Herniated Disc

When a patient seeks out a spine specialist or an orthopedic surgeon they are going through a harsh amount of pain in their back. One of the most common diagnoses is a herniated disk. The spine is made up of bones called vertebrae, and between each one is a disk made of soft tissue to act as a cushion in between each bone. A disk becomes herniated by this cushion extending past the vertebrae. This can occur by lifting something heavy or from stretching your back too fast. Other lifestyle conditions can also cause a disk to be pushed into the spinal canal, such as being overweight, not exercising, and bone degeneration due to disease or age.

A herniated disk isn’t always going to cause pain right away. Many people could have one and not realize it for awhile. However, it leads to other forms of pain all over the body, since the spine is basically the lifeline of your body. It can lead to a pinched nerve, sciatica, numbness or tingling in arms and lower back. A disk can become herniated from the lower back (lumbar vertebrae) all the way up to your neck.

There are a couple of different ways to deal with the pain from a herniated disk. There are a few nonsurgical ways that a doctor can recommend to get rid of the agitation. There is of course, as with all spine pain, physical therapy, and exercise. However, depending on the level of pain or discomfort, those treatments could possibly make it worse. Medicinal treatments such as steroids, anti-inflammatories, and pain relievers are temporary pain management options but do not cure it completely.

If these options do not help and the only solution is surgery, we at Orthopedic Spinecare of Long Island are ready and equipped to prepare you for surgery. We have the on-site radiology services such as an X-ray machine, MRI, and CAT Scan to pinpoint the disk and operate right away.