Most disc herniation occurs at L5 – S1 or L4-L5 and just about five percent of the case occurs at L3-L4. Disc herniation in other lumbar level is rare to occur.

There are a lot of treatment options for lumbar disc herniation. Treatment is categorized into two that is the non-surgical and surgical treatment.

Non-Surgical Treatment

The initial treatment for herniated lumbar disc is through conservative treatment or non-surgical. Fortunately majority of cases responds well with conservative treatment and allows patient to go back to its normal activity within four to six weeks. There are quite a number of non-surgical treatment modalities. A combination of this treatment works best like a combination of any of the following – bed rest, chiropractic care, physical therapy and medication (The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine 2010).

For medication, muscle relaxants or analgesics can help relieve pain. But doctors commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It can lessen inflammation which may be the reason for pain in the nerve root. A good combination for medication is exercise. The right exercise can prevent back conditions and is often included in every treatment plan. A chiropractor or physical therapist can design an exercise plan that will best fit you.

Surgical Treatment

When conservative treatment fails to bring relief then surgery may be necessary. However, a careful evaluation should be done first before recommending a surgery. Surgery depends on various factors like the site of the herniation, how severe is the nerve compression, previous surgery if any and of course the severity of the condition. Most spine specialist uses the most advance technology and minimally invasive approach as much as possible.

Preventing such medical condition is possible. By maintaining flexibility and strength in the back, abdominal muscles and leg and staying in good shape always. Activities like swimming, jogging, biking or walking is recommended to keep your back fit and healthy. And finally always remember the right lifting techniques to prevent any back injuries.

Slipped Disc in Neck Treatment

Medications

Anti-inflammatory medications are commonly prescribed to lessen inflammation and pain. Pain killers are also use to lessen pain and discomfort but only for temporary basis only. Muscle relaxants are also given or a specific anti-depressant medication to aid in easing nerve type pain and bring back your sleep pattern to normal.

Injections

For severe pain which do not respond to other medication, epidural steroid injections can help lessen the inflammation and pain from a slipped disc neck. This can be very effective if combined with a complete rehabilitation program.

Physical Therapy and Exercise

Mckenzie exercise can help lessen pain in the arm. At first physical therapist may use modalities like the cold/hot pack or ultrasound which lessens muscle spasm.

Chiropractic Manipulation

Gentle manipulation perform by a professional chiropractic is definitely effective in reducing the pain. Too strong manipulations should be avoided since this can aggravate the pain and worsen any neurological damage if any.

Changes in Activities

There are certain activities that may tend to aggravate the herniated disc pain and it is just right to avoid such activity so as not to irritate further the nerve root. Such activities may include running, boating, lifting heavy objects and overhead activities that may need prolonged neck rotation or extension.

Other slipped neck treatment options include cervical traction, osteopathic medicine and bracing. Most of this pain will resolve over certain period of time. It can range from weeks to months however if the pain lasts longer than six to twelve weeks and the pain is still severe despite the conservative treatment then spine surgery might be your last option.

Generally spine surgery for cervical herniated disc is quite reliable and is perform with minimal amount of undesirable aftereffects. As long as it is done with an experience surgeon, success rate is about ninety-five to ninety-eight percent when we talk about arm pain relief.

If we look at the cervical spine closely you will observed that between each vertebra is an intervertebral disc. There are exactly seven vertebras in the neck which is often referred to as C1 to C7. The level that is commonly affected with slipped disc in the neck is between the C5 and C6 as well as C6 and C7.

The disc comprise of an outer layer which is a hard one and encloses a soft gel-like material. Repeated stress in the neck can result to a degeneration of the outer layer of the disc. If the damage is severe in the outer layer then the soft material in the inner layer can bulge out of the disc. The material that bulges out may press on its surrounding nerve root which can cause pain in one of your arms. This condition is referred to as herniated disc and this often result to pain in the shoulder and down in your arms.

Slipped Disc in Neck Symptoms

Usual symptoms of slipped disc in the neck are severe pain in the shoulder which spreads down to the arm and pain can be felt too in the neck. Pain can be aggravated by movements in the neck or even by sneezing and coughing. Pain may be too severe that it affects your sleep. Also muscle spasm is also common in the neck.

There are also cases where there is no pain felt in the neck but the symptoms are mostly felt in the arm or the opposites that is in the neck only. Aside from pain one may experience muscle weakness in the upper limb.

If patient’s history shows severe neck pain that spreads to the arm then diagnosis of slipped disc in the neck can be confirmed although further test may be necessary in some cases. MRI scan may be requested to confirm diagnosis of slipped disc in neck.

Treatment for slipped disc in the neck consists of conservative treatments. There are several conservative treatments that you can choose from. A combination of these treatments might work best for you. Conservative treatment includes rest and taking of pain relieving medicine. Anti-inflammatory medication is quite effective in managing the pain. A neck collar can be very helpful in early stages if your neck is injured. It can support the neck and prevent movement in the neck for it to give time to heal. A neck pain pillow is also good in correcting the neck alignment.

Physiotherapy treatment which includes the use of heat packs is quite effective as well as massage to relieve neck pain. Manual manipulation is also good to help bring back the normal neck movement.

Another device which is very effective in slipped disc in neck is the traction. Traction can be done manually by physiotherapy or you can do it at home if you have a home traction kits. If not you can always visit clinic where they have traction machine.

As the pain is manage and resolve then you can go back to your normal activities at a slow pace and you should try to perform exercise to restore normal function of the neck. However it is important that you consult your doctor before you perform any exercise. Your doctor should supervise any exercise you have to perform until you know you can do it right on your own.

If symptoms do not respond to any of the conservative treatment then it might be necessary to consult a spine specialist or orthopedic consultant. Surgery might be needed if pain is not manage and is progressing.

The nerve that comes from the spinal cord in the neck travels down into the arm. This nerve is the one responsible for the sensations that you feel from your shoulders down to your fingers. They are also the ones that carry the electrical signals to muscles which are responsible in moving the fingers, hands as well as the arms. Problems starts whenever one of these nerves is pinched by a bone spur or herniated disc. One may experience pain, numbness and weakness in parts of the body where the nerve travels. This condition is what they refer as cervical radiculopathy.

Cervical radiculopathy symptoms usually spread away from the neck although the problem is really in the neck. Symptoms of such condition are usually experience where the nerve runs that is mostly in the arm, shoulder and hand. By pointing out where the symptoms occur, the physician can readily tell which nerve in the neck is affected. Symptoms of such condition generally include the following;

Pain

One of the most common symptoms of cervical radiculopathy is pain which is due to the pressure in the spine. Pain can be a dull throb or a sharp shooting pain. This pain can affect the shoulders, arms, neck and even the chest.

Tingling Sensation

Cervical Radiculopathy also manifests with tingling feeling or sensation in the fingers and hands.

Numbness

Another common symptom next to pain is numbness in the neck, hands, fingers as well as the arms. The parts of the body affected depend on how severe the compression is.

Weakness in the Arms and Hands

Another symptom for cervical radiculopathy is lack of strength or weakness in the arms and hands.

There are a lot of treatment options for those who suffers from cervical radiculopathy. The first option that doctors always recommend is the conservative treatment which may include medications to manage the pain, muscle spasm, inflammation as well as sleep problem as a result of cervical radiculopathy.

Other options of treatment include the use of cervical collar to provide support and limit activities of the neck while healing. Another is cervical pillow which can help alleviates the pain and lets you sleep better. Of course not to forget physical therapy and if all the above mentioned and any other option does not work then you may have an epidural steroid injection. This is usually the last option if all of the conservative treatments fail to work.

A study is conducted regarding cervical radiculopathy and the study shows a good future with chiropractic as well as manual therapy techniques in managing cervical radiculopathy. However it is recommended that larger studies should be made for cervical radiculopathy(Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2003).

If conservative treatment does not work then it is time to move on further to a more advance treatment option and that is surgery. This is often recommended by doctors whenever their patient experience pain that is disabling and does not respond to any medical management; severe weakness that is advancing, spinal cord compression and bladder or bowel problems.

Treatment for lumbar spondylosis is usually conservative however surgery is always recommended if there is spinal cord compression or pain that is intractable. Read further to know the detailed treatment of lumbar spondylosis.

Non-Surgical Treatment

Exercise Therapy. One of the leading conservative treatments for lumbar spondylosis includes stretching exercises, muscle strengthening and aerobic exercises (Ann Intern Med 2005). With individuals suffering from chronic pain symptoms, a significant improvement is seen with patients who are given individually designed programs which includes strengthening and stretching and is done under supervision. Improve in pain and function is significantly seen (Ann Intern Med)

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). This device brings electrical stimulation to the nerves with the purpose to relieve pain. Implanting of such device is considered an outpatient procedure. This is quite effective in managing pain as one study sites, there is an immediate pain relief after an hour following TENS yet there is still little evidence of its long term benefits

Lumbar Supports. Supports are usually made for the purpose of limiting spine motion, to correct any deformity, stabilize the spine and lessen mechanical forces. Moderate evidence is available regarding the effectiveness of the device for those who are suffering from chronic lower back pain.

Spine manipulation. Involves a manual therapy approach which has the following function – lessens muscle spasm, modifications in neuriphysiological function, mechanical stimulation of nociceptive joint fibers, repositioning of miniscule structures within the articular surface, lessens disc bulge, released entrapped synovial folds, lessens tension in the hypertonic muscle and disturbance in the periarticular adhesion (Ann Intern Med 2003). Research has been conducted in this subject and result showed that spinal manipulation is effective when compared to sham manipulation when you talk about short and long term relief of pain as well as functional improvement.

Massage therapy. This form of treatment seems to bring pain relief to low back pain sufferers. If compared with other treatment, it is less effective with TENS and spinal manipulation but is comparable with exercise and lumbar supports and much more superior with acupuncture and any other relaxation therapies if it is maintained for over a year course.

Medication Therapy. Lumbar spondylosis patients do need medications to manage the pain as well as the swelling, lessens the disability and generally improve the quality of life of the patient. This medication therapy often complements the non-medication interventions. Great number of research has been done to explore the effectiveness of various oral medications in the management of low back pain and degenerative conditions.

Medications like NSAIDs, opioid, antidepressants, and muscle relaxants. Injection therapy is also available to manage chronic pain. Injection therapy includes epidural steroid injections, facet injections, and SI joint injections.

Surgical Treatment

Surgery. This form of treatment is usually reserve for sufferers who have failed non-surgical treatment options. Surgery procedures aim to achieve two important goals and that is spine decompression or spinal fusion or in some cases both. There are different kinds of surgical techniques today, talk to your doctor and discuss your best option regarding this kind of treatment.

When there is disc degeneration then back pain happens. When these spinal discs start to wear away, it can cause a lot of problem. One among the many problems that can arise is lumbar disc degeneration whose usual symptom is low back pain. Wearing of the spinal disc in some ways are normal and is a result of aging. There are individuals who does not experience any back pain and yet their MRI results shows wearing away of disc. It is therefore vital that your doctor will identify the real cause of your back problem before starting any treatment plan.

Current Used Treatment for Lumbar Disc Degeneration

Spine Fusion Surgery

So far the best treatment considered for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine when all conventional treatment has failed is spine fusion. Spine fusion surgery involves the process of removing the damaged disc and promotes bone growth in the area where the damaged disc is removed. Since the disc is replace by bones it now loses its flexibility which means motion of the spine in that level is no longer allowed. At this segment the spine doesn’t move anymore thus relief of pain is experience

But then again there are problems too with spine fusion surgery. First and foremost the rate of success for this procedure is only eighty percent. Second is when fusing happens it now decreases motion of the back which can lead to stiffness and last but not the least, stiffness in the back as a result from fusing, the spine above and below the fusion experience more stress. This can develop problems in the disc below or above (J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2006).

Lumbar Disc Replacement

Just like joint replacement, lumbar disc replacement involves the same process. In lumbar spine its aim is to remove the damaged disc and replace it with a plastic or metal implant and this implant will work like a normal disc. The advantage with lumbar disc replacement against spine fusion is that the disc that is replace still allows motion in that part of the spine and thus does not put any stress in the adjacent levels.

However, lumbar disc replacement is still a new procedure. This procedure has not been done on enough patients so that it is too early to tell whether this is much better than the spine fusion surgery. Also it is early to tell what possible problems may arise with lumbar disc replacement.

Spinal Stenosis can often result from conditions like degenerative Spondylolisthesis or osteoarthritis. If the spinal nerves in the lower back are compressed then lumbar spinal Stenosis may arise and this often results to leg pain and other symptoms. How can one manage the symptoms of lumbar spinal Stenosis? The major answer to that is staying active, that is why it is vital that you can find an exercise which you can enjoy and perform easy and will not worsen your condition.

Exercise is very important for lumbar spinal Stenosis patients. In fact there is one study regarding physical therapy treatment as options for Lumbar spinal Stenosis. Results concluded that physical therapy treatments for lumbar spinal Stenosis should include flexibility and strengthening exercise; massage, heat/ice treatments and stabilization techniques (J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil 2010). This goes to show the importance of exercise in managing lumbar spinal Stenosis.

The importance of exercise or staying active for patients that has spinal Stenosis are as follows – it improves blood circulation in the back thus bringing in the much needed oxygen, it helps strengthen the spine protecting from further injury, exercise helps maintain flexibility thus preventing tight muscles that pulls the spine which can worsen spinal Stenosis, maintains a healthy weight and last but not the least, exercise can also help with your mental and emotional health.

Effective Exercises for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

An effective exercise program for individual who suffers from lumbar spinal Stenosis usually includes not only one but a combination of endurance, strengthening, range of motion and stability activities. So what are the best exercises or activities for such conditions?

• Biking is rewarding as well as an enjoyable activity so that individuals who suffer from lumbar spinal Stenosis (LSS) may benefit a lot with stationary biking.
• Swimming or water therapy is a good exercise too for LSS patients.
• Stretching and strengthening exercise under the guidance of a physical therapist.
• Tai Chi class

These activities and exercise are smooth and considered to be low impact which is good for LSS patients. Patients may avoid pain by not doing high impact exercise like jogging, long period of walking or standing and avoid any contact sports as much as possible.

When doing these activities, always remember that the best exercise is one that you can do regularly or daily. Something that is fun and enjoyable for you to do like biking. If it is not then pick another that you like to perform everyday. Consider too activities or exercise that can be done indoor in case the weather wont allow you to do it outside. The most important thing of all is always consult your doctor before you start any exercise. Your doctor can also recommend a good set of exercise tailored just for you. Also make sure to stop if you feel pain or pain gets worst when you exercise.

When you stay healthy and active then there is a good chance of lessening or even removing the symptoms of lumbar spinal Stenosis.

Non-Surgical Slipped Disc Treatment

Rest. The good news is most slipped disc resolves in time and does not really need treatment at all. It naturally heals with rest and of course time. You just have to avoid activities that you know can worsen your condition thus giving your body the time to heal on its own.

Cold and Hot Compress. If you feel pain then you can use cold and hot compress. You can start with cold compress for a few days to lessen the inflammation as well as swelling and then after that you can switch to hot compress so as to aid in relaxing the muscles and improve blood circulation thus reducing the pressure in the nerves.

Make sure that you start with the cold compress because if you start with the hot compress and there is still inflammation then it might just worsen your condition. It is imminent that you wait that the swelling and inflammation is gone before you switch to hot compress.

Medications. NSAID pain relievers are the usual medicine doctor prescribed. You can even buy this over the counter. Aside from NSAID, there are a lot of other medications to manage the pain brought about by slipped disc like acetaminophen, muscle relaxant and many more.

Physical Therapy. Exercise may not help disc problems directly but it can help to strengthen you back muscles as well as loosen up the tension of your back muscles thus relieving or lessening the load that the disc and spine have and most of all it can correct postural problems too. Stretching exercise is a good start and you can go on to strengthening exercise.

Inversion Therapy. With the word inversion it means upside down and inversion therapy actually means being suspended upside down. With this, pressure is taken off your spine by reversing the effects of gravity in your body thus decompressing the spine. A few minutes each day with inversion therapy definitely brings a lot of benefits to your spine and brings back good health to your discs.

Indeed it is better if you try out the non-surgical method of slip disc treatment before resorting to surgery. Non-surgical method has positive results than surgery and is much safer.

Read further on as we try to present a balanced view of the status of PLDD when you talk about treatment for contained lumbar disc herniation.

Beginnings of PLDD

Using of laser in treating lumbar herniated disc started in the early 1980s and the first PLDD in human patient was performed in February 1986. The FDA approved PLDD in 1991 and figures showed that about 35,000 PLDD has been performed around the world ( J Clin Laser Med Surg 1992 )

PLDD treatment is usually done in outpatient basis which makes use of a local anesthesia. It involves using a thin needle that is inserted in the herniated disc assisted with X-ray equipment. Optical fiber is then inserted to the needle and through this fiber is where the laser energy runs through which vaporize a small part of the disc nucleus. This makes a partial vacuum thus drawing the herniation away from the nerve root thus relieving pain. You can immediately feel the effect.

Patients can get off right after the procedure is done and most patients can go back to work after four to five days. Since a thin needle is use you are free from any scar or cutting and since only a small portion of the disc is vaporized it does not result to spinal instability. PLDD is definitely much better than the traditional open back surgery since PLDD does not have the complications that open back surgery has.

Who are qualified for such procedure? Patients who are suffering from disc problems with severe lower back, neck, arm or leg pain; persistent pain that does not respond to six weeks conservative treatment, and herniated lumbar disc identified through MRI, X-rays, Discography, Myelography and CAT scanning.

Indeed many patients today opt for PLDD because of its high success rate and lower risk of complications.

For those who suffer from back and neck pain, they often experience weakness, reduce function of the lower and upper limbs, pain, tingling and numbness. These symptoms can be so disabling that it often affects your daily task, work and even sleep.

Most common condition that brings these symptoms is disc herniation where the inner soft material of a disc breaks through its outer layer thus protrudes and compresses the nerve which results to pain that often radiates from the neck to the arm and hand or from the back down to the groin, leg and foot area. This disc problem can be terrible and can bring too much discomfort to you.

Does spinal decompression really work and can keep you from spending thousands of dollars for spinal surgery? This is just one of the many questions that patients ask their doctors. Spinal decompression is performed using the spinal decompression machine where the patient is required to lay down on its back in the table.

The machine is computer operated. The spine is stretched allowing the inner material of the disc that has break out be drawn back to its original position. When the inner material of the disc is drawn back to its original position then it takes off the pressure from the nerves resulting to pain relief in the neck or back as well as in the arms or legs. Spinal decompression truly provides healing to the disc giving the disc its health back.

In fact there were numerous studies done with spinal decompression therapy. One study showed 86% of ruptured intervertebral disc or herniated disc patients achieved good to excellent results using the decompression therapy. Good is rated as 50% to 89% improvement while excellent is rated as 90% to 100% improvement (American Journal of Pain Management, 1997)

If after medication, physical therapy, exercise and chiropractic treatment have failed then perhaps you can try for the non-invasive spinal decompression. Most people who were scheduled for surgery have miraculously healed without the surgery but only the spinal decompression therapy. If surgery is done, the most common procedure of surgery is discectomy or laminrctomy and is quite expensive. It can cost about $10,000 to $15,000 or even more that is after the insurance company pays their portion.

With spinal decompression it is less expensive. It can cost about $100 to $200 per session and generally it takes about 20 sessions to achieve the cure that you want. Generally spinal decompression cost around $2,000 to $4,000 for spinal decompression therapy. It is less expensive plus you do not have to undergo surgery, no recovery period, no discomfort and results are really good.

However this therapy is not for everyone thus patient will be closely evaluated by their doctors to see if they are qualified to have spinal decompression therapy. That is why always consult your doctor if you are planning to have this treatment.