We simply don’t know if the findings are related to the patients symptoms, OR, if they are just age-related changes…. Therefore, without a thorough examination, just using the picture to diagnose a problem isn’t enough. Oftentimes, imaging shows us so much detail that we will have “abnormal” findings that may not even correlate to the symptoms. MRI’s in particular can show incredible detail relating towards inflamed or degenerated tissue. Imaging is a powerful tool to show providers a glimpse of what’s going on internally within the body. Let’s kick this off talking about imaging, aka x-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. Stick with me as I dive into what the research says about your back and a bulging disc (Hint: surgery is not typically the answer).

But here’s the truth behind it: 99% of the time, you’re going to be just fine. Medical background or not, those are some pretty terrible descriptions of a picture taken of your spine. At this point you’re as white as a piece of paper and picture the worst-case scenario. “Imaging is showing disc desiccation, disc prolapse, disc protrusion, disc fissure, disc bulging, a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, foraminal encroachment, nerve root compression (or impingement), or stenosis. They see the MD for their back pain, get an x-ray or MRI, and they’re told one of the following. Contact us today for more information.Ī member of our dedicated team will be happy to help you receive a free MRI review* to determine if you are a potential candidate for one of our procedures.“The Doc told me I have a herniated disc! Now What?” Budging or herniated discs are consistently some of the most feared diagnoses out there, especially in athletes. Our orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons are able to perform these procedures on an outpatient basis through the use of muscle-sparing techniques. If you are dealing with a disc protrusion and are exploring your surgical options, the minimally invasive procedures performed at USA Spine Care may be able to help you find relief. Spine surgery is usually considered as a last resort, but it can become an option if symptoms continue to be disruptive to quality of life and other options have been exhausted.

When this condition is diagnosed, doctors will usually begin treatment with a course of conservative therapies such as medication, physical therapy and epidural steroid injections. Cervical disc protrusions causing nerve root compression can cause symptoms to occur in the neck, shoulders, arms and hands. If the compression is located in the lumbar region, feelings of pain, burning, numbness, muscle spasms, weakness and tingling may radiate into the buttocks, thighs, calves or even the feet. While a disc protrusion can occur at any point along the spinal column, it is most likely to occur in the cervical (upper) and lumbar (lower) regions due to the weight these areas support combined with their relative flexibility. When a nerve is compressed, it can cause both local pain and symptoms that radiate along the length of the nerve. Symptoms of disc protrusionĪ disc protrusion typically does not cause symptoms unless it pressures the spinal cord or one of the spinal nerve roots. By learning more about this condition and the treatment options available, you can be more engaged as a patient and give yourself a better chance of achieving long-term relief.

Pain and other symptoms related to a disc protrusion can be debilitating, taking you away from the people and activities you love. This in turn makes the discs less able to withstand the pressure they are being placed under every day, which can cause part of the disc to be pushed out of its normal place. Disc protrusion is an age-related condition that occurs due to natural loss of water and protein content in the discs that makes them lose elasticity. This condition is similar to a bulging disc, but is generally defined as involving a smaller part of the circumference of the disc. Decompression with Interlaminar Stabilization®Ī disc protrusion occurs when part of a spinal disc bulges out from its normal place in the spinal column.Cubital Tunnel Syndrome Ulnar Nerve Entrapment.

Bulging disk xray