When one of the intervertebral discs in your spine is worn down, whether through natural causes or injury, it can become sunken and lose its ability to support its original height. As a result, the fibrous outer wall of the disc degenerates, causing the disc to collapse along the nerves of the spine. This is when the pain starts. And this is when your collapsed disc can start to have a serious impact on your quality of life. Those suffering from a collapsed disc must answer an important question: Is surgery required for collapsed discs?
As you will learn in this article, a collapsed disc can be treated a number of ways, including through both non-surgical and surgical interventions. However, the right treatment for you will largely depend on the particulars of your condition and whether or not your goal is to manage your pain or eliminate it altogether. If you are currently suffering from chronic back pain, it’s important that you consult your medical provider to discuss all of your treatment options. You want to be certain that you are making the right choice for you and your family. Of course, if you would like to speak with a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, the experienced team at Florida Surgery Consultants is standing by.
Complications That Can Arise From Collapsed Discs
Individuals suffering from a collapsed disc can experience a range of symptoms. From severe pain to minor discomfort to the absence of symptoms altogether, no two people have the exact same reaction to a collapsed disc, so it’s important to consult your medical provider if you experience any of the following symptoms:
Chronic Nerve Pain
The intervertebral degeneration that causes a collapsed disc can also progress to a herniated or bulging disc. Both of these conditions can impact the nerves of the spine, leading to intense pain and discomfort in the affected region. For many individuals with chronic nerve pain, their pain doesn’t remain stationary. It can radiate to the legs, buttocks, arms, and hands, too.
Numbness
Since the disc shrinks (loses height) when its fibrous outer wall is compromised, it can shift until it makes contact with the nerves of the spine. As a result, a noticeable tingling sensation or decrease in muscle strength can occur. For most, these symptoms are accompanied by feelings of numbness, too.
Bone Spurs
As a disc gets smaller, it causes the vertebrae to brush against each other producing friction that leads to bone spurs. Bone spurs also create complications with the nerves of the spine. The compression that occurs when bone spurs form causes significant pain and discomfort.
Non-Invasive Treatments for Collapsed Discs
Collapsed discs can have many symptoms, but one of the most severe effects isn’t even medical in nature. The severe pain and discomfort resulting from a collapsed affects availability. In other words, an individual with a collapsed disc is limited in the activities they can take part in, the engagements they can attend, and the places they can go. This can take a toll on a person’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. To prevent this from happening, many individuals attempt to manage their condition through the use of non-invasive treatment methodologies.
Non-invasive treatments are solely concerned with managing pain to help individuals regain control of their lives. For example, physical therapy is commonly paired with other treatment options to help spur a full recovery. Epidural steroid injections are another commonly used treatment option. Injections are performed in-office and help reduce inflammation around the affected nerves. Of course, medication can also be used to treat back pain, but heavy reliance on medication can lead to other problems.
Benefits of Undergoing Surgery
Of course, the number one reason people choose to undergo surgery is to improve their quality of life, but this isn’t the only benefit of surgery for individuals suffering from back pain. For instance, surgery is the only treatment option that reverses the pathologic process of disc degeneration. This is because disc degeneration is a natural part of aging. Even if you don’t experience back pain, your discs will still wear down eventually. Only a surgical option can remove the damaged disc entirely to reverse the pathologic process of disc degeneration.
Since surgery is considered a highly effective treatment for back pain, it is encouraging to know that surgical techniques and devices have undergone remarkable advancements over the years. These advancements have helped improve patient outcomes by reducing the invasivity of surgical techniques like spinal fusion, artificial disc replacement, bone grafting, and more.
Lumbar Fusion Surgery
Lumbar fusion surgery is one of the most commonly utilized surgical options for those suffering from severe back pain. This surgery is designed to help stabilize the vertebrae at the location of the degenerated disc. In order to do so, the surgeon must make a small incision through the back or stomach (or both) to access the affected area.
During the course of this procedure, the surgeon will be required to move muscles and ligaments and insert hardware to isolate the affected area of the spine so the fusion can heal. Lumbar fusion surgery is based on the human body’s ability to heal fractures. New bone can be grown across the degenerated disc, oftentimes with the aid of a bone graft to get things going. Typically, this bone can be taken from the patient’s pelvis; however, a bone bank or synthetic bone can also provide the necessary substitute.
Artificial Disc Replacement Surgery
Another popular surgical option is artificial disc replacement (ADR) surgery, otherwise referred to as total disc replacement (TDR). Artificial disc replacement surgery hasn’t been around as long as lumbar fusion surgery, but it has been proven to be an effective treatment for many people suffering from chronic back pain.
Artificial disc replacement surgery is performed by making an incision in the lower abdominal wall and dissecting beneath the muscles located there. The surgeon must be careful not to disturb the abdomen while working in this sensitive area.
Once the degenerated disc has been reached, the surgeon must work on it to restore its original height. Then, all of the ligaments that have contracted around the disc must be released so that the artificial disc can be inserted appropriately.
