Dr. James Lynch at Swift Spine Institute recently became the first in Northern Nevada to use the coflex® Dynamic Stabilization device for the treatment of Spinal Stenosis. This non-fusion treatment option can help spinal stenosis patients return to activity faster than with decompression and fusion.
To request more information about the coflex® option, please call 775-348-8800, or request an appointment here.
Swift Spine Institute understands that one thing our patients value most in life is the ability to maintain an active lifestyle. As we get older, daily activities may be limited due to back or neck pain conditions — including spinal stenosis. If simple activities such as working around the house, grocery shopping, riding a bike or walking for exercise means pain, numbness, or weakness in your lower extremities, Swift Spine Institute is in the position to help.
Spinal stenosis is a condition that can develop as a person ages, particularly in those over 50. It is characterized by a narrowing of the spinal canal, which places pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, because there is not enough room for them. The primary contributing factor to the development of stenosis is degenerative disc disease or osteoarthritis. It resembles placing a ring on your finger. If the finger becomes injured or inflamed, the ring constricts and causes pain.
Click here to download an educational PDF on the coflex® device for spine surgery.
Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis
If you suffer from lumbar spinal stenosis, you may feel various symptoms. You may find these symptoms especially noticeable when you stand or walk:*
- Dull or aching back pain that spreads to your legs
- Numbness and “pins and needles” in your legs, calves or buttocks
- Weakness or loss of balance
- Difficulty walking distances
- Decreased endurance for physical activities
- These symptoms can improve when you bend or lean forward, lie down, or sit.
Often, patients notice relief of their symptoms when they sit down for a short period of time, but when they return to walking, symptoms quickly come back.
About The coflex® Interlaminar Stabilization™ device
The coflex® Interlaminar Stabilization™ device is a titanium implant that goes in the back of your spine to treat moderate to severe spinal stenosis. After your surgeon performs a decompression that can remove bone, facet, ligament and/or disc segments from the narrowed spinal canal, your spine can become unstable. The coflex® device is inserted to help keep your spine stable while maintaining normal height and motion in your spine after surgical decompression. The design and location of the coflex® device in your back helps offset the joints in your spine that are contributing to your back and leg symptoms.
1. Protects Your Surgical Decompression
After your surgeon has performed a decompression, coflex® is implanted to help maintain the decompression.
2. Stabilization
The coflex® device keeps your spine stable after surgical decompression & maintains foraminal height of your spine where the coflex® was implanted.
3. Non-Fusion
The coflex® device allows for physiologic motion, including flexion and extension, that allows for the spinal segment to maintain appropriate motion after surgical stabilization.
4. Less Invasive
The coflex® device is inserted through a small, midline incision.
