Home remedies may be initially done to alleviate the symptom of herniated discs. These include the following:
However, if the herniated disc pain becomes so unbearable and you can no longer do your usual activities, you must not hesitate to contact our herniated discs doctor immediately. Other reasons related to suspected herniated discs that warrant visiting our spine specialist include the following:
A herniated disc or “slipped disc” occurs when a part or whole of the nucleus pulposus, the inner part of the intervertebral disc that serves as a cushion in between the vertebrae to prevent friction, bulges out of the annulus fibrosus, the outer part of the intervertebral disc.
This disorder occurs in 5 to 20 in 1000 adults within the 3rd or 5th decade of life, with the most common being the lumbar disc herniation. Most cases of the slipped disc don’t have symptoms and aren’t found out until an MRI is done.
However, in cases that it presents with symptoms, you may suspect that you might be suffering from disc herniation if you have back pain that doesn’t go away and one part of the body that’s affected by the slipped disc compressing a spinal nerve manifests with symptoms like arm or leg pain, and weakness, numbness, or tingling of the arms or legs.
At Gramercy Pain Center, we first evaluate the source of your pain before we suggest a suitable treatment plan for its underlying cause. We may do a comprehensive history taking and careful neurological examination (e.g., straight leg raise test and contralateral straight leg raise test) to localize where the nerve compression is.
Aside from that, we may also order further tests especially if non-surgical treatments don’t work or the neurological examination has abnormal results. These tests include:
At Gramercy Pain Center, we may prescribe neuropathic drugs like gabapentin and pregabalin or muscle relaxers to help ease the back pain due to a bulging disc.
If this doesn’t work, we may also advise giving you an epidural or nerve block, which are cortisone injections around the area of the spinal nerves and spinal cord affected, guided with spinal imaging to help accurately direct the needle.
We may also offer radiofrequency ablative techniques as well, where radiofrequency energy is delivered to the spinal nerves and prevent them from sending pain signals to the brain.
We may also suggest physical therapy and home exercises guided by our pain management specialist Ajay Varma, MD, DABA, DABAPM, to help you gain more flexibility and strength in your back. The sessions will also teach you how to properly position yourself to minimize the pain caused by slipped discs.
Gramercy Pain Center only offers minimally invasive herniated disc treatment and physical therapy to help manage the symptoms of your pain conferred by a slipped disc. However, we may also suggest herniated disc surgery from a trusted orthopedic spine surgeon if your symptoms don’t improve after 6 weeks of the treatment plan. These include spinal decompression surgeries like the following:
A: A herniated disc injury goes away on its own 90% of time, 6 weeks after the injury. Some individuals may need more aggressive measures and may need surgery, which can make healing faster and with a comparable result with more conservative methods of management.
A: A herniated disc gets worse if it remains untreated, especially when you endure the pain and continue doing the things that exacerbate the condition. Although rare, herniated discs may progress into a ruptured disc, leading to more chronic pain or complete loss of nerve function due to severe nerve root compression. Rare complications in a herniated disc surgery have also been mentioned in some studies, such as paralysis and death.
A: To prevent herniated discs from occurring or from worsening, lifestyle changes may be followed to reduce the risk of its development. Recommendable lifestyle modifications to follow include:
A: With the guidance from your doctor, you may consider alternative and complementary treatments to help relieve the chronic back pain associated with herniated discs. These include chiropractic procedures, acupuncture, and massage.
You don’t have to endure the back pain associated with herniated discs forever. At Gramercy Pain Center, we’re here to help you go back to your normal activities through our expert pain management plan that includes physical therapy and minimally-invasive treatments, guided by our pain specialist Ajay Varma, MD, DABA, DABAPM. Contact us today and visit our pain clinic near you to achieve a pain-free life again.
Dr. Varma is a tough cookie, very stern but listens to me and cares about my well being.
Dr. Varma is a great caring person and doctor.
Great doctor, very attentive.
Wonderful experience with Dr. V!
Dr. Varma was extremely attentive and informative regarding my condition.
