What Are the Best Herniated Disc Treatment Options?

Posted on January 30, 2012 by EmmaRobinson

What Are the Best Herniated Disc Treatment Options?A herniated disc can result in unending pain and even numbness and weakness in your leg, back, buttocks, arms and neck.  Without treatment, the condition can worsen, often debilitating its victim.

When too much pressure is placed on the spine’s vertebrae, it can actually push the jelly-like substance that cushions those vertebrae out of place, leaving those nerves open to inflammation. It is this inflammation that causes the spinal nerves to send pain messages to the brain.

So, what can a person experiencing this condition do to relieve their agony and fix their spinal problems?

There are many different approaches to treating herniated disc pain, but what are the best herniated disc treatment options? Here are just a few of the most common – and the most effective cures:

Medication

The first thing that most doctors will do when treating a herniated disc is put the patient on a variety of over-the-counter and prescription medications.  If the herniation is not severe, drugs like Tylenol, Motrin and Advil may help to ease your suffering by reducing inflammation and masking pain signals.  More severe cases of herniation may require prescription medications including:

NSAIDS: Non steroidal pain killers like NSAIDS can often alleviate many symptoms.  Codeine too ahs been used successfully in treating herniated disc pain.

Anti-Inflammatories are good at reducing inflammation around the spinal column, thus keeping nerves from being stimulated.

 Muscle relaxers too, such as Cymbalta can help reduce the instances of back spasms, keeping pain levels lower.

Oftentimes, doctors will prescribe a combination of all three drugs to help give the area a rest, relieve the patient’s most painful symptoms and give other treatment methods a chance to work.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy has traditionally been tone of the most popular treatments for dealing with herniated discs for decades.  By using soothing positions that help to reduce inflammation, the patient’s pain levels can be decreased significantly. In addition, the positions and exercises used during therapy treatments help to strengthen the muscles surrounding the spine, thus making it more difficult for discs to protrude outward and becoming herniated in the future.

Even after formal physical therapy treatments are finished, patients are urged to continue with their prescribed maintenance program, doing many of the same exercises which helped to repair their damaged spine to keep it remaining healthy and strong.

Chiropractics

Chiropractic manipulation is a must-do for many herniated disc patients. By systematically manipulating the spine into a more normal position, mild herniation can actually be reversed.  More severe cases may take more time for healing and additional, more gentle manipulations in order to reduce inflammation around the spine and pull the disc back into place.

Again, periodic manipulations are necessary in many cases to keep future herniations at bay.

Surgery

Treating a herniated disc with invasive surgery is not usually the optimal method of reversing symptoms; unless, of course, the condition has become so severe that it is causing prolonged numbness, tingling or weakness of the extremities.  For patients who have tried other methods of treating their herniated disc for several months and have experienced minimal benefits, surgery may be an option. Keep in mind though, that the vast majority of herniations treated in this matter recur within five years, with les than 20% of surgical patients experiencing complete and permanent relief form their symptoms.

Still, if you and your doctor believe that you are a good candidate for herniated disc surgery, then you will want to understand your options. Here are some of the most common procedures performed on herniated discs:

  • Microdiscectomy – the most common and less invasive back surgery used today, miscrodisectomy allows the surgeon to repair the disc with a small incision in the back.
  • Chymopapain injections – these are surgical injections that help to dissolve the disc, thus eliminating the pain.
  • Microendoscopic surgery — performed through a tube rather than a traditional incision with a microscope, this procedure works as well as traditional microdiscectomy.

Homeopathic Remedies

For those who want to go a more natural route for treating their herniated disc, there are some more traditional homeopathic remedies available:

Ice

Ice can be used to help ease herniated disc pain in three different ways:

  1. it helps to reduce the swelling around the nerve
  2. it can help reduce overall inflammation
  3. it can help to numb the aggravated area

When using ice therapy, be sure to hold the ice on the area for about 10 minutes every hour around the clock (or at least during waking hours).  Be patient though. It can take several days to feel any real relief using this method of treatment.

 Therapy Ball

Bouncing lightly on a therapy ball for 3-5 minutes every day can help to boost blood supply and oxygen levels to the affected disc and increase healing.  Not very high tech, but a safe and effective solution to beating back pain from a herniated disc.

From the simplest ice pack to the most high-tech spinal surgery, the options for treating herniated discs are as varied as the people who are in need of them. When choosing the best herniated disc treatment options, be sure to consider your own needs and wants as well as your individual comfort level in treating your back pain.

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Back Surgery for Herniated Discs

Posted on January 23, 2012 by LoriDawson

Back Surgery for Herniated DiscsHerniated disc are nothing to scoff at and the pain they cause can be unbearable. Back surgery for herniated discs is one treatment option that many people turn to when they aren’t able to get relief from pain medications.

The idea of back surgery is a frightening one that many people have conflicting feelings about simply because they don’t have enough information about the procedure. Education about the surgery can take some of the fear out of the surgery, which is what the information here is designed to do.

Defining a Herniated Disc

The first thing that needs to be understood is the herniated disc. It is not unusual to hear of people who have the diagnosis but have no idea what it means. Discs are located in the spine and act as cushions that separate the bones in the spine. These cushions help prevent the bones from rubbing on each other during movement. These discs have a soft center known as the nucleus that is covered by the annulus.

If the annulus suffers a tear from an injury, age or simply being a weak disc, the inner nucleus leaks to the area of the annulus that has the tear and causes the disc to bulge, which is called a hernia. The end result is a herniated disc. This bulge is typically on the side of the disc that rests against the spine. This is where the nerves are located and why intense pain is associated with a herniated disc.

The pain is often felt any many other areas of the body in addition to the back. This is due to the spinal column having nerves that control many other body parts. For example, a herniated disc in the lower back can cause pain to be felt not only in the back area but also down into the legs.

The pain from herniated discs can become unbearable and actually cause disability. This is why many people turn to surgery to correct the herniated disc and live a normal life.

Back Surgery

Back surgery is sometimes an immediate need and other times an optional treatment when other treatments fail. There are usually only a few circumstances that require surgery as quickly as possible. The first is if the disc is causing loss of bowel and bladder control. The other sign that surgery is required immediately is a distinct weakness in the lower part of the body. If either of these two things occurs, a doctor must be consulted immediately.

These two incidents are the extreme cases of herniated discs and not the average person’s experience. This does not mean that surgery is not an option; it can be a pain-relieving option that allows people to get back to a sense of normalcy. There are two main types of back surgery that are performed for herniated discs. One removes the bulge from the disc and thus relieves the pressure on the nerve and the other one removes the entire damaged disc. Once the damaged disc is removed the bones from above and below the disc that are left with no cushion are fused together. This fusion prevents them from rubbing on each other during movement.

An important factor that must be taken into consideration is that there are no guarantees that the surgery will be successful and last forever. The actual success of these types of surgeries, as listed in the medical journal Spine, is around 16%. This is not a very high percentage for such an invasive surgery. In addition, there can be complications to this surgery that cause more back problems. One example of this is the added work the bones have to do when fusion is chosen. The remaining joints in the spine have to work harder due to the fused bone having limited movement. This in turn leads to other joints suffering and ultimately causing more pain.

If the bulge is removed, the complications tend to be scar tissue building up where the bulge was and the added problem of the disc being much weaker due to part of it being removed.

There are other surgeries that are being studied and in some cases used, even though they have not been completely perfected. Disc replacement is the most promising and is being performed by some of the more advanced surgeons in the field of herniated discs. This surgery may be the answer to herniated discs that will relieve the pain of thousands of people.

The bottom line is that back surgery for bulging discs is a personal decision that should be made in conjunction with the advice of a back specialist. The determining factor will ultimately be how much pain relief can be expected and how successful the doctor feels the surgery will be based on the extent of the hernia. Back surgery can be a good choice for many people, as long as they have researched it thoroughly and have an excellent surgeon.

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Do I Have Spinal Stenosis?

Posted on January 16, 2012 by EmmaRobinson

Do I Have Spinal Stenosis?If you have been experiencing any sort of prolonged back, neck, leg or arm pain, the odds are good that you suffer from some degree of stenosis. Spinal stenosis occurs when the nerve roots of the spinal cord are compressed, causing inflammation and pain. This can be caused by an accident, age, or an underlying illness.

Types of Spinal Stenosis

There are two main types of spinal stenosis that most people suffer from:

1. Lumbar Stenosis, which can cause sciatica and numbness and pain in the lower back and legs

2. Cervical Stenosis, which is more serious and can actually choke off the spinal cord, causing all sorts of serious issues.

Stenosis Symptoms

The symptoms of spinal stenosis can vary depending on where the stenosis is located.  For instance, spinal stenosis in the neck usually results in numbness, weakness and atingling feeling in the leg, foot, arm and/or hand. Neck and shoulder pain are also prevalent when the nerves in the neck are being compressed. . In severe cases of spinal stenosis of the neck, the nerves of the bladder and bowel can also be affected, causing incontinence.

Spinal Stenosis in the Lower Back

Spinal stenosis in the lower back (the lumbar region), usually causes cramping and pain in the legs. This becomes even more prevalent after sitting for a long time.

What Causes Spinal Stenosis?

There are a lot of things that can cause spinal stenosis and its accompanying symptoms.  Just some of the things that can decrease the space in the spinal canal and cause the compression associated with spinal stenosis include:

Age

As we age, our bones and muscles begin to deteriorate, causing all sorts of health issues.  Osteoarthritis can cause the growth of bone spurs around the spine, causing the spinal passages to become more compressed.  Disk degeneration too, can cause the jelly-like fluid between your vertebra to bulge and swell, putting painful pressure on nerve roots. Even thickening ligaments can narrow the spinal canal and compress sensitive nerve endings.

Bone Disorders

Any type of bone disorder which affects the spine can cause painful compression.  Paget’s Disease creates an environment which weakens bones (including the spine), ultimately deforming them. This, of course can cause the spine to compress and swell.

Tumors

Any abnormal growth in the spine can compress the canal, cause swelling. This will ultimately result in the unending pain of severe stenosis.

Injury

Any type of trauma that affects the spine and vertebrae can cause stenosis compression and pain.

Making a Spinal Stenosis Diagnosis

Even when a physician is sure that a patient suffers with spinals stenosis, several tests may be run to determine its extent; any damage that has resulted fro the compression to the vertebrae and nerves; and what treatments should be tried to help alleviate the patient’s pain.

Most doctors begin with an MRI or CT Scan to get a good look at the spine, vertebrae and surrounding nerves and tissues.  Sometimes, x-rays may also be needed to evaluate bone growth, possible fractures and abnormalities.

Treatment Options for Spinal Stenosis

Once a distinct diagnosis has been made, your doctor may recommend the following non-surgical treatments to alleviate your spinal stenosis symptoms:

Exercise

While exercise alone can not cure spinal stenosis, it can help it from getting worse.  In most cases, a certified physical therapist is needed to devise an exercise routine and teach the patient how to do each exercise for prolonged therapy at home.

Lifestyle Changes

When you suffer with spinal stenosis you sometimes have to relearn how to do certain activities a new way to help keep the spinal canal open and compression free. Some of the most common examples of these lifestyle changes may include sitting in a recliner chair instead of a straight backed chair; walking with a slight bend or leaning on a walker or shopping cart in lieu of walking upright; etc. The goal here is to keep the spine from compressing and creating a flare of inflammation and pain.

Epidural Injections

Injecting cortisone into the epidural space has been shown to alleviate spinal stenosis symptoms in about half of the patients who try it.  Although not a cure, it can be used to alleviate pain for several months while giving other remedies such as physical therapy or even surgery a chance to offer a more permanent solution to your pain. The biggest downside to using epidural injections for spinal stenosis relief is that a patient can only undergo 3-4 shots over a course of several months and then must wait a year or more to begin the regiment again.

When experiencing spinal stenosis symptoms, including pain, numbness, tingling and weakness of the legs and even arms, pain it is important to see your doctor for a complete workup and diagnosis. That is the only way to determine the extent of stenosis and the treatment options that will work best for

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