Getting an accurate diagnosis and finding the best treatments for pain from a herniated disc can be challenging. Some patients find that a combination of conservative treatment options works best.
Herniated Disc
As a disc degenerates, the soft inner gel in the disc can leak back into the spinal canal. This is known as disc herniation, or herniated disc. Once inside the spinal canal, the herniated disc material then puts pressure on the nerve, causing pain to radiate down the nerve leading to sciatica or leg pain (from a lumbar herniated disc) or arm pain (from a cervical herniated disc).
Lumbar Herniated Disc Symptoms
Lumbar herniated disc symptoms vary from common to dangerous.
If cervical herniated disc pain does not resolve in a few weeks to a couple of months, surgery is an option if the pain is severe and lasting longer than 6 to 12 weeks. Learn more about surgical options.
If lumbar herniated disc symptoms persist after non-surgical treatment, surgery may be considered. Learn about the surgical options.
If a course of conservative treatments is not effective for relieving pain from a herniated disc, lumbar decompression surgery may be considered as an option.
Thoracic herniated discs have a variety of conservative (non-surgical) and surgical options for treatment, including activity modification, exercise, and the VATS procedure.