Do you have a Herniated Disc?

This picture is an MRI scan showing a herniated disc in the lumbar spine (lower spine) between L4 and L5.

If you have back pain and have been diagnosed as having a herniated disc(s) somewhere in your lumbar spine – or anywhere else along your spine for that matter – then please don't be alarmed.

Because while this diagnosis sounds very serious – and can scare the hell out of the toughest back pain sufferer – what researchers are discovering is that in the vast majority of cases it isn’t a serious problem at all!

Furthermore, my personal experience and research has taught me that it’s essential that you get several expert opinions as to whether your problem disc really is the source of your pain at all, before you choose a treatment strategy.

If you look further down this page, you will see links to a whole range of articles which cover this subject in detail.

But, before we go any further, here are some things about herniated discs that you should know right away:

• Also known as 'bulging' or 'slipped', they are extremely common. In fact studies have shown that when most people over the age of 30 have their backs scanned by an MRI machine, MOST of them will show some kind of disc ‘abnormality’ somewhere along the spine!
• Most people who have abnormalities in their discs have NO symptoms at all from them. In other words, they DO NOT cause them pain.
• They very rarely require surgery.
• While it’s true that they are often blamed for causing back pain when no other cause is obvious, there is now a very real debate about the validity of this diagnosis. Many researchers now suspect that they are in fact a common cause of misdiagnosis.
• Despite the official line that they cannot repair themselves, I have seen evidence to suggest that this is not true. There is evidence that they can – and often do – repair themselves when the cause is addressed.
• While some degeneration may be associated with aging, targeted exercises can help to re-hydrate compressed and dehydrated discs, improving their health and functionality.

My Herniated Disc

After exhaustive tests found nothing else to explain my symptoms – very irritating chronic prickly sensations in my legs – an MRI machine was used to diagnose a bulging disc in my neck between C6 and C7. It was explained to me that it was likely that this bulging material was pressing against my spinal cord.

It was this compression – my orthopaedic surgeon and physical therapist told me – that was probably causing the chronic tingling sensations I was experiencing in my legs!

Since conservative treatment had failed to stop these symptoms, I was told that surgery may be our best option.

And whilst there was no guarantee that the operation would stop my symptoms – in fact it could make them worse – my orthopaedic surgeon told me that “You can have an operation if you want.”

I kid you not. I can have an operation if I want??

Well, after years of trying to find a solution, I was so desperate that I was literally days from agreeing to an operation on my neck to try to fix this problem.

The Importance Of Research

But thankfully, before I agreed to this procedure, I completely immersed myself in researching spinal discs, what goes wrong with them, the usual symptoms and how best to treat them. I read everything I could find on this subject.

The Result

Despite what I had been told by the surgeon, what I learned through my research taught me that it was highly unlikely that this problem disc was in fact causing my symptoms.

This proved to be the case. My symptoms had nothing whatsoever to do with the abnormal disc in my neck. The result was that I saved myself from going through what I now know would have been a dangerous, counterproductive and totally unnecessary procedure to fix something that wasn’t causing my pain in the first place!

And once you understand the truth about this subject, you will be empowered to make informed decisions about how best to cure yourself of YOUR pain.

Herniated Disc Articles

General:

What is a spinal disc?

What is a herniated disc?

What causes it?

What are the symptoms?

What is the prognosis?

Can they repair themselves?

Treatments for herniated discs

Surgery

Removal of herniated disc

surgery recovery

Epidural for pain relief

Conservative treatments

Physical therapy

Decompression

Alternative treatments

Acupuncture

Yoga

Massage

Exercises

Please note that the content above is for information and education purposes only. It can not be a substitute for a personal consultation with a qualified medical professional. Please see the Disclaimer for details.

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