Vertiflex Procedure
Individuals suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis often have trouble with simple activities, like walking and standing straight. Remedy Pain Solutions provides a wide range of interventional and regenerative treatments to address the root cause of chronic pain, encouraging your body to heal itself. However, if all methods fail, we use the Vertiflex procedure to ensure optimal results, liberating you from constant pain and weakness. Please schedule a consultation with our interventional pain specialists in Marina del Rey to discuss your candidacy for the Vertiflex procedure.
What is the Vertiflex Procedure?
The Vertiflex procedure is a non-surgical, non-narcotic, and clinically-proven solution to lumbar spinal stenosis. The procedure involves implanting an FDA-approved medical device into the affected spinal regions to reverse spinal compression, taking pressure off the spinal nerves causing pain. The Vertiflex device can be planted into the spinal column in less than 30 minutes, and it’s a completely reversible procedure with no severe complications or side effects. Patients report almost immediate relief from chronic pain after the Vertiflex procedure.
What is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?
The spine consists of numerous bones called the vertebrae, responsible for most of your body’s movements, stability, and flexibility. The spinal cord also consists of nerves that run amongst the vertebrae, carrying sensory signals into other parts of the brain and your body. Besides the nerves and vertebrae, the spinal cord consists of numerous other components, such as ligaments and intervertebral discs.
Over time, age-related wear-and-tear, injuries, and underlying conditions can damage the ligaments, vertebrae, and intervertebral discs. Furthermore, as the intervertebral discs are worn down, the space between the vertebrae is narrowed, thereby entrapping or pinching the nerve roots. Lumbar spinal stenosis is a condition wherein the narrowing of the intervertebral spaces in the lower back compresses the nerves, leading to chronic pain.
The following are common symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis:
- Constant pain while walking or standing still
- Weakness and exhaustion in the legs
- Loss of optimal posture and balance
- Loss of physical endurance
- Numbness in the buttocks, legs, or back
- Tingling in the buttocks, legs, or back
- Dull aching sensations in the back
The Vertiflex procedure is the ideal solution for lumbar spinal stenosis because it holds the compressed vertebrae apart to restore the optimal space between them, taking the pressure off the spinal nerves.
Candidates for the Vertiflex Procedure
Remedy Pain Solutions is led by nationally-recognized interventional pain specialists who conduct numerous tests to ensure you’re a viable candidate for the Vertiflex procedure. They review your health history, discuss your symptoms, and perform physical tests to narrow down the root cause of your chronic pain. They also run advanced diagnostic tests, like CT scans, MRIs, and X-rays to visualize the underlying spinal cord, identifying the compressed vertebrae responsible for lumbar spinal stenosis.
We generally use conservative treatments, epidural injections, and regenerative medicine to repair the damaged tissues. However, if all non-invasive methods fail to yield results, we recommend the Vertiflex procedure for pain relief after careful consideration. However, generally speaking, you’re a suitable candidate for the Vertiflex procedure if you’ve been diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis and other treatments haven’t worked sufficiently. Please talk to our pain specialists to determine if you’re a candidate for this procedure.
The Vertiflex Procedure
The Vertiflex procedure is performed as an outpatient procedure that concludes within 30 minutes. After you lie face down on the table, the pain specialist cleanses the treatment area and delivers local anesthesia to ensure comfort. A small 0.5-inch incision is made on the treatment area to insert a small dime-sized tube (dilator) under fluoroscopic guidance. The dilator moves the surrounding tissues out of the way to access the compressed vertebrae and places the Vertiflex implant. Once the implant is positioned correctly, its wings are opened up to make it lodge firmly in place.
Recovering from the Vertiflex Procedure
Most patients report an almost instant reduction in pain after the Vertiflex procedure. You should avoid strenuous activities for at least six weeks after the Vertiflex procedure, but you can resume most normal activities in a few days. Your pain specialists will also recommend a series of physical exercises or a physical therapist to strengthen your spine, muscles, and core. Studies have shown that patients are completely satisfied with the procedure after 60 months.
