M.I.L.D. Procedure for Back Pain Q&A

Minimally invasive lumbar decompression, or M.I.L.D. for short, is a treatment specifically designed for individuals suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis, which occurs when the spinal canal narrows and puts pressure on the nerves in the lumbar region of your spine. Individuals with LSS often experience pain and numbness in their lower back, buttocks, and legs, which impedes their ability to stand and walk. LSS causes include osteoarthritis, spinal injuries or past surgeries, disc degeneration, increased bone growth, thickening of spinal ligaments, and rheumatoid arthritis. M.I.L.D. helps with LSS by removing excess ligament tissue in your spine to restore space and relieve the pressure on the spinal canal. Subsequently, M.I.L.D. increases mobility and reduces pain in the lower back, buttocks, and legs.

The process of minimally invasive lumbar decompression is safe, efficient, and effective! With M.I.L.D., a tiny incision is made in the treatment area, so that way, specialized tools can extract excess ligament tissue and small bits of bone that contribute to the narrowed spinal canal. The size of the incision is compared to a baby aspirin or the diameter of a pencil. No general anesthesia, stitches, or implants are required to perform this procedure. The doctor performs the procedure under the guidance of an imaging machine to ensure that only the correct tissue is extracted. M.I.L.D. is an effective and safe alternative to lumbar laminectomies, which involves open surgery. As such, M.I.L.D. spares important midline structures in the spine and requires less downtime.

You bet! The minimally invasive lumbar decompression procedure received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December of 2006. It has been safely indicated for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis for over 13 years now!

The minimally invasive lumbar decompression procedure should not take more than one hour to complete. Within a few days of receiving treatment, you can feel free to resume light activities throughout your day. In the meantime, it is best to take it easy and get some rest to avoid any complications. That said, you should be able to immediately after the procedure. Within two weeks of treatment, you should expect to see improvements in pain reduction, increased mobility, and improved posture. The average results from the M.I.L.D. procedure include increased standing time from eight to 56 minutes, increased walking distance from 246 feet to 3,956 feet, and a 53% reduction in pain.

If you suffer from lumbar spinal stenosis and would like to schedule an appointment with us at OmniSpine Pain Management or learn more about our minimally invasive lumbar decompression procedure, we would love to hear from you! You can either call us or schedule an appointment through our website. OmniSpine Pain Management has clinics in Mesquite, Frisco, and Desoto, Texas. Both of our clinics are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

We are looking forward to helping you move on from your lower back pain! For more information, Contact us today or book an appointment online. You can visit us at our clinics located in Frisco, TX, Sunnyvale, TX, and Mesquite, TX. We serve patients from Dallas TX, Frisco TX, Mesquite TX, Sunnyvale TX, Plano TX, Garland TX, Forney TX, Cedar Hill TX, Denton TX, Balch Springs TX, and surrounding areas.