By Patrick Foote

If you are in pain, receiving a bulging disc diagnosis may give you a certain peace of mind because you’ve finally learned the cause of your discomfort. During the diagnostic process, your doctor or spine specialist probably performed a thorough medical history and physical exam. He or she may have used X-rays or other diagnostic tools such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans to help confirm the presence of a bulging disc. Perhaps blood tests or other assessments were performed to rule out infections, diseases, and other spinal conditions. So what do you do now?

Possible Treatments

Your doctor or spine specialist will likely suggest a course of conservative, or non-invasive, treatments, which might include:

— Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

— Physical therapy, low-impact exercise, and stretching

— Cold and/or hot therapies

— TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)

— Corrective bracing

After a bulging disc diagnosis is ascertained, following your doctor’s conservative treatment recommendations for several weeks or months usually can provide sufficient pain relief. Surgery is seldom required, but may be suggested if non-invasive treatments fail to alleviate pain.

Additional Steps You Can Take

Doctor-recommended treatments can be helpful, but making certain changes to your habits and everyday lifestyle can help you maintain overall health after receiving a bulging disc diagnosis. Try to be aware of your posture when you’re sitting, standing, and even sleeping, as incorrect spinal alignment puts undue stress on spinal structures. Maintaining a healthy weight is also important to the health of your intervertebral discs, muscles, and ligaments. Beginning a strength building exercise program can ensure stronger core muscles to support the spine, while eating a well-rounded diet can provide the proper nutrition essential for healing and health.

A bulging disc diagnosis doesn’t have to be frightening; in fact, millions of Americans live with the condition. Take time to educate yourself about the condition, talk with your doctor, and start making lifestyle changes that will benefit your spinal, and overall, health.

Exploring The Surgical Options

Only about 10 percent of people who receive a bulging disc diagnosis find that their symptoms do not respond to conservative treatment. Rarely will a bulging disc, in and of itself, lead to surgery. Typically, even if an intervertebral disc becomes herniated – leading to the extrusion into the spinal canal of the disc’s gel-like inner material – exercise, stretching, physical therapy, and corticosteroid injections are enough to manage the neck or back pain and other symptoms. However, a bulging disc that graduates to a full-fledged herniated disc does somewhat increase the likelihood that surgery might become an option.

Types of Surgery

Although the type of surgery necessary to treat spinal nerve compression caused by a herniated or bulging disc will vary from patient to patient, there are essentially two options:

— Open back or neck surgery with spinal fusion

— Laser-assisted, minimally invasive procedures performed using a small incision and tiny instruments with the aid of an endoscope.

Open Spine Surgery

Open back or neck surgery with spinal fusion is designed to permanently immobilize the affected vertebral segment. In general, most or all of the affected intervertebral disc is removed, and the adjoining vertebrae are connected with metal or plastic rods, screws, or plates. In most cases, bone graft material is inserted to create a permanent bridge between the vertebrae. These procedures can be performed from the front (anteriorly), the back (posteriorly), or the side (laterally). They generally require several nights’ hospitalization, the use of general anesthesia, dissection or removal of the surrounding soft tissue, removal of a large portion of the spinal anatomy, and a recuperation period of up to a year.

Endoscopic Spine Surgery

Minimally invasive procedures for spine surgery began to enter the medical mainstream in the 1990s, when orthopedic specialists began to perfect the use of endoscopic techniques similar to those used during routine arthroscopic knee and shoulder procedures. In most cases, minimally invasive spinal procedures require only a small (one-inch or less) incision, local anesthesia and deep IV sedation is used, no hospitalization is required, and the recuperation period is far shorter than that associated with open back surgery.

Not every patient is a candidate for a minimally invasive procedure, because the severity or location of a herniated or bulging disc might necessitate a more invasive operation. Ask your doctor for guidance, or seek another opinion from a spine specialist well-versed in the techniques of advanced spine surgery.

About the Author: Patrick Foote is the director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for

bulging discs

and several other spinal conditions.

Source:

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