Low Back Pain and Sciatica and Nucleoplasty

Nucleoplasty is one of the newer, less-invasive surgical procedures. This procedure typically uses radio waves to treat patients with low back pain caused by a contained or mildly-herniated disc.

In nucleoplasty, the surgeon inserts a wand-like transmitter into the disc while the patient is awake but lightly sedated. Guided by x-ray imaging, the surgeon sends radiofrequency pulses into the nucleus or center of the disc. The radiofrequency energy heats and shrinks the gel-like tissue, resulting in less volume and thus relieving pressure on the nerve impacted by the bulging disc. The entire procedure lasts about 30 minutes.

Read more details about Nucleoplasty.

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