Herniated Discs in Boston
If you experience chronic back pain related to a herniated disc, you’re likely limited in what you can. At Boston Advanced Medicine, the experienced team of pain management specialists offers a variety of services, including epidural steroid injections and spinal cord stimulation therapy, to alleviate your pain and increase your overall functioning. Learn more about management solutions for herniated disc pain by calling our office today.
Herniated Discs Q & A
What is a herniated disc?
Within your spine, you have a number of rubbery, cushioning discs that prevent vertebrae from rubbing together and absorb the impact of your movements.
Due to degenerative disease, injury, or the natural aging process, your discs start wearing down. You also lose important water content in the discs, causing them to grow less flexible.
Other factors that can weaken your discs include:
- Smoking
- Improper lifting
- Being overweight
- Repetitive strenuous activities
Pressure in the spine can eventually cause the disc to rupture, or herniate, forcing the center through the outer edge of the disc and into the spinal canal. The herniated disc begins compressing the nerves of the spine, which are already very sensitive.
Herniation can occur in your cervical (upper) spine, or in the lumbar (lower) spine. As a result, you can experience chronic pain and a variety of other symptoms.
What are the symptoms of a herniated disc?
Due to excess pressure on the nerves of the spine, you can develop chronic pain in your back. This pain often radiates down into your legs if a lumbar disc herniates, or down your arms if a cervical disc ruptures.
In addition to persistent pain, you can also experience symptoms such as:
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Burning sensation
- Pins-and-needles
You may also find it difficult to walk, stand, or sit for long periods.
What treatments are available for a herniated disc?
The team at Boston Advanced Medicine evaluates the severity of your disc problems to determine the best treatment option for alleviating pain and other symptoms. In many cases, physical therapy can help relieve pressure on your nerves to help manage pain.
They may first recommend epidural steroid injections, a minimally invasive procedure where they inject medication directly into the spine to relieve inflammation and pain.
Peripheral nerve blocks are also an option, involving an injection of anesthetic medicine to numb the compressed spinal nerves and alleviate pain.
In some cases, when other therapies don’t work and pain becomes debilitating, surgery may be an option to remove the protruding part of the disc to stop compression on the nerves.
Find out which treatment option is right for your herniated disc pain by calling our office today.
