Surgery

What Are the Treatment Options to Consider for Herniated Discs?

According to statistics, around 2% of adults in the U.S. suffer from herniated discs. While this number seems insignificant, it accounts for about seven million people. Your lifestyle and age enhance your risk for herniated disc pain. If you are experiencing pain symptoms due to Roswell herniated disc, don’t hesitate to contact us for pain relief and preserving your spinal health. As you struggle with a herniated disc, you might wonder whether the herniated disc can be fixed without surgery. Here is a look at the available effective treatment options for herniated discs.

Physical Therapy

In the past, the medical recommendation for the herniated disc was having one to two weeks of bed rest. Today medical experts have changed their stance, agreeing that remaining active is more helpful to your body’s recovery. While some rest is necessary, you should be active. Because it can be confusing to know whether the activity is enough or excessive, a physical therapist will advise you on how much you should exercise. Passive physical therapies include traction therapy, deep tissue massage, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Active physical therapies include; strengthening, stretching, and aerobic exercises. 

Hot and Cold Therapy

Hot and cold therapy has also been established to treat a herniated disc. Cold therapy decreases inflammation and relieves pain, while hot therapy promotes blood circulation and healing. It is recommended, to begin with, cold therapy, and once it sufficiently relieves your pain, apply some heat to enhance blood flow and healing. Other alternative therapies to consider include acupuncture therapy and chiropractic care. 

Medications

There are several recommendable medications for your herniated disc. Your doctor might recommend over-the-counter or prescription medications such as acetaminophen and NSAIDs to relieve herniated disc pain. For severe herniated disc pain, your doctor might prescribe one or a combination of medications, including; anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants, antidepressants, steroids, and opioids.

Epidural Steroid Injections

Depending on the severity of your condition, your doctor might recommend an epidural steroid injection. These injections contain anesthesia and corticosteroids that effectively relieves pain and inflammation caused by a herniated disc. The doctor uses fluoroscopic imaging to see the injection site and guide the needle to the appropriate section of your joint or spine.

Surgical Treatments

For a herniated disc, the medical specialists start by trying nonsurgical treatments over surgery whenever applicable. However, if nonsurgical treatments can’t work, they will go for as minimally invasive an option as possible. Some situations when doctors might recommend surgery include; persistent pain for more than six weeks, difficulty standing and walking, symptoms that affect your mental health, and lack of relief from surgical treatments. The common surgical techniques for treating herniated discs include; microdiscectomy, spinal fusion, lumbar laminectomy, endoscopic foraminoplasty, and artificial disc replacement.

Ultimately, you don’t deserve to suffer from pain due to an undiagnosed herniated disc. The proper treatment for herniated discs is based on your age and overall health to determine the effective treatment options. The first step is speaking with your medical provider for a physical, laboratory test diagnosis and making the best treatment plan. The initial treatments are normally nonsurgical. The doctor might recommend surgery if the conservative treatments don’t offer relief.

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Chiara Brunner