The human spinal cord is protected by bony vertebrae which are separated from each other by gelatinous discs. When one of these discs becomes injured, the inner part of it may protrude into surrounding nerves, which can cause a great deal of pain. When afflicted with spinal disc herniation Ashburn VA patients need to find out what pain management and treatment options they have.
Usually, when a patient complains of certain characteristic symptoms, the physician will have sufficient reason to suspect that a herniation has occurred. However, it is necessary to first conduct a physical exam and obtain the patient's medical history before making such a diagnosis, and quite often a diagnostic imaging test such as an MRI or CT scan will be performed to confirm this condition.
Similar in some respect to degenerative disc disease, herniation actually stems from a different source and results in another classification of pain. The former occurs within the disc space and leads to axial pain. The latter happens due to aging or an injury, and is responsible for radicular, or nerve root pain. Most often seen in the lower spine, it can also produce sciatica, a painful sensation extending from the buttocks to the legs.
Herniations in the lower or lumbar region of the spine are the most frequently occurring type and are often responsible for the painful condition called "sciatica". Pinched nerves in the spine cause pain which runs across the buttocks and into one or both legs. There may also be a numb or tingling sensation in the feet and legs, and the reflexes of the ankles may be impaired.
If there is no substantial improvement in the lumbar herniation patient six weeks after the problem was identified, the doctor will devise a treatment plan for him or her which consists of one or several non-surgical modalities. Common treatments include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, epidural cortisone injections, oral steroids, hot and cold applications, physical therapy, and chiropractic care. Microdiscectomy or lumbar fusion surgery may be carried out if these initial measures fail.
Most often seen in people in their thirties to fifties, herniation of the cervical spine, or neck is somewhat less common than that in the lumbar spine. Impingement of nerves in the neck, caused pain to be referred to the shoulders and arms, and sometimes all the way down to the fingertips. Hand-grasp is weakened in some cases and there may be tingling and numbness as well.
Pain caused by cervical disc herniation will first be addressed by non-surgical means and in many cases it responds positively, but the numbness may persist a bit longer. Patients may undergo chiropractic adjustment, traction, physical therapy, activity modification, or bracing, and be prescribed narcotic pain killers or muscle relaxants. If these measure do not resolve the pain, it will be necessary to surgically repair the disc.
The least common site of herniation is the thoracic region, adjacent to the ribcage. Often asymptomatic, sometimes it only shows up in a diagnostic imaging test which is done for another reason. In cases which do present with pain, patients may be given anti-inflammatory injections and analgesics and referred for strengthening exercises, chiropractic manipulation, or cold therapy. Rarely, decompression surgery must be done, but this is only where severe pain is present and the spinal cord's function is affected.
Usually, when a patient complains of certain characteristic symptoms, the physician will have sufficient reason to suspect that a herniation has occurred. However, it is necessary to first conduct a physical exam and obtain the patient's medical history before making such a diagnosis, and quite often a diagnostic imaging test such as an MRI or CT scan will be performed to confirm this condition.
Similar in some respect to degenerative disc disease, herniation actually stems from a different source and results in another classification of pain. The former occurs within the disc space and leads to axial pain. The latter happens due to aging or an injury, and is responsible for radicular, or nerve root pain. Most often seen in the lower spine, it can also produce sciatica, a painful sensation extending from the buttocks to the legs.
Herniations in the lower or lumbar region of the spine are the most frequently occurring type and are often responsible for the painful condition called "sciatica". Pinched nerves in the spine cause pain which runs across the buttocks and into one or both legs. There may also be a numb or tingling sensation in the feet and legs, and the reflexes of the ankles may be impaired.
If there is no substantial improvement in the lumbar herniation patient six weeks after the problem was identified, the doctor will devise a treatment plan for him or her which consists of one or several non-surgical modalities. Common treatments include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, epidural cortisone injections, oral steroids, hot and cold applications, physical therapy, and chiropractic care. Microdiscectomy or lumbar fusion surgery may be carried out if these initial measures fail.
Most often seen in people in their thirties to fifties, herniation of the cervical spine, or neck is somewhat less common than that in the lumbar spine. Impingement of nerves in the neck, caused pain to be referred to the shoulders and arms, and sometimes all the way down to the fingertips. Hand-grasp is weakened in some cases and there may be tingling and numbness as well.
Pain caused by cervical disc herniation will first be addressed by non-surgical means and in many cases it responds positively, but the numbness may persist a bit longer. Patients may undergo chiropractic adjustment, traction, physical therapy, activity modification, or bracing, and be prescribed narcotic pain killers or muscle relaxants. If these measure do not resolve the pain, it will be necessary to surgically repair the disc.
The least common site of herniation is the thoracic region, adjacent to the ribcage. Often asymptomatic, sometimes it only shows up in a diagnostic imaging test which is done for another reason. In cases which do present with pain, patients may be given anti-inflammatory injections and analgesics and referred for strengthening exercises, chiropractic manipulation, or cold therapy. Rarely, decompression surgery must be done, but this is only where severe pain is present and the spinal cord's function is affected.
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