What is a Herniated disk and how do I treat it?

You may have a herniated disk, but you are not alone and you do have effective treatments to pursue. Eighty to ninety percent of people with an acute lumbar (lower back) disk herniation will improve without surgery. A herniated cervical (neck) disk is much less common but again, should heal over time by following conservative care methods. The treatments available are varied and you will most likely return to normal activity eventually when you have a qualified medical practitioner.

A Herniated Disk Explained

The backbone is comprised of bone structure, called the vertebrae, the spinal cord which runs through it to the brain, and nerves that communicate feeling throughout the body, through the spinal cord, to the brain. Each of the vertebrae has a soft disk in between the bones. When a back injury occurs, aging disintegrates the spinal column or a congenital condition affects these bones, they may compress the disk and cause it to bulge. The disk has a tough outer layer and an inner, water-based gel-like center. As we age, water is reduced in all areas of the body, including the spine, and this may cause a herniated disk. A sudden movement or strain may cause it as well.

Herniated Disk Evaluation

To determine if you have a herniated disk, your physician – most likely an orthopedic surgeon or neurologist – will ask you a series of questions to assess where the pain is coming from. If you are feeling pain in the back, the back of the legs, the buttocks and the groin, the potential for your pain to be caused by a lumbar herniated disk is likely. Back pain alone may be because of a ruptured disk, but the possibility for other causes exists too. When the pain is in the shoulder blade and felt down to the tingling of a couple of fingers, then it’s probably a cervical herniated disk. Either way, describing your pain is very important to further evaluation. An MRI or a CT scan may be requested by the doctor to verify that the disk is the source of the problem.

Non-surgical Herniated Disk Treatments

The goal of treatment for a herniated disk is to reduce the irritation of the nerve by the bulging disk material, relieve pain and restore the patient to normal activity. Rest and anti-inflammatory medications are the most conservative treatments, while analgesic drugs may be prescribed to control the pain, physical therapy and even possibly epidural steroid injection therapy. Traction, massage, hot and cold packs and electric stimulation are other appropriate treatments. With a cervical herniated disk, a neck brace may be recommended, and a lumbar corset with the lower back pain. A combination of therapies is most effective in treating a herniated disk.

Herniated Disk Surgical Options

When surgery is performed on a herniated disk, the goal is similar to any treatment of the spine – to stop the disk from pressing on and irritating the nerves and causing pain and weakness. A discectomy or a partial discectomy is performed to remove the portion of the disc that is bothering the nerves, possibly removing some of the bone at the same time. Depending on what is seen in the diagnosis, the surgery may be a mere half inch incision on the back with an endoscope used to complete the removal, or a larger incision to access the bone. It’s even a possibility that a spinal fusion procedure will be carried out if the disk is completely ruptured.

Should you have treatment or surgery for a herniated disk, be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations regarding rest, activity and exercise to get the most benefit.