MILD Procedure

For patients who suffer from severe lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and can’t walk or stand for brief periods of time without experiencing severe pain, life can be incredibly difficult. Most treatment options in the past were only conservative methods or surgical opportunities. Thankfully, there is now another option now with minimally invasive lumbar decompression. The California Pain Consultants team in the Escondido, El Centro, La Mesa, San Diego, Chula Vista areas is available to help their family of patients who are suffering from severe low back pain avoid surgery but still find relief. 

What is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back, which causes pressure and pinching on the nerves in the spinal column. Patients who suffer from lumbar spinal stenosis generally experience pain and/or numbness in the lower back when standing and walking, which can lead to mobility issues. Some patients even experience pain while sleeping or lying down. The condition can also cause pain, numbness, or tingling in the legs or buttocks. Most patients are able to find temporary relief when they are sitting or leaning forward because this allows less pressure on the spine, giving it space to “open.”

LSS is most common in people over the age of 50, and the chance of developing it increases with age due to normal wear and tear. Additional causes could include the thickening of ligament tissue, osteoarthritis or bulging discs in the spine. 

Treatment options typically included epidural steroid injections, spacer implants, or back surgery. While these options ranged from low risk and temporary relief, to moderate/high risk with lasting relief, there wasn’t a good option for low risk and lasting relief, until now with the Mild® treatment method. 

What is the mild® Treatment Method?

mild® stands for minimally invasive lumbar decompression and is helpful for patients who don’t respond to conservative pain management options, especially for those who are experiencing the effects of moderate to severe lumbar spinal stenosis.

Mild® is an early treatment option to consider when conservative therapies, including physical therapy, pain medication, and chiropractic methods are not providing lasting or powerful enough relief. The mild® Procedure works by addressing a major cause of lumbar spinal stenosis by removing extra ligament tissue, which provides more space in the spinal canal and reduces nerve root impingement. 

What Does the mild® Procedure Involve?

The mild® Procedure is performed in an outpatient setting, meaning that the patient can return home the same day, and generally with only local anesthetic or light sedation, depending on the patient’s required level of comfort. 

The mild® Procedure is performed by a trained pain management specialist who will make a single, tiny incision and use special instruments under fluoroscopic guidance to remove small pieces of bone and excess, thickened ligament tissue. This process restores space in the spinal canal, which reduces pressure on the spinal nerves and helps to lessen the pain experienced from spinal stenosis. 

Most patients notice an improvement in their ability to comfortably stand longer and walk farther within a few days after treatment. For other patients, improvements in pain relief are experienced immediately after the procedure.

Because most patients who suffer from lumbar spinal stenosis found relief when leaning over, physical therapy might be needed to help strengthen the back muscles. But this can now be done without experiencing pain! 

Patients can expect to achieve the full benefits from the procedure anywhere from three to 12 months after treatment. 

What are the Benefits and Risks of the mild® Treatment Method?

In addition to being a minimally-invasive treatment option with low risks, the mild® treatment offers patients many benefits, including: 

• Increase standing time
• Increase walking distance
• Ability to avoid back surgery
• Ability to enjoy an active lifestyle
• Removes the need for implants, stitches, steroids, or opioids for treatment/pain management

Due to the fact that the structural anatomy of the spine is left intact, patients are able to increase their mobility and resume their normal activities. There is no real need for a recovery period, as pain relief is felt immediately and is long-lasting. 

Another benefit of the mild® Procedure is that it has a low complication risk profile and high success rate. It even has a similar safety profile to an epidural steroid injection but with lasting results. 

But, as with any surgery, there is a chance of side effects, which include possible infection and bleeding at the injection site, spinal cord damage, and nerve injury. It’s important to partner with an experienced pain management specialist who is trained in the mild® Procedure so that risks are minimized and benefits are achieved. 

Who is a Good Candidate for the mild® Procedure?

Candidates for the mild® Procedure include patients who are suffering with the painful effects of lumbar spinal stenosis and who have not found relief from over-the-counter medications, physical therapy methods, or injections. Due to the fact that LSS most often affects the elderly, the mild® Procedure is a more attractive option for patients who want to avoid both back surgery and a long-term use of pain medications. 

If you experience any of the below conditions, you might be a good candidate for the mild® Procedure: 

• Pain, numbness, tingling or cramping in the lower back, legs, hips or buttocks when standing upright, walking or lying down flat
• Relief from low back pain when leaning forward or sitting

If you believe you might be a good candidate for the mild® Procedure or would like to learn more information about the treatment and if it could benefit you, we’d love to hear from you. Please schedule an appointment today with the California Pain Consultants team in the Escondido, El Centro, La Mesa, San Diego, Chula Vista areas. There is no longer a need to opt for treatment methods that don’t provide lasting results, or to undergo invasive surgeries, to finally find the pain relief you’ve been needing. We are proud to offer the most cutting-edge and FDA-approved treatment methods to help our patients enjoy their ideal quality of life.