A herniated spinal disc can cause considerable pain for those afflicted with it. Damage to the outer part of the disc, results in the inner material pushing out and exerting pressure on surrounding nerves, leading to painful symptoms. If suffering from spinal disc herniation Ashburn VA patients should know which treatment options are available to them.
Usually, when a patient complains of certain characteristic symptoms, the physician will have sufficient reason to suspect that a herniation has occurred. However, it is necessary to first conduct a physical exam and obtain the patient's medical history before making such a diagnosis, and quite often a diagnostic imaging test such as an MRI or CT scan will be performed to confirm this condition.
Although herniation can resemble degenerative disc disease, it does differ in both its source and the type of pain it produces. The latter involves the disc space, resulting in axial pain, while the former is characterized by nerve root, or radicular pain which results from an injury or aging. If the herniation is in the lower or lumbar spine, it can cause sciatica, or pain felt through the buttocks and legs.
Lumbar herniations usually cause some degree of sciatic pain, with more discomfort being experienced in one or both legs than in the lower back in most cases. This is the most common type of herniation. Besides leg pain there may also be weakness, numbness, or tingling in the legs and feet, and impairment of the ankle reflexes.
When six weeks have passed, and the patient shows no signs of natural recovery from a lumbar herniation, the doctor will normally start a treatment regimen of non-surgical therapies. One or a combination of chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy, hot and cold applications, epidural cortisone injections, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and oral steroids may be employed. In cases where relief is minimal or none, surgical intervention in the forma of a microdiscectomy or lumbar fusion surgery may be required.
Most often seen in people in their thirties to fifties, herniation of the cervical spine, or neck is somewhat less common than that in the lumbar spine. Impingement of nerves in the neck, caused pain to be referred to the shoulders and arms, and sometimes all the way down to the fingertips. Hand-grasp is weakened in some cases and there may be tingling and numbness as well.
Non-surgical options for cervical herniations include administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, which may be sufficient for some people, if not then other therapies may be explored such as traction, physical therapy, bracing, activity modification, and chiropractic care. Muscle relaxants, as well as oral or injectable pain killers may be helpful too. If none of these measures are effective, surgical repair is typically recommended.
The least common site of herniation is the thoracic region, adjacent to the ribcage. Often asymptomatic, sometimes it only shows up in a diagnostic imaging test which is done for another reason. In cases which do present with pain, patients may be given anti-inflammatory injections and analgesics and referred for strengthening exercises, chiropractic manipulation, or cold therapy. Rarely, decompression surgery must be done, but this is only where severe pain is present and the spinal cord's function is affected.
Usually, when a patient complains of certain characteristic symptoms, the physician will have sufficient reason to suspect that a herniation has occurred. However, it is necessary to first conduct a physical exam and obtain the patient's medical history before making such a diagnosis, and quite often a diagnostic imaging test such as an MRI or CT scan will be performed to confirm this condition.
Although herniation can resemble degenerative disc disease, it does differ in both its source and the type of pain it produces. The latter involves the disc space, resulting in axial pain, while the former is characterized by nerve root, or radicular pain which results from an injury or aging. If the herniation is in the lower or lumbar spine, it can cause sciatica, or pain felt through the buttocks and legs.
Lumbar herniations usually cause some degree of sciatic pain, with more discomfort being experienced in one or both legs than in the lower back in most cases. This is the most common type of herniation. Besides leg pain there may also be weakness, numbness, or tingling in the legs and feet, and impairment of the ankle reflexes.
When six weeks have passed, and the patient shows no signs of natural recovery from a lumbar herniation, the doctor will normally start a treatment regimen of non-surgical therapies. One or a combination of chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy, hot and cold applications, epidural cortisone injections, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and oral steroids may be employed. In cases where relief is minimal or none, surgical intervention in the forma of a microdiscectomy or lumbar fusion surgery may be required.
Most often seen in people in their thirties to fifties, herniation of the cervical spine, or neck is somewhat less common than that in the lumbar spine. Impingement of nerves in the neck, caused pain to be referred to the shoulders and arms, and sometimes all the way down to the fingertips. Hand-grasp is weakened in some cases and there may be tingling and numbness as well.
Non-surgical options for cervical herniations include administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, which may be sufficient for some people, if not then other therapies may be explored such as traction, physical therapy, bracing, activity modification, and chiropractic care. Muscle relaxants, as well as oral or injectable pain killers may be helpful too. If none of these measures are effective, surgical repair is typically recommended.
The least common site of herniation is the thoracic region, adjacent to the ribcage. Often asymptomatic, sometimes it only shows up in a diagnostic imaging test which is done for another reason. In cases which do present with pain, patients may be given anti-inflammatory injections and analgesics and referred for strengthening exercises, chiropractic manipulation, or cold therapy. Rarely, decompression surgery must be done, but this is only where severe pain is present and the spinal cord's function is affected.
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