If I don’t treat a herniated disc could it lead to more serious conditions?
How do I know if I have a herniated disc?
Will a Herniated disc heal on its own?
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A herniated disc occurs when the soft center part of the disc (nucleus pulposis) ruptures though the outer wall (annular ring) of the disc structure. Also referred to as a herniated intervertebral disc, slipped disc, or ruptured disc, a disc herniation can occur in the neck, middle or lower back. A classification system is in place to describe the degree of herniation of disc material.
I have seen many patients that come in to see me at later stages of their condition. Catching any condition in an early state is important to avoid it progressing into a more painful and more debilitating state. If something seems wrong or out of the ordinary for an unusual amount of time then you should consider at least consulting with your family doctor and taking things from there.
The treatment for most disc herniations includes medication, physical therapy, and occasionally intervention pain blocks. Surgery may be required if these measures fail.
The standard herniated disc operation today is a microdiscectomy which is performed as an outpatient procedure in most cases and has a very good success rate. However, between 5 and 10% of disc herniations can recur since there is additional disc material that can come out of the disc space. Further, the disc structure will continue through the degenerative process (as mentioned above) and other conditions may occur such as disc space collapse, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, and spinal instability. This same can also happen at any or multiple other spinal levels.
The key to successful treatment is to treat the patient, not the x-ray. Less is more. Since most of the spinal structures have little or no capacity to heal or replace themselves, it is likely that further and ongoing care for spine patients will be required in the future. If you would like more information on the specific herniated disc treatments that Biscup Spine offers please click here.
Remember that a disc herniation is a symptom of another problem – the spine degeneration process. Be sure that your spine doctor discusses with you the entire nature of your problem when outlining a comprehensive and optimal treatment program. For this reason alone you may want to take advantage of having a free MRI review with Dr. Biscup to help determine just where you are with your current condition. If you would be interested in talking with Dr. Biscup just click here.
Learn about Herniated Disc treatment options.
Are there any side effects after epidural injections?
What pain medication is prescribed for a herniated disc?
What is the standard surgery performed on a problematic herniated disc?
more faqs »
Most herniated disc treatment will include medication, physical therapy, and occasionally intervention pain blocks. Surgery may be required if these measures fail. The standard operation today is a microdiscectomy performed as an outpatient procedure in most cases and has a very good success rate. However, between 5 and 10% of disc herniations can recur since there is additional disc material that can come out of the disc space. Further, the disc structure will continue through the degenerative process and other conditions may occur such as disc space collapse, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, and spinal instability. This can also happen at any or multiple other spinal levels.
At Biscup Spine we believe the key to successful treatment is to treat the patient, not the x-ray. Less is more. Since most of the spinal structures have little or no capacity to heal or replace themselves, it is likely that further and ongoing care for spine patients will be required in the future.
