Herniated Disc

Herniated Disc Pain Consultation, Procedure and Treatment

If you are suffering from pain due to disc herniation, training and experience must rank high on your list when choosing a physician to correctly diagnose and treat your condition. With over 20 years of combined experience, our caring, highly qualified, and skilled ABMS Board Certified and ACGME fellowship trained Interventional Pain Doctors are unique in New England.

Herniated Disc Definition
Spinal Disc Herniation (prolapsus disci intervertebralis), informally and misleadingly called a “slipped disc”, is a medical condition affecting the spine, in which a tear in the outer, fibrous ring (annulus fibrosus) of an intervertebral disc (discus intervertebralis) allows the soft, central portion (nucleus pulposus) to bulge out. Tears are almost always posterior-ipsilateral in nature owing to the presence of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the spinal canal. This tear in the disc ring may result in the release of inflammatory chemical mediators which may directly cause severe pain, even in the absence of nerve root compression It is normally a further development of a previously existing disc protrusion, a condition in which the outermost layers of the annulus fibrosus are still intact, but can bulge when the disc is under pressure.

Disc Herniation

Herniated Disc Symptoms
Symptoms of a herniated disc can vary depending on the location of the herniation and the types of soft tissue that become involved. They can range from little or no pain if the disc is the only tissue injured, to severe and unrelenting neck or low back pain that will radiate into the regions served by affected nerve roots that are irritated or impinged by the herniated material. Other symptoms may include sensory changes such as numbness, tingling, muscular weakness, paralysis, paresthesia, and affection of reflexes. If the herniated disc is in the lumbar region the patient may also experience sciatica due to irritation of one of the nerve roots of the sciatic nerve. Unlike a pulsating pain or pain that comes and goes, which can be caused by muscle spasm, pain from a herniated disc is usually continuous or at least is continuous in a specific position of the body.

It is possible to have a herniated disc without any pain or noticeable symptoms, depending on its location. If the extruded nucleus pulposus material doesn’t press on soft tissues or nerves, it may not cause any symptoms. Typically, symptoms are experienced only on one side of the body. If the prolapse is very large and presses on the spinal cord or the cauda equina in the lumbar region, affection of both sides of the body may occur, often with serious consequences. Disc herniations can result from general wear and tear, such as when performing jobs that require constant sitting. However, herniations often result from jobs that require lifting. Traumatic (quick) injury to lumbar discs commonly occurs when lifting while bent at the waist, rather than lifting with the legs while the back is straight. There is also a strong genetic component. Mutation in genes coding for proteins involved in the regulation of the extracellular matrix, such as MMP2 and THBS2, has been demonstrated to contribute to lumbar disc herniation.

Herniated Disc Specialists
We are one of the few facilities which offers the entire spectrum of state-of-the-art minimally invasive spine and pain management procedures to diagnose and treat back and neck pain, headache, RSD, joint pain, nerve pain, and many other types of pain.

Our mission is to provide up to date, evidence-based, and individualized care for our patients in a comfortable private office setting through a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to relieve spinal stenosis pain, improve function and maximize quality of life. We hope to be the answer to your pain. We offer unparalleled service, are easily accessible, and work closely with local community health care providers.

Locations
Our Boston, Massachusetts-area herniated disc treatment, specialists, services and back pain clinics are located in Dedham, Duxbury, Framingham, West Yarmouth and Mashpee, MA.