While a bulged or herniated disc doesn’t automatically make you a candidate for spinal surgery, there are occasions when there’s really no better option. However, today’s advanced technologies mean that many surgeries are minimally invasive, using small incisions and special tools to access a targeted area of your spine.
Ajay Kumar, MD, and our team at New Jersey Advanced Pain Management Center provide diagnostic and medical care for patients with back pain. When the problem is a herniated disc, Dr. Kumar can perform minimally invasive spinal surgery such as a discectomy if more conservative treatments fail.
Intervertebral discs sit between the bones that make up your spine. They’re flexible ring-shaped cushions filled with a soft compressive gel, and they act as shock absorbers for your spine.
As you age, these discs can become stiffer and less flexible. If a disc cracks or ruptures — usually called herniation, a slipped disc, or a ruptured disc — the nerves that run down along the spinal column can become pinched or aggravated, causing severe pain in your back and even down into your legs or arms.
Most disc herniation happens in the lumbar spine (lower back). Some people suffer a herniated disc in their cervical spine (neck and uppermost back). It’s very rare to have herniation in the thoracic spine (middle back).
Mild disc herniations heal over time. Your doctor may tell you to limit activity, use heat and cold therapy, attend physical therapy sessions, and take antiinflammatory medications to reduce swelling.
If your pain persists or if you experience more severe symptoms such as numbness in your extremities or loss of control over your bladder and bowel, medical intervention may be required. Spinal injections can help reduce intense inflammation, and special medications can interrupt nerve impulses to reduce your perception of pain.
If your herniated disc doesn’t heal, and you’re plagued by chronic pain, Dr. Kumar can perform a minimally invasive spine procedure under general anesthesia called a discectomy. He uses small incisions and a device called a tubular retractor to access your spine near the source of your pain.
During the procedure, Dr. Kumar may remove the part of the disc that’s causing the problem (the herniation), or he may remove the entire disc and replace it. A discectomy stops your herniated disc from putting pressure on the nerves around it, and this typically relieves nagging nerve pain that reaches outward from your back and into your extremities.
If you have a herniated disc and your symptoms aren’t improving, please schedule an evaluation appointment by contacting our team at New Jersey Advanced Pain Management Center. Dr Kumar can carefully evaluate your condition and tell you if a discectomy can help.
