Among the many diseases of the spine, stenosis of the cervical spinal canal is a quite serious condition. It is most common in people over the age of 50. If not treated properly, stenosis can lead to severe problems with the cerebral circulation and compression of the spinal cord.
If you want to undergo examination or treatment for spinal canal stenosis, Switzerland, Germany and Turkey are the best choices. Because of the high level of medicine, these countries have a high rate of effectiveness of cervical spinal stenosis treatment. Patients from many countries around the world come here every year to receive state-of-the-art therapy.
Diagnosis making
The symptoms of the disease are associated with compression of the neurovascular formations in the narrowed spinal canal. In some cases, over time, an inflammatory process joins, which aggravates the situation.
The main clinical symptoms are:
- Pain in the neck or headaches
- Numbness in the head, neck or upper extremities
- Muscle weakness in the area of innervation
To confirm the cervical spinal stenosis, physicians need to perform diagnostic procedures. Today, modern hospitals abroad use magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and X-ray examination (spondylography) of the spine for this purpose. With the help of these methods the physician determines the degree of narrowing and further treatment tactics.
Treatment options
Therapy for spinal canal stenosis can be conservative or surgical. Medications that relieve pain, anti-inflammatory drugs, and local steroid injections are used to reduce symptoms. Exercise, physical therapy, and limiting physical activity may also help reduce pain.
Unfortunately, the methods have only a temporary effect, and if the symptoms are getting worse, doctors use surgical treatment. The purpose of surgery is to eliminate the main cause – compression of the nerve roots of the spinal cord. It significantly improves the patient’s quality of life, reduces or completely eliminates pain syndrome, and restores the function of the affected extremities.
Cutting-edge surgical treatment of spinal stenosis
The latest endoscopic techniques for interventions on the spine are used abroad. They are minimally invasive and do not require long rehabilitation. The use of intraoperative visualization allows the surgeon to control the course of the operation better, so the risk of complications related to nerve tissue damage is practically zero.
The most common treatment techniques are:
- Decompressive laminectomy. This is one of the most common surgeries used for spinal stenosis treatment. This method leads to the complete cure in 7 out of 10 patients with cervical stenosis. Some patients require additional spinal stabilization if there is a high risk of spinal instability.
- Discectomy. This method involves the removal of the damaged intervertebral disc. It is mainly used for intervertebral hernias, which often extend beyond the vertebrae and compress the nearby nerves.
Treatment of stenosis during COVID-19 pandemic
Despite the SARS-CoV-2 spread, many hospitals overseas continue to operate as usual and admit patients with every precaution. In order to undergo the latest minimally invasive surgical treatments, you can travel abroad. Booking Health can help arrange travel for you even during the lockdown.
Nowadays it is the only way to start treatment in the best foreign hospitals. Booking Health will provide you with all the necessary information about treatment abroad during the lockdown, as well as help with the preparation of all documents. Thus, treatment abroad during the lockdown becomes a reality.
Cost-effective treatment abroad
Patients are sure that treatment abroad is always expensive and requires a lot of effort. However, when you cooperate with the medical tourism operator Booking Health, this becomes a myth. The company’s specialists select the best medical center for each patient, as well as provide round-the-clock support.
In addition, you can save up to 50% of the initial cost of treatment. Booking Health has long worked with a huge number of foreign hospitals, so there will be no extra charges or additional fees for your medical services.