Types of Disc Herniation Surgery | USA Spine Care
A disc herniation describes a debilitating condition where the discs bulge into the spinal cord and push on the nerves, resulting in pain, numbness, tingling and weakness. If you have been living with pain from a disc herniation and conservative treatments such as anti-inflammatories, chiropractic visits...
Alternative Treatments for Disc Herniation
Disc herniation can be a source of debilitating pain that can interfere with everything from preparing a meal to getting a good night’s sleep. Upon diagnosing this condition as the source of your pain and symptoms, doctors will typically recommend first pursuing conventional treatments like over-the-counter...
What Are My Options for Disc Herniation Therapy?
Disc herniation, or a herniated disc, occurs when the wall of a weakened spinal disc develops a tear and pushes inner disc material into the spinal canal. In and of itself, the tear is not necessarily painful. However, when disc material causes compression or irritation of a nearby spinal nerve, the...
Disc Herniation Exercises to Help You Find Relief
If your life is being affected by symptoms related to disc herniation, exercises could be the very last thing you want to attempt. However, there are many benefits to a program of doctor-approved exercise, including increased flexibility and stronger core muscles. Additionally, long periods of immobility...
Disc Herniation | Conservative and Surgical Treatment
Disc herniation treatment generally becomes necessary only if a nerve root or the spinal cord itself is compressed by the gel-like inner center that extrudes through a tear in the disc’s tough outer layer. In fact, many people can have a herniated disc and never know it because there is no guarantee...
How an MRI Helps to Diagnose Disc Herniation
If your doctor believes you may be experiencing symptoms associated with disc herniation, an MRI — magnetic resonance imaging — test can be used to gain an accurate and reliable diagnosis. The concept of the MRI was developed in the 1980s. During this procedure a magnet is moved around the body in...
How Does a Doctor Reach a Diagnosis for Disc Herniation?
Disc herniation is not always painful, so it is possible to have this condition for some time before being diagnosed with it. Many patients discover they have a herniated disc after telling their doctor about symptoms such as pain, tingling, numbness or muscle weakness, both locally or in the extremities....
Disc Herniation Pain — How to Find Relief
Disc herniation pain can have a negative impact on your life, from difficult days at work to not being able to sleep comfortably at night. The pain resulting from a herniated disc in the spine can range from local irritation to symptoms that travel along the length of a compressed nerve. At their most...
What Symptoms Are Associated With Disc Herniation?
Disc herniation symptoms vary from patient to patient, but they can be very disruptive to your quality of life, taking you away from your favorite people and activities. For some people, a herniated disc might mean local, chronic neck or back pain. For others, a herniated disc can cause sciatica or result...
Disc Herniation and Aging — How Are They Related?
Disc herniation is closely related to aging. As we grow older, our bodies begin to slow down and years of wear can begin to take their toll. This deterioration happens within the spine as well, which shouldn’t be surprising considering the amount of support and flexibility it provides to the body....
Five Tips for Disc Herniation Prevention
One of the most common underlying causes of disc herniation is something no one can avoid — the natural aging process. That being said, there are a number of factors that often cause or contribute to disc degeneration that can lead to a herniated disc. Whether you have been identified as someone...
Disc Herniation Risk Factors
Disc herniation risk factors refer to activities that increase the likelihood that a person will develop a herniated disc at some point in his or her life. A frustrating part about a herniated disc is that the biggest contributor is natural aging. As degenerative changes make the discs less able to cushion...
What Are the Primary Causes of Disc Herniation?
The most common disc herniation cause is something none of us can avoid: growing older. Like the rest of the body, the parts of the spine begin to break down with age. Years of walking, running, bending and twisting add up to cause the neck and back pain most of us experience to some degree. The...
Posterior Disc Herniation | USA Spine Care
Posterior disc herniation occurs when the gel-like center of a spinal disc seeps through the disc’s tough outer layer on the back side of the spine (posterior). This can occur when a disc’s front (anterior) becomes compressed due to any number of spinal conditions. As a result, the disc’s inner...
Central Disc Herniation
Central disc herniation occurs when a disc in the thoracic (middle) spine develops a tear in the tough outer layer, allowing the inner disc material to push into the spinal canal. A central herniated disc is less common than a herniated disc in the cervical (upper) spine or lumbar (lower) spine. This...
Overview of Anterior Disc Herniation
Anterior disc herniation is when the center of a spinal disc begins to push out through a tear in the outer layer of the front-facing side, or anterior, of a spinal disc. This can occur when stress is continually applied to the opposite side of the disc allowing pressure to build on the anterior side....
Finding Relief from an L4-L5 Disc Herniation
The spinal disc located between the fourth and fifth lumbar (lower) vertebrae in the lower back is extremely vulnerable to degenerative conditions associated with the aging process. These conditions commonly develop in the lower back because that area of the spine bears much of the body’s weight. In...
L4 Disc Herniation
The L4 – L5 disc is located between the fourth and fifth vertebrae in the lumbar (lower) spine. Because the lumbar spine is responsible for supporting the weight and movement of the body, the discs in this area are particularly susceptible to being damaged. Discs act as the spine’s natural cushions...
L5-S1 Disc Herniation Overview
A herniated disc between the last vertebra in the lumbar (lower) region of the spine and the sacrum is called an L5-S1 disc herniation. The lumbar spine has five vertebrae, labeled L1 to L5, and the sacrum is a triangular-shaped bone at the base of the spine between the two hip bones. The sacrum connects...
L5 Disc Herniation | USA Spine Care
An L5 disc herniation occurs in the last vertebrae located in the lumbar (lower) region of the spine. The lumbar region of the spine has five vertebrae, which are commonly labeled L1 to L5. Although, in rare cases, a person might have six lumbar vertebrae. Since the lower back bears the majority of a...
How Does Disc Herniation Cause Sciatica?
The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in the body and is very commonly affected by disc herniation, which can compress or irritate the sciatic nerve. The resulting group of painful symptoms is known as sciatica. Sciatica pain can be very debilitating, affecting your ability to perform basic...
Lumbar Disc Herniation — Symptoms and Treatments
Lumbar disc herniation occurs in the lower back, when the gelatinous center of a spinal disc is pushed through a tear in the tougher exterior. The main cause of this condition is usually natural degeneration of the spine due to aging, where years of wear from common activities like walking and bending...
What Is Thoracic Disc Herniation?
Thoracic disc herniation is a condition in which a spinal disc in the thoracic (middle) section of the spine develops a tear or weak spot that causes inner-disc material to push through. These rubbery discs provide cushion and support to the spine, but they can also lose water content and degenerate...
How to Treat Disc Herniation in the Neck
Disc herniation in the neck, occurring in the cervical (upper) section of the spine, is a spine condition that can cause a wide range of symptoms. These can include pain, weakness, tingling and numbness that occur in the neck, arms and hands. It’s possible for these symptoms to become extremely debilitating,...
Getting Relief for Your Cervical Disc Herniation
Cervical disc herniation occurs when a disc in the cervical (upper) spine becomes damaged to the point that the soft inner core protrudes through the normally tough outer layer. A herniated disc does not always cause symptoms and it’s possible to have one without knowing it. The pain and limited functioning...
Types of Disc Herniation
A disc herniation occurs when the nucleus material of a spinal disc pushes through a tear in its outer layer. This is usually caused by natural aging and an associated loss of water content and elasticity, which can lead to herniated discs and other conditions. The symptoms associated with a herniated...
Learn About Disc Herniation
A spinal disc herniation, or herniated disc, occurs when a tear develops in the outer lining of the disc, causing inner-disc material to extrude into the spinal canal. Disc herniation doesn’t always cause symptoms, but this condition can be debilitating if displaced disc material comes into contact...
