Prolapsed Disc Surgery

If you suffer from a prolapsed disc, surgery may seem like your only option to overcome your chronic neck or back pain once and for all. However, while you may be eager to schedule a procedure to treat your pain, it is important to make sure that you first fully understand the cause of your condition and have explored all of your available nonsurgical treatments. You may be surprised to learn that the vast majority of people who suffer from symptoms of disc problems can usually effectively manage their symptoms with a series of noninvasive methods.

What is a Prolapsed Disc?

In the spine, adjacent vertebrae are cushioned and separated by thick spongy pads that are known as intervertebral discs. These discs are important because they are both highly flexible and extremely durable, which helps provide for the regular movement that we require from our neck and back and also supports a tremendous amount of body weight.

Each disc is primarily composed of two main parts, a tough outer shell known as the annulus fibrosus, and a gel-like center, which is called the nucleus pulposus. A prolapsed disc refers to an intervertebral disc where a rupture has developed in the annulus fibrosus, allowing the nucleus pulposus to escape the disc and seep into the spinal column. This condition is also sometimes known as a herniated disc or colloquially as a slipped disc. Yet, simply having a prolapsed disc doesn’t mean surgery is the only option. In fact, many people experience this condition without ever knowing it.

Symptoms from a Prolapsed Disc

One of the interesting things about having a ruptured disc is that this condition isn’t inherently symptomatic. In most cases, when a patient experiences pain or discomfort from a prolapsed disc, it is because the extruded disc material has come into contact with the spinal cord or a nerve root in the spinal column and caused the nerve to become constricted or irritated. As a result, the goal of prolapsed disc surgery and other treatments is usually to alleviate this constriction.

A number of unique symptoms can be associated with this condition, depending on the cause, location, and severity of the problem. The most common symptoms include localized neck pain or back pain, traveling pain along a nerve, numbness and tingling in the extremities, and other similar symptoms.

Treatment

If you’ve been diagnosed with a prolapsed disc, surgery is rarely the first option. More often, a regimen of conservative, noninvasive treatments will first be attempted as a means of alleviating strain on the neck or back and reducing pain. These treatments tend to include:

– Low-impact exercise

– Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

– Hot/cold therapy

– Diet

– Limited rest

– Massage

– And more

However, if several weeks or months of this type of treatment fails to provide sufficient relief, other options may be considered.

Considering Prolapsed Disc Surgery

Prolapsed disc surgery can be approached in several different ways depending on the extent of the problem, the cause and location of the prolapsed disc, and your overall health. Traditionally, the use of an open spine surgery, such as spinal fusion, has been recommended as a means of permanently immobilizing the spine at the vertebral level by removing the affected intervertebral disc and fusing adjacent vertebrae together.

Alternatively, recent advancements in endoscopic technology have given rise to minimally invasive alternatives that can sometimes treat the symptoms of a prolapsed disc without the lengthy hospital stay and arduous recovery process that is associated with open spine surgery. To learn about the specific options that are available to you, take the time to research all of your options and speak with several doctors in your area. The last thing you want to do is consent to a surgery that you don’t need when a less invasive option is at your disposal.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient prolapsed disc surgery procedures as well as treatments for several other spinal conditions.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for prolapsed discs. http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/back_problems/prolapsed_disc/treatment/surgery/

Author Bio: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient prolapsed disc surgery procedures as well as treatments for several other spinal conditions.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
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