How the Spine Can Cause Numbness or Weakness in Your Extremities?

Why you should see a fellowship trained Spine Surgeon for your referred pain symptoms.

What is referred pain?

Many problems of the spine come down to compression of the nerves. Whether it be because the spine has naturally compressed over time or because of a traumatic injury; it’s important to understand how best to address and remedy the problem. This compression leads to what is called rediculopathy and/or referred pain. This is why many people have symptoms of pain in their arms and hands or legs and feet when the nerves of the spine are compressed.

Do you have lower back or buttocks pain that runs down into your thigh or beyond the knee into one leg? Your doctor may diagnose your symptoms as “sciatica”. Sciatica is a term doctors use to describe pain and sensations caused by compression of the sciatica nerve. This compression is normally caused by a disc herniation or a bone spur pressing on one of the nerves in the lower back

Sensations, or unusual feelings may include numbness, tingling, pins and needles, and sometimes pain described as electric-shock-like. As you can see in the image below, pain and sensations can travel along the sciatic nerve well into the leg. Depending upon the individual nerve that is affected, pain can radiate only into the buttocks or all the way down to the foot.

Sciatica pain radiates along the sciatic nerve, usually from the low back, down the buttocks, into the thigh and leg. One hallmark of classic sciatica is the pain and symptoms are felt below the knee and sometimes into the foot and great toe. Usually, sciatica only affects one side of the lower body.

What is a Fellowship Trained Spine Surgeon?

The only group you should trust to surgically treat problems of the spine are those who have completed a fellowship in spines. Many people are unaware that doctors complete medical degree’s that allow them to practice medicine then, if so inclined and qualified, can further their education and training by specializing in a particular field of medicine such as Neuro Surgery or Orthopedic Surgery. Then only after distinguishing themselves as extraordinary surgeons in these programs can they apply for Fellowship Spine. Spine Fellowships are very specialized programs that only except the best of the best and in very limited quantities per year to produce the best surgeons in this field of Surgery. During this program, doctors work under some of the nations most acclaimed minds in the field of the spine to learn the latest and most effective ways to treat ailments of the spine. These programs can only be attended by those who have distinguished themselves as extraordinary surgeons in their prospective related field. who are qualified to be eligible for fellowship training in Spine: Orthopedic Surgeons and Neuro Surgeons. Being accepted to a spine fellowship program is no easy thing to accomplish. In order for a attend you must have distinguished yourself excellent surgeon becomes an expert in the diagnosis and treatments of the spine. All spine fellows treat all manner of spinal issues from the neck to the lower back. So when you look at selecting a doctor you may want to consider their specialized training prior to Spine. At the Next Generation Orthopedic and Spine Institute, patients find out how effective Dr. Anthony Owusu, Orthopedic Spine Surgeon can be at resolving their issues. Because Orthopedic Surgeons are trained to look at all manners of bone, joint, muscle, and tendon ailments this specialty is uniquely trained to rule out all other injuries before concluding that the spine is the cause of the problem. His training at the TBI in Dallas Texas is a program with both Neuro and Ortho Instructors world renowned for the outcomes and excellence in training. This ensures that each fellow understands not only how to fuse a spine and safely address issues the spinal cord and nerve roots but out to holistically treat each patient uniquely.

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