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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How Can Spinal Disc Herniation Be Treated?

hello, I have L2- L5 levels of disk herniation,loss of distal height and signal, thecal sac compression and neural canal stenosis. I am currently seeing a pain management doctor. the question is should I be seeing a spine specialist and do you think these conditions require surgery..i also have a retrolisthesis in the thoracic area
Wed, 6 Dec 2017
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's  Response
Good Evening,
Thanks for info given.here the some information that might help you yo understand your doctor opinion
The primary goal of treatment for each patient is to help relieve pain and other symptoms resulting from the herniated disc. To achieve this goal, each patient’s treatment plan should be individualized based on the source of the pain, the severity of pain and the specific symptoms that the patient exhibits.
In general, patients usually are advised to start with a course of conservative care (non-surgical) prior to considering spine surgery for a herniated disc. Whereas this is true in general, for some patients early surgical intervention is beneficial. For example, when a patient has progressive major weakness in the arms or legs due to nerve root pinching from a herniated disc, having surgery sooner can stop any neurological progression and create an optimal healing environment for the nerve to recover. In such cases, without surgical intervention, nerve loss can occur and the damage may be permanent.
For lunmbar herniated discs, conservative (non-surgical) treatments can usually be applied for around four to six weeks to help reduce pain and discomfort. A process of trial and error is often necessary to find the right combination of treatments. Patients may try one treatment at a time or may find it helpful to use a combination of treatment options at once. For example, treatments focused on pain relief (such as medications) may help patients better tolerate other treatments (such as manipulation or physical therapy). In addition to helping with recovery, physical therapy is often used to educate patients on good body mechanics (such as proper lifting technique) which helps to prevent excessive wear and tear on the discs.
If conservative treatments are successful in reducing pain and discomfort, the patient may choose to continue with them. For those patients who experience severe pain and a high loss of function and don’t find relief from conservative treatments, surgery may be considered as an option.
Thanks,
Regards,
Dr ,Naeem. MD

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How Can Spinal Disc Herniation Be Treated?

Good Evening, Thanks for info given.here the some information that might help you yo understand your doctor opinion The primary goal of treatment for each patient is to help relieve pain and other symptoms resulting from the herniated disc. To achieve this goal, each patient’s treatment plan should be individualized based on the source of the pain, the severity of pain and the specific symptoms that the patient exhibits. In general, patients usually are advised to start with a course of conservative care (non-surgical) prior to considering spine surgery for a herniated disc. Whereas this is true in general, for some patients early surgical intervention is beneficial. For example, when a patient has progressive major weakness in the arms or legs due to nerve root pinching from a herniated disc, having surgery sooner can stop any neurological progression and create an optimal healing environment for the nerve to recover. In such cases, without surgical intervention, nerve loss can occur and the damage may be permanent. For lunmbar herniated discs, conservative (non-surgical) treatments can usually be applied for around four to six weeks to help reduce pain and discomfort. A process of trial and error is often necessary to find the right combination of treatments. Patients may try one treatment at a time or may find it helpful to use a combination of treatment options at once. For example, treatments focused on pain relief (such as medications) may help patients better tolerate other treatments (such as manipulation or physical therapy). In addition to helping with recovery, physical therapy is often used to educate patients on good body mechanics (such as proper lifting technique) which helps to prevent excessive wear and tear on the discs. If conservative treatments are successful in reducing pain and discomfort, the patient may choose to continue with them. For those patients who experience severe pain and a high loss of function and don’t find relief from conservative treatments, surgery may be considered as an option. Thanks, Regards, Dr ,Naeem. MD