Treatment Options:
Laminectomy
What is a Laminectomy?
On the back of your vertebra, there is the lamina. This is what covers over your spinal canal. A laminectomy is a procedure where the lamina is removed, thereby increasing the size of your spinal canal and removing pressure on the spinal cord and spinal nerves. Pressure on a spinal nerve or the spinal cord can cause severe pain in the neck, back, arms and legs. Laminotomy is an effective way to relieve a compressed nerve in the spinal cord.
What conditions are Laminectomies used to treat?
You may benefit from a laminectomy if some or all of the following conditions are true:
- Conservative treatments have failed to improve your condition
- Nerve compression has led to muscle weakness that affects your ability to stand or walk
- You are experiencing incontinence as a result of nerve compression
Among the spinal conditions that may be treatable with laminotomy are:
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Herniated disc
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Sciatica
- Spondylosis (also known as spinal osteoarthritis)