Herniated Discs Treatment 

Excruciating back pain is caused by many different injuries and ailments. Your back has many components that can be damaged. A herniated disc is one that has cracked open, allowing the soft gel-like interior to leak out. This substance often pinches a nerve existing your spinal column, causing pain. The spine physicians and pain experts at the Medex Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Queens, NY isolate the reason for your back pain and effectively treat it. Call today if you’re in pain.

Your spine consists of 33 vertebral bones that are separated by gel-filled discs. These discs act as shock absorbers to protect the vertebrae. The discs also permit greater spinal flexibility by reducing friction between your vertebrae. The gel-like interior of the discs is surrounded by a hard casing, which can suffer damage and leaks over time. A herniated disc refers to when the soft interior of disc leaks out through the outer shell.

Herniated discs are a relatively common result of aging, as the daily wear and tear on your spine take a toll over time. The condition is also referred to as lumbar disc disease because the lumbar vertebrae of the lower back most frequently suffer the herniations. Your lower back carries most of your upper body weight, so the discs in this part of your spine are under greater stress.

How to Prevent Herniated Discs

While this spine condition affects both sexes, herniated discs tend to strike men more often than women. Twenty- to 50-year-olds are especially susceptible, as they are the most active age range. If you fall into this group, your best bet is to seek medical advice or even treatment from an orthopedic specialist as soon as you feel any back pain.

If you’re suffering from obesity, you may need to lose weight to take the extra pressure off your spine. Not only does obesity lead to medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, but all that additional weight wreaks havoc on your spine, whether you’re walking, standing or just sitting.

A nutritionist at the multi-specialty Medex Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Queens, New York prescribes a weight loss program that’s suitable for you. It likely includes some form of exercise and eating a healthy diet with high-fiber foods. Your primary care doctor may suggest other ways to prevent herniated discs, as well, to get you to:

• Quit smoking
• Maintain a good posture all the time
• Use back-friendly chairs
• Avoid lifting or pulling heavy objects improperly
• Not drive for long hours without a break
• Refrain from repetitive activities that involve bending or twisting

When to Go See Your Doctor

It’s not possible to prevent every instance of a herniated disc, as they occur from injuries and accidents, as well as from lifestyle choices. But you can decrease the chances of herniation through proper therapy. The Medex Diagnostic and Treatment Center is a multi-specialty facility that employs some of the area’s top spine specialists. They’ll relieve the debilitating pain associated with herniated discs.

Many herniated discs are asymptomatic and won’t cause you any pain. You don’t even know they’re there. But when a nerve is pinched by the herniation, you feel debilitating pain that over-the-counter pain relievers can’t touch. Seek pain relief from a Queens specialist if you experience symptoms such as:

• Severe throbbing pain in your arms or legs
• A dull or sharp pain in your neck or between the shoulder blades
• Numbness or a tingling sensation in your neck or limbs
• Weakness in your legs
• Pain that radiates through your buttocks down your leg

Types of Herniated Disc Pain

If the herniation is pinching a spinal nerve in the lumbar region of your back, you’re likely to suffer from sciatica. The sciatic nerve runs from your spine down your leg. When pinched, your leg pain can be intolerable.

Herniated discs may also cause pain and discomfort on the upper back or neck area. The symptoms vary for each, depending on the location of the pinched nerve. A professional diagnosis gives your pain management specialist guidance for a treatment plan.

In rare cases, herniated discs cause you to lose control of your bladder or bowels. This is a severe condition that requires immediate medical attention. Cauda equina syndrome occurs when a herniated disc compresses the bundle of nerve roots at the end of the spinal cord. Delay in treating this condition causes permanent weakness or even paralysis.

Available Treatment Options

Your Queens doctor usually starts with a conservative approach to treatment. Depending on your condition and diagnosis, your treatment plan may include:

• Limiting strenuous activity
• Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine and pain relievers, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium
• Physical therapy to stretch the spine and abdominal muscles
• Prescription pain medication, including controlled opioids, if warranted
• Muscle relaxers to prevent spasms
• Cortisone injections to reduce inflammation
• Heating pads or ice packs for 10 to 20 minutes a few times a day
• Surgery, for extreme cases, but always as a last resort

Approximately half of American workers report experiencing back pain each year, and nearly 80 percent suffer from it at some point in their lives. Most herniated disc problems respond well to treatment if you obey your doctor’s instructions. If your back is bothering you, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at the Medex Diagnostic and Treatment Center.

We can help you find a doctor. Call (718) 275-8900

Licensed by the state of New York, Medex is an Article 28 diagnostic and treatment center. Our physicians provide comprehensive care for patients of all ages in the Forest Hills, Queens area, for over 15 years. Start receiving expert care now by calling or scheduling an appointment online with one of the skilled specialists.