Having a slipped disc in your back can be distressing. However, the good news is that there are a number of treatment options, so you don’t have to live with pain and limited mobility. Slipped disc is a general nonmedical term usually referring to disc conditions like a herniated disc or a bulging disc. See your doctor for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

Developing a treatment plan

The treatment plan your doctor chooses will largely depend on factors like your age and physical condition as well as the severity of your symptoms. Someone experiencing occasional slipped disc-related sciatica may benefit from massage or an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine. A patient with slipped disc symptoms such as increasing pain and weakness or a loss of sensation in the limbs may require steroid injections or prescription medication.

Other conservative slipped disc treatment options include:

• Periods of rest
• Physical therapy
• Hot and cold compresses
• Lifestyle changes like starting a weight-loss plan, quitting smoking or improving posture

Certain activities in your daily routine can aggravate slipped disc symptoms, while others can actually reduce them. Your doctor can help you figure out which activities you need to avoid and can recommend slipped disc exercises and stretches designed to help increase strength and flexibility in your spine.

When to consider surgery for a slipped disc

In some cases, symptoms related to a disc condition do not respond to conservative treatments and surgery becomes an option. Patients are often reluctant to undergo traditional open back surgery due to the lengthy recovery time and risk of complication involved with this type of procedure.

There is an alternative to traditional procedures however. USA Spine Care provides minimally invasive outpatient spine surgery to treat symptoms associated with disc conditions. Our procedures use muscle-sparing techniques and have quicker recovery periods^ than traditional back surgeries.

If you’d like to learn more about our minimally invasive procedures, contact USA Spine Care today. We offer a no-cost MRI or CT scan review* to help you determine if you are a candidate for one of our procedures.

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