fractured vertebral body can significantly alleviate the symptoms.

Ileosacral joint arthrosis usually causes pain in the area of the lumbar spine and buttocks. The pain may radiate into the thigh. These symptoms can often be completely treated with physiotherapy, if necessary with injections into the joint. In a few cases, relief can only be achieved through surgery and the insertion of a screw into the sacroiliac joint.

Tumour diseases always require individually tailored therapy. This is always due to the origin of the tumour metastasis on or in the spinal column. Treatment consists of surgery, but also possible follow-up treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. All surgical measures and the necessary therapies can be carried out at our clinic.