What Are the Treatments for Disc Herniation?

A herniated disc is a potentially disabling condition that results when a spinal disc, or vertebral disc, ruptures or moves out of its correct position in the spinal column. A herniated disc can cause severe back pain, leg numbness and in severe cases, partial paralysis. However, there are a number of treatment options available to treat a herniated disc.

Rest

• Rest is often prescribed to help reduce the pain and stiffness caused by a herniated disc. If a herniated disc is still relatively intact and has not herniated to the point where it irritates nearby nerves or soft tissues excessively, simply resting the herniated disc is often sufficient treatment to reduce pain levels and improve back range of motion. Rest includes avoiding excessive back movement.

Physical Therapy

• Physical therapy is often used to help stabilize a herniated disc as well as help to reduce the irritation and inflammation of the surrounding soft tissues. Physical therapy for a herniated disc generally involves various stretching and range of motion exercises in addition to heat therapy to help increase flexibility and reduce tightness of the muscles and soft tissues surrounding the affected disc. This helps to reduce soft tissue and muscle irritation, which lessens pain, and also helps to prevent progression of the herniated disc.

Pain Medication

• The pain caused by a herniated disc can often be treated effectively utilizing various pain medications, including over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) as well as prescription opiate/narcotic-based medications. Generally, mild to moderate herniated disc pain can be successfully managed utilizing the various over-the-counter pain medications available such as Tylenol or Advil. To treat more severe and/or chronic herniated disc pain, more powerful prescription medications such as Oxycontin and Hydrocodone may be needed.

Injection Therapy

• Injection therapy is commonly used to treat severe or chronic back pain cases, including pain caused by herniated discs. Generally, injection therapy consists of injecting a small amount of corticosteroid (generally cortisone) directly into the vertebral spaces surrounding a herniated disc. The injected corticosteroid medication, which is a very powerful anti-inflammatory agent, helps to reduce swelling and irritation caused by the protruded disc. This helps to drastically reduce back pain and increase mobility.

Surgery

• Surgery is normally used to treat severely damaged or herniated discs that produce severe pain or leg numbness. In cases where a herniated disc has become severely displaced or is impinging on neighboring muscles and soft tissues and thus causing severe pain, surgery is often performed to remove the herniated disc. This type of surgery, known as a discectomy, is routinely performed when less-invasive forms of treatment fail to produce adequate pain relief. Discectomy typically provides significant pain relief.