The Benefits of Avoiding Spinal Fusion and Preserving Spinal Mobility

Spinal fusion is widely used to treat conditions like spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis. It stabilizes the spine to prevent pain and further injury. Unfortunately, fusion also comes with several downsides, including lost spinal mobility, adjacent vertebral degeneration, and the risk of recurring symptoms. 

Thankfully, many people can avoid spinal fusion to preserve spinal mobility and resolve their symptoms. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of opting for spinal fusion alternatives, like the TOPS System from Premia Spine.  

Table of Contents

How Does Spinal Fusion Affect Mobility?

Spinal fusion affects mobility by permanently eliminating motion at the fused vertebrae. 

Without the ability to move at the fused spinal segment, people may not be able to bend, twist, or flex the spine normally after fusion. Some spinal fusion patients need grabber devices to pick items up off the floor. 

spinal fusion

Additionally, spinal fusion may inhibit people from partaking in certain physical activities. Contact sports, like football and soccer, and high-impact activities, like running and weightlifting, are widely discouraged after fusion. These activities pose a heightened risk of injury and recurring spinal symptoms for fusion patients. 

The more vertebrae that are fused during the spinal fusion procedure, the higher the impact on the patient’s mobility. 

The Risk of Reinjury After Spinal Fusion

In addition to the risk of lost mobility, spinal fusion can cause reinjury or recurring pain from complications including:

  • Pseudoarthrosis occurs when the vertebrae don’t fuse properly after spinal fusion surgery. Also known as failed spinal fusion, this complication can cause persistent back pain, lost mobility, and burning, tingling, or numbness in the extremities. 
  • Nerve injury is a possible complication of any surgical procedure that involves the spinal nerve area. Nerve damage can trigger neurological symptoms after spinal fusion, such as numbness, weakness, and tingling. Permanent nerve damage after spinal fusion is rare. 
  • Adjacent segment degeneration is a spinal fusion complication that develops when the vertebrae surrounding the fused area degenerate faster than usual. It occurs because the adjacent segments compensate for the lack of motion at the fused vertebrae and bear extra impact as a result. 

How to Regain Flexibility After Spinal Fusion

You can regain flexibility after spinal fusion with gentle, targeted stretches and remaining active. 

Regaining and retaining flexibility is crucial after spinal fusion to prevent lost mobility and pain. A physical therapist can provide stretches that align with your stage of recovery. Some of the most widely recommended stretches for spinal fusion recovery include:

  • Seated hamstring stretch: Stretching the hamstrings after spinal fusion can help prevent nerve scarring and adhesions. Sit on the edge of a chair and straighten one leg in front of you with your toes pointed toward the ceiling. Push your stomach forward, keeping your chest high until you feel a gentle stretch.   
  • Quad flexion stretch: To stretch the quad muscle, lie on your stomach and bring one heel toward your buttock until you feel a gentle stretch. Remain in this stretch for around 30 seconds. 
  • Nerve stretch: Lie on your back with your legs on the ground. Slows raise one leg until you feel a gentle stretch in the back of the thigh and hip. Support your leg with your hands behind your knee, gently pumping your ankle. 

Along with gentle stretching, remaining active while following your surgeon’s post-op instructions can help you regain flexibility after spinal fusion. Low-impact physical activity promotes blood flow throughout your body, which can help prevent muscle tension and improve your range of motion. 

When Spinal Fusion Surgery Can Be Avoided With Conditions of Lumbar Spine

Spinal fusion surgery can be avoided with conditions of the lumbar spine if the patient:

  • Responds to conservative treatments
  • Is a good candidate for minimally invasive spinal fusion alternatives, like the TOPS System

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Avoiding Spinal Fusion with Conservative Treatments

Conservative treatments that can resolve lumbar spine conditions include:

  • Physical therapy: Physical therapy may help treat mild to moderate cases of spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis with targeted exercises, stretches, and alternative therapies. The goal of physical therapy is to alleviate pain, lessen inflammation, and reduce the impact on the spine. 
  • Chiropractic care: Chiropractors optimize spinal alignment through manual adjustments and non-surgical spinal decompression to treat back pain and spinal nerve impingement. 
  • Pain medications: Though not a permanent solution for lumbar spine conditions, pain medications can help with symptom management. In combination with physical therapy, pain medications may help patients avoid surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis. 

Alternatives to Spinal Fusion for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and Spondylolisthesis Treatment

Alternatives to spinal fusion for lumbar spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis treatment include regenerative therapies, IDET, and dynamic stabilization systems. 

  • Regenerative therapies: Regenerative therapies are a relatively new but promising treatment option for spinal pain and neurological symptoms from conditions like osteoarthritis. These therapies, like stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma, stimulate the body’s healing process to regenerative damaged tissue.
    • The body uses stem cells to generate cells with specialized functions. During stem cell therapy, a physician injects stem cells (either from another area of the patient’s body or a donor) into the affected area. The stem cells may then gradually regenerate the injured tissue to alleviate pain and neurological symptoms. 
  • IDET (intradiscal electrothermal coagulation): IDET is a procedure that may be used as a lumbar spinal fusion alternative. It’s a non-surgical treatment that involves inserting a needle into the lumbar disc space. The practitioner then passes a catheter through the needle and gently heats the disc exterior, causing the collagen fibers to thicken. This process can help with symptoms of a damaged spinal disc from spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis. 
  • Dynamic stabilization systems: Dynamic stabilization systems are a spinal fusion alternative. While they still involve surgery, they stabilize the spine without permanently fusing the vertebrae. Instead, dynamic stabilization systems are implanted into the spine to create a controlled range of motion. 

Dynamic Stabilization System for Spinal Stenosis and Spondylolisthesis: The TOPS System   

The TOPS System is a dynamic stabilization system that earned an FDA claim for superiority to lumbar fusion. It can be used to avoid the risks and complications of spinal fusion for spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis of the L2 to L5 vertebrae. 

TOPS is a mechanical implant device that replaces the soft and bony tissues extracted during spinal decompression. It restores a controlled range of motion to prevent instability but allows the spine to move in all directions. This prevents lost spinal mobility, allowing patients to return to physical activity much faster than after fusion. 

The TOPS procedure can alleviate chronic lower back pain, numbness, sciatica, and other common symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis. As an alternative to spinal fusion, it provides the following benefits:

  • Restored range of motion: With the TOPS System, you can safely move the spine in all directions. 
  • No risk of adjacent segment disease: Unlike fusion, the TOPS System allows the vertebrae to bear impact evenly, reducing the risk of adjacent segment disease. 
  • Faster return to physical activity: The TOPS System recovery period is quicker, less painful, and involves fewer restrictions than that of spinal fusion. 

To learn more about the benefits of the TOPS System as an alternative to spinal fusion, find a physician in your area today.