Recovering from Kyphoplasty

The former president of Consultants in Pain Medicine, Dr. Michael L. Murphy serves as a pain medicine physician at Michael L. Murphy, MD, PLLC in Texas. In this capacity, Dr. Michael Murphy and his team provide pain medicine and anesthesiology services at the San Antonio-based practice. This includes kyphoplasty, an interventional pain management procedure that improves the stability of the spine.

Healthy spines consist of 33 vertebrae that support the body, but damage to these vertebrae resulting from fractures or other issues as a person ages disrupts the spine’s stability. Kyphoplasty involves inserting a medical balloon into the damaged vertebrae area to restore space and height in the spine. This space is subsequently filled with specialized cement that keeps the spine connected.

The procedure is outpatient and done using general anesthesia. Since general anesthesia is used, patients remain at the hospital for a period of time or overnight immediately following the procedure. Depending on their doctor’s recommendations, they can get up and walk around after about an hour or so, but they must be driven home by a family member or friend.

While the rest of the day is best spent resting after kyphoplasty is performed, normal activities can be resumed the day after. However, most activity must be done slowly for a few weeks to minimize pain in the area, and heavy-lifting or straining is best avoided for several weeks. Strenuous exercise can be resumed at four to six weeks, at which point the body has fully healed from the procedure.

Recovery time does vary slightly for people based on their overall health, though. People who are generally healthy will recover from kyphoplasty faster. While rare, complications can also increase recovery time, as does the amount of vertebrae treated during the procedure.

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Spinal Cord Stimulators for Pain Management

Board-certified anesthesiologist Dr. Michael Murphy has been practicing pain medicine since 1986. Based in San Antonio, Texas, Dr. Michael Murphy works with advanced pain management procedures including innovative spinal cord stimulators.

A spinal cord stimulator is a device implanted directly into the spinal cord. It sends low levels of electricity down the spinal cord to relieve pain. Spinal cord stimulators are often used with patients who have tried traditional treatment options that have not provided relief, such as pain medicine and steroid injections.

Spinal cord stimulators consist of thin electrodes and a small battery pack like a pacemaker. The electrodes are inserted between the vertebrae, known as the epidural space. Patients have control over the device with a remote control and can send electrical impulses when they begin to feel pain. The traditional stimulators replace the feeling of pain with light tingling, known as paresthesia. Some patients have found this sensation uncomfortable, so newer devices now utilize sub-perception stimulation which cannot be felt by the patient.

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Treatments for Arachnoiditis Pain Disorder

Dr. Michael Murphy of San Antonio, Texas has been practicing pain medicine since 1986. A board-certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Michael Murphy uses innovative techniques to relieve patients of chronic pain that has become unmanageable.

One type of chronic pain disorder is arachnoiditis. The arachnoid is a membrane that surrounds the spinal cord and protects the nerves. When this membrane becomes inflamed patients often experience a severe burning or stinging sensation known as arachnoiditis. This inflammation can lead to scar tissue and malfunction of the spinal nerves, causing long-term damage. The membrane can become inflamed due to direct injury, compression from degenerative disc disease, or infection.

Treatment for arachnoiditis ranges from physical therapy to forms of pain management, including medication, surgery, and steroid injections. Surgery is often a controversial option, as it often provides only short-term relief. One innovative treatment involves implanting a spinal cord stimulator directly into a patient’s spine. These stimulators are used to manage multiple chronic pain conditions and can help reduce pain by sending low-level electrical impulses down the spine.

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