Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center

At Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center, we have the doctors and specialists to diagnose the cause of your back pain and recommend treatment to relieve your it. With two convenient Houston area locations, we are committed to treating your pain conservatively and getting you back to your every day routine again without the discomfort. The back is a complex combination of bones (vertebrae), discs, muscles, tendons, and ligaments that provides support, mobility, and balance for the entire body, as well as protection for the spinal cord and nerves. Daily loads and wear over time make the back susceptible to injury and other conditions that lead to pain. Genetic factors also play an important role in spinal deterioration. Back pain is the second most common reason for a visit to a physician in the United States, and 70 to 85 percent of people have significant back pain at some point in their life. Types of Back Pain Back Pain can be described as acute or chronic. Acute back pain is commonly described as sharp and severe; it tends to come on suddenly but also improve with time and short-term conservative treatment, such as medication, exercise, physical therapy or rest. Chronic back pain is typically over 12 weeks in duration and is commonly described as a deep, aching, dull or burning pain. Chronic pain generally arises over time as the body ages and as the back is subjected to the wear and tear of daily living. Chronic pain can also be approached with conservative, nonoperative measures, though it tends to last a long time and may not respond as well to conservative care. Many sudden attacks of acute back pain are the result of overstretched muscles (strains) or ligaments (sprains). The pain may be most severe immediately after injury, or it may worsen gradually over a few hours. In most instances, back pain as a result of strain or sprain can be resolved following a conservative course of treatment – usually within two to six weeks – provided there are no serious underlying medical conditions. People suffering from chronic pain may be experiencing mechanical pain, which means that a specific part of their spine, such as a disc, a ligament, or a joint is damaged and is not working correctly. Examples of problems that lead to mechanical pain include degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis,spinal stenosis, herniated discs and facet joint degeneration. Causes of Back Pain Causes of back pain consist of fractures (including those due to osteoporosis, or thinning of the bone), developmental disorders of the back such as scoliosis and kyphosis, inflammatory and infectious disorders, and tumors. Patients should consult a physician if they are experiencing back pain as a result of a physical trauma to the spine, if they are experiencing numbness in, or having difficulty moving, their extremities, or if they experience bladder control loss or impairment. Acute back pain treatment often consists of physical therapy or epidural steroid injections initially. If these treatments fail, surgery may be offered. Chronic back pain responds less well to physical therapy and epidural steroid injections but these treatments may still be indicated depending on the problem being treated. Relieve Back Pain at Our Houston-area Treatment Centers If you are plagued by acute or chronic back pain contact our Houston neurosurgeons today at the Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center – (281) 313-0031. Our philosophy is to try to treat patients conservatively if at all possible. We are committed to uncovering the source of your back pain and finding a specific back pain treatment plan for you so you can start living your life again. Our back pain treatment center information is below.

Your cervical spine is a versatile part of your body, responsible for neck movements, so it must provide an extensive range of motion and handle the compressive stress of holding up your head. The cervical disks in your neck are cushions that separate your vertebrae. They can become damaged over time, and you may need them to be replaced. How Your Cervical Disks Become Damaged Your cervical disks may become damaged from aging and age-related conditions like arthritis or degenerative disk disease You can also damage your cervical disks from an injury or accident, causing a herniated disk. Non-surgical Options To Relieve Neck Pain From a Damaged Cervical Disk You can try conservative treatments including ice, heat, rest, and wearing a neck brace. Your doctor might also recommend prescription medications, physical therapy, or steroid injections. Signs and Symptoms of Cervical Disk Damage You may have cervical disk damage if you experience moderate to severe pain in your neck, especially with movement. Other symptoms include feeling pain, numbness, or weakness radiating down your extremities. When You Might Need Cervical Disk Replacement You might need cervical disk replacement if: You’ve tried other conservative treatments and they haven’t worked You have severe neck pain that is coming from a damaged cervical disk You are having problems due to a pinched nerve in your neck or back Beginning Treatment for a Cervical Disk Replacement Your doctor will begin with a comprehensive medical examination, which may include an MRI or CT scan to look for signs of degenerative disk disease and damage. How Cervical Disk Replacement Surgery Works Your doctor will surgically remove the damaged disk by making a small incision. The new disk is then inserted into the space. Surgery restores the correct height between the vertebrae to take pressure off spinal nerves and relieve pain. Surgery also helps you regain a full range of motion. Recovery From Cervical Disk Replacement Surgery may be performed on an outpatient basis, and you will be on your feet within hours of the procedure. You may be able to resume driving and working in one to two weeks. You may be able to exercise at about six weeks after surgery. To learn more about how cervical disk replacement surgery can help you, call Dr. Rajesh Bindal at Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center in Sugar Land, TX. You can reach him in the office by calling (281) 313-0031, so call today.

When you’re dealing with issues in your spinal cord, it’s very important to discuss the possibility of surgery with your neurosurgeon. If you’re dealing with neck pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness, it’s important to restore nerve function and prevent abnormal motions from happening in your neck. In order to treat this issue, your neurosurgeon may recommend cervical spinal surgery to either remove a disc or fuse the vertebrae together and stabilize your spine. What is Cervical Spine Surgery? During the process of cervical spine surgery, your surgeon will either remove a disc or a bone and then fuse the vertebrae together using a bone graft. This will happen either in front of or behind the spine. Your surgeon will either take a bone graft from you or a donor. In certain cases, they may also use metal plates or screws to stabilize the spine. Once your spine is stabilized, the abnormal motion should be stopped, and you may notice that function is fully restored to the spinal nerves. When is Cervical Spine Surgery Needed? Typically, cervical spine surgery is performed for various spinal neck problems. This could be from degenerative disorders or trauma. These conditions are ones that tend to produce pressure on the spinal cord and cause pain. The conditions that are normally treated with cervical spine surgery include: Degenerative disc disease Cervical deformity Trauma Some of these issues can cause the spine to be worn down and you might notice arthritic areas in your spine. These conditions can cause you to feel numb, pain, tingling, or weakness from the pressure applied to the spinal nerves. Contact Your Neurosurgeon Today Find out if you’re in need of cervical spine surgery. Contact your neurosurgeon at Texas Spine & Neurosurgery center in Sugar Land, TX, at (281) 313-0031 for more information and to schedule a consultation today.

What is Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery? Minimally invasive spine surgery has been developed as an effective technique for the treatment of spinal conditions. The technique involves smaller incisions and less blood loss, resulting in faster recovery. Houston neurosurgeon Dr. Bindal is a pioneer in introducing these techniques to the area and is a leader in minimally invasive back surgery in Texas. Dr. Bindal performed the first minimally invasive spinal decompression and first minimally invasive lumbar fusion in Fort Bend County. He has published extensively on techniques to improve the safety of these new techniques. Schedule a Consultation Minimally invasive spine surgery generally involves using a tubular retractor to gain access to the spine. A microscope and specially designed surgical instruments are then used to perform the operation. In standard spine surgery, a cut is made in the skin, and muscles are stripped off from the spine to expose the area. Cutting of the muscles off the spine can cause increased pain compared to simply splitting the muscles. The use of tubular retractors in minimally invasive spine surgery splits the muscles, reducing muscle injury. The incisions in minimally invasive spine surgery are often smaller than those required for open surgery. Due to the more precise nature of the surgery, blood loss is also often less. Hospital stays are generally shorter. All of these factors often result in a faster recovery and less post-operative pain than possible with standard open spine surgery. What Are Some Conditions Treated with Minimally Invasive Back Surgery Techniques? Minimally invasive spine surgery can be used to treat a variety of conditions. This type of surgery is often most appropriate for conditions of the lumbar spine. Minimally invasive spine surgery techniques are often used in herniated disc treatments through microlumbar discectomy. Such surgery is often performed on an outpatient basis. Spinal stenosis treatment is also addressed in a minimally invasive way through lumbar laminectomy. Spinal stenosis often occurs in elderly patients. Due to the less traumatic nature of minimally invasive spine surgery, we have found the technique to be very safe even in patients in their 80's. Conditions such as instability or spondylolisthesis may require lumbar fusion. Lumbar fusion or transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) can also be performed with minimally invasive techniques. Patients with spinal fractures from osteoporosis, tumors, or trauma may benefit from kyphoplasty. This involves injection of cement in to the broken bone to strengthen it. This surgery is also performed with a minimally invasive technique. Not all patients and not all conditions can be treated via a minimally invasive approach. Your surgeon at the Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center will discuss your condition with you at the time of your consultation and inform you if surgery is appropriate at all. If surgery is appropriate, he will discuss whether a minimally invasive technique may be an option. What is The Recovery and Treatment for Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery? Due to the more precise nature of the surgery, blood loss is also often less. Hospital stays are generally shorter. All of these factors often result in a faster recovery and less post-operative pain than possible with standard open spine surgery. Patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery to treat sciatica or a spinal herniated disc may often be able to go home the same day they have surgery, as the procedure is often done on an outpatient basis. Patients having sciatica treatment often return to work within two weeks after the operation. Patients undergoing minimally invasive laminectomy for lumbar stenosis usually only stay overnight in the hospital, even if elderly. Due to the less traumatic nature of minimally invasive spine surgery, we have found the technique to be very safe even in patients in their 80s. Schedule a Consultation Minimally Invasive Back & Spinal Surgery Consultation in Houston, TX If you're considering minimally invasive spine surgery then contact Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center today to set up your consultation – 281-313-0031. Please take a look at our patient information if you have any question about insurance, forms or what to bring to your appointment. Spine and brain specialist Dr. Bindal is a minimally invasive spine surgeon that is equipped with the latest technology and advanced neurosurgical techniques so you can get back to work and back to enjoying your life. Check out our infographic to learn more about the Benefits of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery!

Pain in your lower back can feel excruciating and can cause you to miss important events in your life. When pain is interfering in your life, it needs to be dealt with in order to improve your quality of life. Lumbar spine surgery is any surgery in the lumbar spine, also known as the lower back. There are two common types of lumbar spine surgery that your neurosurgeon may recommend to help ease your lower back pain to bring you back to normal function. Lumbar Spine Surgery for Lower Back Pain Your neurosurgeon will examine your lower back pain to determine which form of lumbar spine surgery will work best to ease your pain. The two common types of lumbar spine surgery are lumbar decompression and lumbar fusion. Lumbar decompression is used to relieve pain caused by nerve root pinching. This pain and pressure are often caused by a lumbar herniated disc or lumbar spinal stenosis. When talking about this pain, it’s often called sciatica. In this surgery, a small portion of the bone over the nerve root or disc material under the nerve root is removed to relieve the pinched nerve. This also allows more room for that nerve to heal. The two types of surgery that can be used for this procedure are known as microdiscectomy and laminectomy. With a lumbar fusion, the goal is to stop the pain at a segment in the lower back that causes pain with motion. Often, this type of surgery is used for pain caused by lumbar degenerative disc disease or spondylolisthesis. This surgery uses a bone graft to stop the motion at a segment of the vertebrae that may be painful. This should in turn decrease pain that is caused by that joint. Contact Your Neurosurgeon Today Find out more about lumbar spine surgery. Contact your neurosurgeon at Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center in Sugar Land, TX, at (281) 313-0031for more information today.

If you’re experiencing pain, numbness, and tingling around the spot of a pinched nerve in your back, that’s known as radiculopathy. There are three main types of radiculopathy that you might deal with and your neurosurgeon will examine your pain and pinched nerve to determine which kind you are dealing with. It’s important that you talk to your neurosurgeon when dealing with pain like this so that you can start treating it as soon as possible and find relief from your symptoms. Dealing with Radiculopathy There are three main types of radiculopathy that you might deal with. These types are known as cervical, thoracic, and lumbar. To determine which type you have, your neurosurgeon will pinpoint the location of your pinched nerve in order to classify the form. The cervical is located in your neck, the thoracic is located in the upper middle back, and the lumbar is in the low back. Radiculopathy can be painful and you might notice that the area around a pinched nerve is painful, numb, or even tingly. This is caused by a pinched nerve when one of the nerve roots is compressed and irritated. Often, radiculopathy can be treated with conservative methods. It’s important to work on improving your posture in order to prevent this from occurring and to stop some of your pain. You may also need to take over-the-counter medicines for pain. At-home physical therapy exercises are also very helpful in easing some of the pain that you’re experiencing. You may not even need any treatment at all to relieve your symptoms, depending on the severity of your case. Contact Your Neurosurgeon Today Don’t let a pinched nerve continue to cause you pain! Contact your neurosurgeon at Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center in Sugar Land, TX, at (281) 313-0031 to learn more and to schedule a consultation today.

Issues like bone spurs and arthritis can be painful to deal with and sometimes cannot be corrected with conservative methods. In order to create space in the spine, your neurosurgeon may recommend laminectomy to reduce your pain and relieve pressure on your spinal cord and nerves. This is usually done as part of decompression surgery and is used when those conservative methods fail to relieve your pain and other symptoms. What is a Laminectomy? A laminectomy is a surgery that creates space in your spine by removing bone spurs and growths. Normally, a small piece of the back of the small bones in the spine is removed to enlarge the spinal canal and relieve the pressure that is placed on the spinal cord. These bone spurs can occur in those who have arthritis in the spine, are older, or have a family history of bone spurs. The pain caused by these growths can cause pain, weakness, and a numb feeling that can spread down the arms and legs. A laminectomy is designed to relieve the pressure that causes this pain but may not relieve back pain that could be associated with arthritis. A laminectomy can also be used to treat a herniated disc. You should start noticing a great improvement in your symptoms after surgery. You may especially notice that the pain that normally radiates through your arms or legs has lessened, but it’s important to know that the benefits can be reduced by some forms of arthritis. It’s important to continue working with your doctor to manage other pain and issues that cause back pain. Contact Your Neurosurgeon Today Don’t hesitate to learn more about reducing your pain from arthritis or bone spurs. Contact your neurosurgeons at Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center in Sugar Land, TX, at (281) 313-0031 for more information and to schedule a consultation today.

Nonsurgical Neck Pain Relief Neck pain can occur for a variety of reasons. Most of them are best treated without surgery. These include neck arthritis, muscle spasms, whiplash from a car accident, and even stress, among many others. Most of these conditions can be managed with gentle anti-inflammatory medicines, rest, or muscle relaxers, and physical therapy. At the Methodist Sugar Land Spine Center, our patients have access to world-class spine focused physical therapy. In fact, at the Spine Center we have the only spine focused physical therapy department in greater Houston. Sometimes, in more severe cases, patients may benefit from epidural steroid injections performed by a specially trained Pain Management specialist. Neck Pain Relief & Treatment Options Some patients, however, may not respond to these neck pain treatments. They may have a more serious condition, such as a cervical herniated disc or bone spurs causing nerve or spinal cord compression in the neck. Such patients may have neck pain going down an arm, called radiculopathy. They may have weakness or numbness. Patients with spinal cord compression may even have leg weakness, trouble using their arms or hands, changes in handwriting or loss of fine motor control, in addition to pain and numbness. Even such patients may benefit from a trial of conservative care. At the Texas Spine and Neurosurgery Center, our Houston neurosurgeons are conservative in their treatment philosophy and generally reserve surgery as a last option instead of a first option. Neck Pain Treatment Surgery Options When surgery is required, many possible neck pain treatment options exist. These generally can be divided into anterior (from the front) or posterior (from the back) approaches. Additional neck pain treatment options include, but are not limited to, the following: Anterior Neck Pain Surgical Approaches Posterior Neck Pain Surgical Approaches

Chiari Malformation is a type of structural defect involving the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance. The cerebellum and parts of the brainstem sit in an indented space at the lower rear of the skull, above the foramen magnum (a funnel-like opening at the base of the skull leading to the spinal canal, through which the brainstem connects to the spinal cord). Normally, only the spinal cord passes through the foramen magnum, but in Chiari malformations, the lower part of the cerebellum extends downwards and into the foramen magnum. Schedule a Consultation Chiari Malformations may develop when the bony space where the cerebellum is housed is smaller than normal, causing the cerebellum and brainstem to be pushed downward into the foramen magnum and into the upper spinal canal. The resulting pressure on the cerebellum and brainstem may affect functions controlled by these areas and block the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the clear liquid that surrounds and cushions the brain and spinal cord — to and from the brain. Chiari Malformation Symptoms Patients often are asymptomatic and may not know they have the condition. If symptoms develop, they can include: Headache made worse by coughing, sneezing, straining, or bending the neck backwards Neck pain Weakness, especially grasp in one hand Numbness or other abnormal feelings in the arms or legs Loss of pain and temperature sensation Gait and balance problems Spasticity in the legs Dizziness Vision problems Difficulty swallowing Ringing or buzzing in the ears Vomiting Hand coordination and fine motor skill impairment Schedule a Consultation To determine whether you have a Chiari Malformation, your doctor may order a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Treatment options vary. For patients who are asymptomatic surgery may not be needed. For those with significant symptoms, surgery is required to provide more space for the cerebellum and halt the progression of damage to the central nervous system. Unfortunately, there are no medicines that can correct Chiari malformation. Chiari Malformation Treatment Center Chiari Malformation Surgery involves making an incision at the back of the head and removing a small portion of the bottom of the skull around the foramen magnum, thus creating more space for the lower cerebellum. Often, surgery also requires laminectomy of the first portion of the cervical spine, where part of the arched bony roof of the spinal canal (the lamina) is removed. The chiari malformation surgeon also will make an incision in the dura (the covering of the brain) to examine the brain and spinal cord. Additional tissue may be added to the dura to create more space for the cerebellum and allow normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid. Chiari Malformation Surgery Success Rate Chiari malformation surgery generally has a high success rate. Although it is a major brain surgery, complication rates are low. With successful surgery, patients are usually cured for life from our surgeons. Chiari Specialists in Texas Contact our Houston Neurosurgeons if you are seeking Chiari malformation surgeons advice or treatment – (281) 313-0031. This disease requires a careful consultation and our neurosurgeons are experienced and qualified to help you find the best treatment option.

What are Meningiomas? Meningioma is generally a benign growth on the brain. About 15% of all brain tumors are meningiomas and they are the most common primary brain tumor. These tumors typically attach to the dura. They are twice as common in women than men. Brain and meningiomas are more common with older age. These tumors arise from the covering of the brain. Most meningiomas grow inward toward the brain as discrete, well-defined, dural-based masses. Most of them are spherical or lobulated. Rarely, en plaque meningiomas infiltrate the dura and grow as a thin carpet or sheet of tumor along the convexity dura, falx, or tentorium. Meningioma Brain Tumor Symptoms Meningiomas can remain clinically asymptomatic for years because of their slow growth. They can sometimes reach a large size, especially in the frontal lobes, with few symptoms. The primary complaints of patients often include weakness, numbness, seizures, cognitive dysfunction, depression, and headaches. Although the vast majority of meningiomas are benign, a few can be malignant, or cancerous. Meningioma Treatment for Brain & Spinal Tumors Treatment for Meningiomas Tumors usually consists of either surgery, radiation, or observation. There is no medical treatment or chemotherapy available for benign brain and spinal meningiomas. For tumors causing pressure on critical brain structures, surgery may be the only treatment option. For certain small tumors, or asymptomatic tumors, radiation can be a very effective treatment. The most effective type of radiation is focused beam stereotactic radiation, also called radiosurgery. Brain & Spinal Meningioma Tumor Treatment Specialists in Houston, TX Brain & Spinal Meningiomas treatment can be quite successful, and our Brain Tumor Treatment Specialists at the Texas Spine and Neurosurgery Center have an excellent track record of successful treatment of these tumors. Your surgeon will discuss with you what treatment strategy is most appropriate for you. Schedule your appointment today – (281) 313-0031.