Treating Herniated Discs

Treatment of disc pain depends on the type of injury to the disc. The disc itself has pain sensation, and even if the disc is not putting pressure on a nerve, a person can experience pain from a disrupted or leaking disc. The disrupted disc pain is called discogenic pain and is treated differently from a herniated disc pushing on a nerve. It is, therefore, important to carefully evaluate each patient and arrive at the correct diagnosis. Imaging studies, CT Scans and MRIs are helpful in making a diagnosis. Discograms are sometimes necessary to confirm the diagnosis of an internally disrupted or leaking disc as the cause of the individual’s pain.

Minimally Invasive Procedures are available at the Palm Beach Spine & Diagnostic Institute

Discograms are performed by injecting a suspected painful disc with a liquid that can be seen on x-ray. At the time of injection, x-rays are taken that show it’s internal structure and integrity. It is also possible to measure the pressures inside the disc at that time to physiologically determine the structure’s capability. Once the diagnosis is made, minimally invasive procedures are available to treat the disc injury without surgery.