A low back or neck herniated or bulging disc is when the middle gelatinous part of the disc projects outward, causing pain.
A bulge is when there is outward (usually posterior) movement without injury to its restraining connective tissue called the annulus. If the disc causes some disruption of the annulus, it is called a herniation. If it projects through the annulus, it is called a protrusion.
The terms, slipped disc, ruptured disc, herniated disc, and bulged/bulging disc are terms commonly used interchangeably, but they refer to slightly different conditions of the intervertebral discs in the spine. Dive even deeper into the differences between spinal disc issues here.
What does a herniated disc feel like? – Symptoms
Spinal disc conditions can cause local pain or radicular symptoms which are pain, numbness, and tingling down a leg or arm. A herniated disc can also cause the spinal disorder known as sciatica – when there is pain, numbness, and tingling running down a leg all the way to the foot.
Pain is usually worse when sitting, bending, and lifting. You may feel buttock pain with spasms with increased symptoms when you cough or sneeze.
How do you treat a herniated disc?
Our Spinal Traction Decompression is a noninvasive technology that helps patients to avoid surgery, addictive pain medications, and scary injections into the spine. We use the DRX 9000, which allows us to target our treatment to the herniated disc so that the bulging disc material will retract back away from the nerve or pain-producing tissue.
Once this process is complete, we’re able to begin rehabilitation exercises and other noninvasive treatments that address the root cause of your pain, not just mask it.
What kind of doctor usually treats herniated discs?
Herniated discs can be treated by several types of doctors depending on your goal. Our goal is to treat your back pain non-invasively, without the use of drugs, surgery, or painful injections.
Non-Invasive
Pain Relief Doctor: Dr. Zimmerman at LaserTech is a pain relief doctor. These types of doctors offer a range of non-surgical treatments, such as physiotherapy modalities and technologies, cold laser therapy, shockwave therapy, and spinal decompression, to help relieve pain caused by herniated discs.
Physical Therapists: Often working with other doctors, physical therapists create tailored exercise programs to strengthen muscles, improve mobility, and relieve pressure on herniated discs.
Chiropractors: Dr. Zimmerman is also a licensed chiropractor, adding to his repertoire of skills with which he’s able to help with your back pain. Chiropractors use manual adjustments, spinal decompression, and other non-surgical therapies to alleviate pressure on the nerves affected by a herniated disc.
Invasive
Orthopedic Surgeons – Orthopedic surgeons specialize in the musculoskeletal system. While they may suggest conservative treatments first, many of our patients come to us and receive successful pain relief, either after an unsuccessful surgery or in hopes of avoiding a surgery that may have been recommended to them by an orthopedic surgeon.
Neurologists and Neurosurgeons: These specialists focus on the nervous system, and since herniated discs often impact spinal nerves, neurologists and neurosurgeons can be diagnose and treat complex cases. Neurosurgeons may also perform surgery if conservative treatments aren’t effective.
Doctor of Osteopath – A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine is a licensed physician who is trained in treating the “whole person” using a variety of hands-on techniques to treat the spine and other parts of the body to help restore function. These, as well as orthopedic surgeons, are the typically the types of doctors who prescribe “pain killers”, muscle relaxers, and injections as treatment for back pain.
Rheumatologists: Although rheumatologists primarily treat autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, they may be involved if a herniated disc pain overlaps with conditions like arthritis.
Have Pain and Tried it All? Give LaserTech a Call...
Our motto here at LaserTech is, “Have pain and tried it all? Give LaserTech a call.” This means that if you’ve tried pain killers, physical therapy, painful injections, or may even be thinking about surgery, our goal is to help you find relief from your back pain. We have more than 30 years’ experience and have helped countless find relief when they couldn’t find it elsewhere.
Ready to start enjoying the benefits of laser pain relief?
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