Photo courtesy of Teeter

Lumbar disc herniation, or herniated disc, is when a piece of the disc – soft cartilage cushion that is between the vertebra or bones in the spine – bulges out of its disc space and into the spinal canal. Because of the limited space the spinal canal has, a displaced disc will press on nerves which causes pain. This tends to be one of the most common issues that patients will have when seeking a consultation for their back pain.

A herniated disc can cause anywhere from mild to excruciating pain that could leave the patient bedridden. There are a handful of treatments for a herniated disc, both operative and nonoperative. Depending on the level of pain, the patient may tolerate doing physical therapy, medical management chiropractic care or in some cases, acupuncture. Time is the biggest component when it comes to doing nonoperative treatments.

Another option would be an epidural steroid injection, which can relieve a significant amount of pain. In many cases, patients with moderate pain from their herniated disc will receive an epidural injection, giving them enough relief to do physical therapy and to allow the body to heal the herniated disc naturally.

But, for patients experiencing very intense pain or seeking operative options, The Huffman Clinic can complete an outpatient surgery. This treatment is one of the most common surgeries on the spine and is called microdiscectomy. This can be done either under the microscope or endoscopically. Either technique will resolve the patient’s herniated disc in a timely manner and with a short recovery time.

Suffering from a herniated disc? Fill out one of our Appointment Request Intake Forms today so we can get you on your way to a more pain free life.