Not everyone diagnosed with a damaged disc in the spine will need degenerative disc disease surgery. For many patients, a degenerative disc disease like a bulging disc or herniated disc develops slowly with age, allowing patients to identify the damage and begin treatment before surgery becomes necessary. While many patients are able to treat these conditions with several weeks or months of conservative treatment, there are a few warning signs along the way that may indicate your need for degenerative disc disease surgery.

Be sure to read through these three warning signs so you can discuss with your doctor your possible need for degenerative disc disease surgery.

1. Your symptoms are not changing with treatment. The purpose of conservative treatment is to relieve your pain and symptoms without having to resort to degenerative disc disease surgery. For many people, these nonsurgical methods can take between several weeks and several months before lasting relief is experienced. If your symptoms have not changed in this amount of time, it may be a sign that you need surgery.
2. Your pain is worsening. While your symptoms of degenerative disc disease should be getting better with conservative treatment, some patients may find that their pain continues to worsen despite following their treatment plan. If your pain and symptoms become debilitating, you may be recommended for degenerative disc disease surgery.
3. You are no longer able to perform daily activities. If your pain increases to the point where daily activities like chores and walking the dog become almost impossible, you may need degenerative disc disease surgery to help restore your quality of life.

If you’ve been recommended to undergo degenerative disc disease surgery, research the minimally invasive spine surgery at USA Spine Care as an alternative to traditional open neck and back surgery. Our procedures offer patients a shorter recovery time^{^} and lower risk of complication compared to traditional open spine surgery due to our smaller incision and muscle-sparing techniques.

To find out if you are a candidate for our minimally invasive degenerative disc disease surgery, contact USA Spine Care today and request a no-cost MRI review* from our team.

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