Diagnosing a Ruptured Disc and Treating It

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Find out if you're a candidate for a minimally invasive alternative to open neck or back surgery

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Diagnosing a Ruptured Disc and Treating It

When diagnosing a ruptured disc, a doctor begins with an examination of symptoms. He or she will ask you where your back hurts, when the pain started and if there are certain activities or postures that make it worse. From there, your range of motion may be tested, and your extremities may be examined for responsiveness and muscle strength. If there is any remaining doubt that your back pain is caused by a ruptured disc, or if your doctor simply wishes to confirm his or her findings, an MRI or CT scan may be ordered. These tests provide doctors with a visual aid when diagnosing a ruptured disc. From there, your physician will create a treatment plan based on the location of your ruptured disc, the severity of the pain, and any other back conditions you may be suffering. It’s not uncommon to experience more than one back ailment at a time.

Treatment for your ruptured disc may include:

Elimination of certain activities
Physical therapy
A short period of bed rest
Strengthening and stretching exercises
Pain or anti-inflammatory medications
Spinal steroid injections
Acupuncture
Surgery

Unless your doctor finds symptoms unmanageable with non-invasive techniques while diagnosing your ruptured disc, or those techniques don’t provide relief once treatment began, it’s unlikely that surgery will be recommended. If it is, however, you’ll want to consider the procedures offered at LSI for ruptured disc. They’re safer and often more effective than traditional open-back surgery because they require less damage to muscle and other tissue, and they are performed in an out-patient clinic rather than in a hospital where infection is more likely.

If you’d like more information on these procedures, contact LSI today. We’ll be happy to review your CT scan or MRI free of charge to determine if we can help.

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