A herniated disc can restrict your movement and affect your quality of life. Disc herniation Rego Park can go unnoticed, and you might only find out you have the condition after spinal imaging. Although it can occur in your neck, it mostly happens on your lower back and can affect your extremities like arms and legs.
Your spine contains bones, vertebrae, and rubbery cushions (discs) placed in alternate positions. The discs have a soft jelly-like substance in the middle with a rubbery texture as the exterior. If the jelly-like substance leaks to the outer shell, it can lead to pain, especially if you have affected nerves.
Causes
Your herniated disc can result from a traumatic injury from a car accident or a direct impact on your spine. Another factor can be a condition like degenerative disc disease that occurs due to the natural aging process. Your spinal disc can start to weaken due to aging.
If you have degenerative disc disease, your discs become weaker and drier, and the pressure weakens the disc until it bulges out of its natural alignment. The following factors can worsen a degenerative disc disease: lack of exercise, obesity, repeated movements, and lifting heavy objects.
Symptoms
You will experience symptoms depending on the location of the herniated disc. Remember that not all individuals have symptoms, but the common symptoms will include the following:
- Arm or leg pain
- Muscle weakness
- Numbness or tingling sensations in the affected areas
Treatment Options
Usually, your specialist will approach your treatment from a conservative aspect, including medications and physiotherapy. Drugs are useful for pain relief, including oral tablets or injections. Your doctor can also consider anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, and steroid injections to help you manage the condition.
Physiotherapy houses different techniques that can serve as long-term forms of treatment. The methods include hydrotherapy, hot or cold compresses, exercises, and deep tissue massages. Considering that you might experience muscle weakness with the condition, physiotherapy will help strengthen your body while conditioning it to prevent damage.
When to Consider Surgery
Your orthopedic surgeon might discuss surgery if you have severe symptoms that do not respond to conservative treatment methods. Your specialist can use different surgical procedures to treat the condition, but they will discuss the details before they begin.
One of the surgeries is a discectomy. It can involve partial removal of the damaged disc using a laser discectomy procedure. If your surgeon decides to remove the whole disc, they will use a microendoscopic discectomy.
After the surgery, you might need a spinal fusion or an artificial disc to help stabilize your spine. In spinal fusion, your orthopedic surgeon might fuse the bones on either side of your spine. Remember that spinal fusion can restrict your back movement, but it is an appropriate choice if you cannot have an artificial disc.
If you experience the symptoms of a herniated disc, visit Comprehensive Orthopedic & Spine Care for treatment. Let qualified and experienced orthopedics evaluate your condition and symptoms and offer the most suitable treatment. Call or book your appointment online today.
