Disk Herniation
Disks are Mother Nature’s shock absorbers located between the vertebrae. A herniated disk is when the disk is pushed out of the normal anatomical position and thus results in pain and discomfort.
A spinal disc herniation, informally and misleadingly called a “slipped disc”, is a medical condition affecting the spine due to trauma, lifting injuries, a tear in the outer fibrous ring of an intervertebral disc.
Tears are almost always postero-lateral in nature owing to the presence of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the spinal canal. This tear in the disc ring may result in the release of inflammatory chemical mediators which may directly cause severe pain, even in the absence of nerve root compression. This is the rationale for the use of anti-inflammatory treatments for pain associated with disc herniation, protrusion, bulge, or disc tear.
It is usually a further development of a previously existing disc protrusion, a condition in which the outermost layers of the annulus fibrosus are still intact, but can bulge when the disc is under pressure.
Diagnosing Disc Herniation
Disk herniation may cause headache, neck pain, arm, mid-back pain, chest wall, low back or leg pain, and/or numbness. Usually, patients will not need surgery for herniated disks. Either the herniated disk or leaking nucleus pulposus can cause irritation of the nerve roots passing near the disc. Disk’s may herniate through vigorous physical activities, trauma, or just spontaneously.
If you are experiencing any of the above or similar symptoms associated with a herniated disc, please don’t hesitate to Contact Our Staff immediately so we can set up an appointment for you and have our specialists evaluate your unique current health condition.
Treating Disc Herniation
After listening to you, completing a comprehensive physical examination, reviewing relevant medical history, and analyzing labs and imaging to diagnose the source of your pain, your Illinois Pain & Spine Institute physician will work with you to develop a customized, cost-effective treatment plan for disc herniation. Illinois Pain & Spine Institute takes pride in diagnosing and treating the source of your disc herniation pain.