In-depth articles covering the various types and common causes and symptoms of a herniated disc, as well as treatment options for a disc herniation
Leg pain and numbness: What might these symptoms mean?
April 18, 2007
Quite often leg pain or foot pain does not mean that there is a problem with the leg, but rather that there is a problem in the low back, causing pain and possibly other symptoms to radiate, or be referred to, the leg or the foot. Read more...
By Grant Cooper, MD
What's a herniated disc,
pinched nerve, bulging disc...?
Updated January 10, 2007
There are many terms used to describe spinal disc pathology, but it is best to
focus on an understanding of the medical diagnosis. This article explains conditions
such as a herniated disc, pinched nerve, and degenerative disc disease. Read
more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Exercise for sciatica from a herniated disc
Updated January 3, 2007
Herniated discs commonly involve disk material protruding backwards and irritating or compressing a nerve root, which in turn causes pain along the sciatic nerve. Exercises to treat sciatic nerve pain caused by a herniated disc are prescribed according to which positions will cause the symptoms to move up the lower extremity and into the low back. Read more...
By: Ron S. Miller, PT
Nerve root impingement—a common back problem
November 18, 2005
Our spinal columns have nerves, called "nerve roots",
that branch out from each spinal level and innervate different
body parts. Thus, a nerve root problem in the low back
can send pain down the leg. Describing this back problem
gets confusing and may differ depending on which nerve root is affected. Read more...
By: Pamela E. Verkuilen, APNP
Sciatica symptoms and causes
March 30, 2000 (updated September 22, 2006)
Common conditions that can cause sciatica, or pain along the sciatic nerve include
lumbar herniated disc, lumbar spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, piriformis
syndrome, isthmic spondylolisthesis, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Read
more...
By: Stephen H. Hochschuler, MD
Insights and
advice about herniated discs
January 19, 2005
Getting an accurate diagnosis and finding
the best treatments for pain from a herniated disc
can be challenging. This article explains some of the common misconceptions about disc herniation terminology, symptoms and treatments. While some patients find that a combination
of conservative treatment optins works best,
others may find that early
surgical intervention is necessary to find adequate
relief from symptoms caused by a disc herniation. Read more...
By: John P. Revord, MD
Understanding the clinical diagnosis of a herniated disc
January 19, 2005
Before treating a herniated disc, patients should obtain an accurate clinical diagnosis. However, many patients place too much focus on their MRI. An accurate clinical diagnosis of a disc herniation should include diagnostic findings (such as an MRI), as well as a physical exam and analysis of the patient's medical history. Read more...
By: John P. Revord, MD
Treatment options for a herniated disc
January 19, 2005
Depending on the patient's symptoms and clinical diagnosis of a lumbar or cervical herniated disc, different conservative treatment options are available (including physical therapy, back pain medications and injections). It's especially important for patients to work with a spine specialist and to avoid having spine surgery too soon or too late. Read more...
By: John P. Revord, MD
Microdiscectomy
(microdecompression) spine surgery
September 8, 1999
(Updated March 30, 2001 and December 18, 2003)
A microdiscectomy is typically performed for a lumbar
herniated disc. In a microdiscectomy back surgery,
a small portion of the bone over the nerve root and/or
disc material from under the nerve root is removed
to relieve neural impingement and provide more room
for the nerve to heal from the herniated disc. Read
more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Treatment
options for a lumbar herniated disk
May 8, 2000 (Updated January
28, 2003)
Treatment for a herniated disk in the lumbar spine
will largely depend on the length of time the patient
has had his or her symptoms and the severity of the
pain. Generally, patients with a herniated disk will
be advised to start with 6 to 12 weeks of conservative
treatment (such as physical therapy and exercise). Read
more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Conservative treatments for a lumbar herniated disk
May 8, 2000 (Updated January 28, 2003)
At the onset of pain from a lumbar disk herniation, it is usually considered reasonable to start with a couple of days of bedrest followed by slow mobilization.
Conservative treatment options (such as chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy and exercise, medications and epidural steroid injections) may be recommended for the first six weeks to treat a lumbar herniated disk. However, patients should consult a spine specialist to determine the proper timing for surgical intervention, if it is deemed necessary. Read more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Surgical treatments for a lumbar herniated disk
Cervical
herniated disc symptoms and treatment options
June 17, 2002
The arm pain from a cervical herniated disc results
because the herniated disc material "pinches" or
presses on a cervical nerve, causing pain to radiate
along the nerve pathway down the arm. Along with
the pain from a herniated disc, numbness, tingling
and/or muscle weakness may also be present down the
arm and into the fingertips. Read
more...
By: Richard A. Staehler, MD
Conservative treatment for a cervical herniated disc
June 17, 2002
When the initial pain from a cervical herniated disc hits, anti-inflammatory medications can help reduce the pain so that the patient can tolerate other conservative treatments.
Patients my find that a combination of treatments such as physical therapy and exercise, traction, low-velocity chiropractic manipulations, bracing, injections and other medications) may help relieve symptoms from a cervical herniated disc. Read more...
By: Richard A. Staehler, MD
Spine surgery for a cervical herniated disc
June 17, 2002
Most episodes of pain and discomfort from a cervical herniated disc will resolve over a period of weeks to a couple of months. However, if the pain is severe or lasts longer than 6 to 12 weeks, spine surgery may be a reasonable option. This article reviews surgical treatment options for a cervical herniated disc, such as anterior and posterior cervical discectomy and spine fusion. Read more...
By: Richard A. Staehler, MD
Chronic neck
pain
April 17, 2001
Chronic neck pain that radiates down the arm is frequently
caused by a cervical herniated disc. Treatment for
chronic neck pain from a cervical disc herniation is
guided by how long the pain lasts, pain intensity and
the degree to which the cervical nerve and/or spinal
cord are affected. Read
more ...
By: John Heller, MD
Lumbar
herniated disc
September 8, 1999 (Updated February
28, 2001)
A herniated disc in the lower back can cause low back
pain and/or leg pain by putting pressure on the nerve
root. Conservative and surgical treatments for
a lumbar disc herniation are available to patients,
depending on their level of pain. Read
more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Cervical
disc herniation
March 29, 2000 (Updated
February 28, 2001)
A herniated disc in the neck can cause a literal "pain
in the neck" and/or pain that radiates down the
arm. In general, most cervical disc herniation will
heal with time and conservative treatment and will
not require surgery. Read
more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Multi-specialty
case review—herniated disc
September 2000/ongoing discussion
A case of a patient with a herniated disc is reviewed
by spine specialists from 3 different fields. Read
their treatment plans and comments regarding this patient
case of a herniated disc. Read
more...
By: Stephen Hochschuler, MD, Richard A. Staehler, MD,
and Carol M. McFarland, MS, PT, OCS
Upper back
problems: doctor answers patient questions
March 20, 2006
The upper back and ribs form a strong ‘cage’ around the vital organs
of the heart and lungs. Since the upper back is not designed for motion, upper
back problems are less prevalent but can be extremely painful. In this section
of Back Talk, a physiatrist responds to frequent patient questions about upper
back problems. Read more...
Cervical herniated disc - The doctor is in!
Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon and Medical Director for Spine-health.com, answers patients’ e-mail questions about cervical disc herniation, including diagnosing the source of pain and proceeding with treatment of a cervical herniated disc. Read more…
Cervical herniated disc treatments- The doctor is in!
This section includes explanations, insights and advice about non-surgical and surgical treatments for a cervical herniated disc provided by Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon and Medical Director for Spine-health.com. Patients’ questions were submitted by e-mail, and we’ve published answers to some common cervical herniated disc questions here. Read more…
Lumbar herniated disc - The doctor is in!
Patients often have questions about the symptoms of a lumbar herniated disc. In this section, Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon and Medical Director for Spine-health.com, provides answers to patients’ e-mail questions about lumbar herniated disc diagnosis. Read more…
Lumbar herniated disc treatments - The doctor is in!
In order to better help patients understand their conservative treatment options for a lumbar disc herniation, Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon and Medical Director for Spine-health.com, shares his insight and advice to answer patients’ e-mail questions. Read more…
Lumbar herniated disc surgery - The doctor is in!
Patients frequently e-mail us questions about lumbar herniated disc surgery options and recovery after surgery for a lumbar disc herniation. In this special section, Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon and Medical Director for Spine-health.com, provides answers to patients’ questions about surgery for lumbar disc herniation. Read more…
Sciatica - The doctor is in!
This section features explanations, insights and advice about sciatica and the sciatic nerve – including diagnosing the source of the sciatic pain - provided by Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon and Medical Director for Spine-health.com. Read more…
Sciatica treatments - The doctor is in!
Treating sciatica and sciatic pain is often confusing for patients, and we often receive e-mail questions from patients. In this section of the site, Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon and Medical Director for Spine-health.com answers patients’ common questions about sciatica treatment options. Read more…
Is my pain sciatica or something else? - Spine-health.com Newsletter
Sciatica is a very common form of low back pain and leg pain that is often misunderstood by patients who may try to self-diagnose and self-treat the wrong cause of their sciatica. This newsletter uncovers common sciatica myths and provides guidelines for treating low back pain and leg pain from sciatica. Read more...
Understanding disc pain - Spine-health.com Newsletter
Pain generated by the spinal disc (from degenerative disc disease, a herniated disc or other conditions) is quite often misunderstood. The goal of this newsletter is to help you better understand how the spinal discs can cause pain and what’s important to know about it. Read more ...
Figuring out your pain diagnosis - Spine-health.com Newsletter
Obviously, even the best treatments won't do much good if your diagnosis is not correct. However, a clinical diagnosis for a herniated disc can be a challenge to obtain and can be difficult to understand. This newsletter includes several guidelines about how to get an accurate diagnosis, which in turn will help you get started with the right treatment plan. Read more ...
Physician responses to e-mail questions about back pain - Spine-health.com Newsletter
You can often learn a lot from other people’s questions about back pain and how a spine physician might respond to those questions. In this newsletter we share past responses from a physician to several reader questions on a variety of topics, including herniated discs. Read more ...
Getting an accurate back pain diagnosis - Spine-health.com Newsletter
Getting an accurate diagnosis for your back pain is critical because different diagnoses will require very different treatment approaches for pain relief. This newsletter helps patients understand confusing terminology, different diagnostic tests and the option of working with an integrated spine clinic for a diagnosis and treatment program. Read more ...
Please note that these additional patient resources (such as The Back-to-Back Forum and Newsletters) on Spine-health.com are not peer-reviewed by the Spine-health.com Medical Advisory Board. They are provided as additional resources for patients to learn from the experiences of others and to gain information from our popular newsletters.
