Is surgery possible for herniated disc and disc degeneration?
Patient: I am 43 have herniated disk at L5 and disc degeneration through out spine. Slight pinched nerve at L4-L5. I have had injections, therapy, and medicines. No help. Surgeon says it isn t severe enough. Now pain is in tail bone, buttocks and runs down legs. Sharp, shooting , stabbing and burning sensation. What are my options? Is there a new surgery that is supposed to help this? Doctor: Hello dear,Please accept my concerns for you.In a degenerative spine disease, with disc herniation and nerve root compression,the general principle of treatment is that,till the time your symptoms become so disabling as if to make you functionally dependent on others for your daily routine tasks and the symptoms are not responding to conservative treatment(as medicines and injections in your case),then surgery is the option left for you,but till that time arrives it is usually avoided.You should take a neurosurgeon's or spine surgeon's opinion for it.I hope it is of help to you.