Spine Health
For our personal tree of life;
Here in 8 & Safe we believe everyone should keep their spine in a healthy condition, cultivate their tree of life.
Look Well to the Spine for the Cause of Disease
-Hippocrates
Lumbar Disc Hernia
There are five vertebrae and discs in the lower back of the spine. This is the part of the body that bears the most weight. The vertebrae protect the spinal cord by surrounding it.
Excessive forcing (lifting heavy objects, falling, carrying an excessive amount of weight, multiple gestations) causes the intervertebral discs to slide and tear, compressing the nerves exiting the spinal cord. (See Figure 1)
What are the nonsurgical options for lumbar disc hernia treatment?
A doctor may recommend a brief period of rest, anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation, painkillers to control pain, physiotherapy, exercise, and epidural steroid injections to a patient diagnosed with lumber disc hernia.
If your doctor recommends bed rest, you should ask how long it should last. Excessive bed rest can cause joint stiffness and muscle weakness, making it difficult to perform the movements that will relieve your pain. As a result, bed rest of more than two days for low back pain and more than one week for lumbar hernia is not advised. Furthermore, there is no evidence that lying on a hard mattress or on the floor is effective in the treatment of hernias and pain.
If your lumbar disc hernia has not progressed to the advanced stage and you need to return to work, in addition to starting treatment, you should get counsel from a nurse or physiotherapist on how to perform everyday activities without putting too much strain on your lower back.
The goal of nonsurgical lumbar disc hernia treatment is to reduce herniated disc inflammation, protect the spine by improving the patient's overall health, and enhance overall functionality.
Lumber disc hernia operation
The goal of lumbar disc hernia surgery is to prevent the herniated disc from putting pressure on the nerves and causing harm, resulting in pain and paralysis. Partial discectomy is the most common procedure for treating lumbar disc hernias. A portion of the herniated disc is removed in this procedure.
Complete viewing of the disc necessitates the removal of a little piece of bone called the lamina from the disc's rear (figure 2). If the amount of bone removed is maintained to a minimum, this is referred to as hemi-laminotomy; if the amount of bone removed is more, this is referred to as hemilaminectomy.
Then, using special forceps, the herniated disc tissue is removed (figure 3). The nerve injury will immediately disappear after the section of the disc that is pressing on it is removed, and full recovery will be possible (figure 4). Using an endoscope or microscope, this operation is now regularly performed with minimal cuts.
Local, spinal, or general anesthesia are all possible for discectomy. The patient is positioned prone on the operation table and instructed to squat. The bones above the spine are retracted to the sides after a tiny cut on the skin over the herniated disc is created. To visualize the compressed nerve, the surgeon could remove a little piece of bone.
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