What Are the Herniated Disc Treatment Options?

A herniated disc is a problem with one of the rubber like cushions (discs) between the bones (vertebrae) stacking your spine. A spinal disc is enclosed in a tougher rubbery exterior (annulus) with a soft, jellylike centre (nucleus). A herniated disc occurs when a certain nucleus pushes out through a tear in the annulus, sometimes called a slipped or ruptured disc.

The next nerve can be irritated by a herniated disc that is present in every portion of the backbone. It may lead to pain, numbness or weakness of the arm or leg, depending on the herniated disc. Follow the article to learn more on symptoms and herniated disc symptoms.

Symptoms

Although they can also happen in the neck most herniated discs occur at the bottom of the back. Symptoms and signs depend on the location of the disc and whether the disc presses on a nerve. It often affects one part of the body.

• Pain in your arm or leg - You typically have the most pain on your buttocks, thighs, and calves if your herniated disc is in your lower back. Some of the foot may also have pain. You typically have the most pain in your shoulders and arm if your herniated disc is in the neck. This pain may shoot while sneezing or coughing. Pain is often referred to as burning or sharp.

• Numbness - Those with a herniated disc have a lot of tingling or radiating stomachs in the body of the affected nerves.

• Weakness - The affected nerves tend to weaken muscles. This can result in you stumbling, lifting or keeping items.

Without symptoms you can have a herniated disc. Maybe you don't know if it does not appear on a backbone picture.

Treatment Options

Doctors offer a variety of treatments for herniated disc treatment. Treatment usually starts with a conservative, non-surgery approach, and it is effective for many people; one third of patients actually improved significantly within two weeks in one study. This type of treatment involves reducing activity levels, taking anti-inflammatory non steroid (NSAID) medicines to manage pain and possibly reconstructing strength and flexibility by physical therapy. The doctor may use an injection of steroids directly into the disc in the event of more extreme pain.

If there is no successful addition of conservative treatment options, the doctor may turn to the operation to relieve the patient permanently. It is usually recommended that surgery be performed if pain limits or if the quality of life or normal activities are impaired. Operations may also be recommended if neurological signs progress to include standing or walking difficulty or losing blood and bowel function. Depending on the location of the herniated disc, there are two main routes when surgery is needed:

• Lumbar Spine Surgery: This procedure is commonly used to relieve leg pain in the lumbar spinal region associated with a herniated disc. During the procedure, the centre of the back in the herniated area is incised small, and the disc at issue is removed. The doctor can fuse the vertebrae to prevent movement, or an artificial disc can be implanted according to a variety of factors.

• Cervical Spinal Surgery: The cervical spinal operations are very similar to lumbar operations, but they involve cervical spine vertebrae. The damaged disc is also removed by a small incision. Many patients do not need to fuse the rest of their vertebras, but both options are fusion and artificial disc replacement.

See us here at Oklahoma Pain Treatment. We do herniated disc treatment and other spinal treatments.

**Disclaimer: This blog post does not establish terms of a doctor-patient relationship and is not intended to be taken as a doctor's advice.