There are different ways to classify a herniated disc. A bulging disc would be considered one of the worst forms of disc herniation. It can nevertheless still cause problems as you progress to worsening or larger disc herniations. Your worst case scenario is what’s called an extruded disc where it’s actually squirted out from its native location and those typically cause severe leg or back pain.
Category: General Questions
Herniated Disc vs Bulging Disc
November 27, 2024What are the Different Types of Back Pain and their Causes?
November 21, 2024
There are lots of different types of back pain and pain related to the back with lots of different causes. They range from arthritis instability when the spine does not move normally or moves accessibly. Obviously there’s some very rare causes of back pain and other sources of pain from the back can be things like a pinched nerve where patients have pain shooting down the leg, also known in many cases as sciatica.
How Do Injections Work?
November 11, 2024
A lot of times it’s very reasonable to try injections before you consider surgery. Injections vary a lot. They can be as simple as what’s called a trigger point injection, which can be performed in the office, in the area of the back or neck that is experiencing the most pain, all the way up to an injection around the spine, such as an epidural steroid injection, which can help the patient relieve pain and sometimes make it so that they don’t need surgery.
What You Can Do to Avoid Surgery
November 7, 2024
There are a lot of things that are nonsurgical that patients can try before considering surgery for back problems. Typically they include physical therapy and or chiropractic treatment, a home exercise program, medications, sometimes by prescription, sometimes over the counter, and injections as well.
If none of these things work and the symptoms are bad enough and there’s a reasonable surgical option, that’s when it’s time to consider surgery.
At What Point Should You See a Doctor?
October 29, 2024In terms of when patients should see a doctor for back pain, it really varies patient by patient. People perceive pain differently. What could be a 1 out of 10 to one patient in terms of pain could be a 9 out of 10 to another. Really when the pain is so bad that routine over-the-counter medications don’t allow you to live your life, that would be a good time as to when to see a doctor.