Just like no patient is the same, a patient’s pain in regards to source, type, and magnitude is not the same from anyone else’s either. Our team at Republic Pain Specialists understands the pain our patients are experiencing is completely unique to them. This applies for spinal disc problems and the pain that can come with these problems. Your spinal column carries a lot of weight and pressure, literally, and when the discs between each segment of the spine start to lose strength, you could be in for a ton of pain.

Types

Since there are spinal discs between each vertebra, there can be problems along the entire vertebrae, from the lower back all the way up through the neck. Concerns in the lower back will cause pain in the legs and lower extremities. Issues in your neck will cause pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms. There are also a number of different types of pain, no matter where the location. Degenerative disc disease occurs when pain is occurring with the disc itself, with reduced cushion or small tears causing the pain. A herniated disc is pain that travels along the nerves, causing numbness, weakness, or tingling.

Causes

There can be a number of causes of spinal disc problems. An injury can cause what is commonly caused a slipped disc. This doesn’t even have to be a large scale injury like a fall or an accident, it may be getting out of bed too quickly or bracing yourself when coming down the stairs. Additionally, the two different types of spinal disc problems listed above have different causes.

• Degenerative disc disease occurs as individuals age. According to Spine-health.com, “the inner portion of the disc shrinks, proving less cushion between the bony vertebrae in the spine.”

• Herniated discs occurs when there is an issue with the disc that makes the soft nucleus leak, inflaming the nerve and causing pain.

Treatment

Some patients and medical professionals opt for surgery to treat the issues with their spinal discs, but this is a difficult decision to make for a number of reasons. Some disc problems cannot be solved with surgery and anytime surgery is considered, the risks, including pain medication needs post operation should be discussed. Republic has a number of options to consider before surgery. There are nerve blocks we can administer that will help relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and allow for a fuller range of motion. Exercise with a trainer and yoga may help patients build the muscles around the spinal column allowing for additional support from the back and core. Rest and massage may round out our recommendations as you let your back heal from the injury or degeneration that is causing your pain.

If you have a spinal disc issue, either ongoing or that has just emerged, come see our team at Republic Pain Specialists. We will help isolate your pain and partner with you to come up with a treatment plan that makes sense and that you will be most likely to follow. We want you to feel your best and can help you take the steps to get there.