Pain Management For Herniated Disc
A herniated disc is one of the most common causes of back pain in adults. A herniated disc can come on suddenly and usually affects one nerve root or result from a traumatic injury. Sufferers can also experience numbness or tingling and weakness in the legs or other body areas that the nerve supplies. If you have been diagnosed with a herniated disc or are suffering from back pain, contact our Houston pain management clinic to take the first step toward relief.
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What Is a Herniated Disc ?
Many people assume that a bulging and a herniated disc are the same as they cause severe back pain, but they are not two terms for the same condition. A bulging disc, much like its name, is where the disc in your back sag appears as if it is bulging outward, whereas a herniated disc is where the outer covering of your disc has a tear or hole. That allows the nucleus (jelly-like center of the disc) to leak into your spinal canal. Discs that become herniated usually are in an early stage of degeneration. The spinal canal has limited space, which is inadequate for the spinal nerve and the displaced herniated disc fragment. Due to this displacement, the disc presses on spinal nerves, often producing back pain, which may be severe. The location of the herniated disc determines which part of the body is affected. This often occurs in the bottom two discs of the lumbar spine, at and just below the waist. If the herniated disc is not pressing on a nerve, you may experience lower back pain. If the herniated disc is pressing on the nerve, you may experience numbness, tingling, or sciatica that affects about 1-2% of all people, usually between the ages of 30 and 50.
We accept most major insurances and have a program for self paying patients
Patient individual care because everyone has different levels of pain that need different types of pain care management.
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Dr. Warfield is a board certified doctor providing passionate, caring, and adequate pain management to his patients.
We see patients within days at our pain management clinic near The Woodlands.
Noninvasive Treatment For Herniated Discs
Most people ( 80 to 90%) with herniated discs can avoid surgery and successfully manage their symptoms through non-surgical treatments. The goals of nonsurgical treatment are to reduce nerve and disc irritation and improve your physical condition while protecting the spine and increasing your overall function. This can be accomplished for the vast majority of our herniated disc patients.
Dr. Brett Warfield, the overseeing pain management doctor at our Houston location, will work with you to create an organized care program that includes the following:
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Rest: Rest can relieve swelling and give your back time to heal. While your back hurts, avoid strenuous activities requiring bending or lifting. Bed rest for a few days may also provide relief, but you need to keep moving so your joints and muscles don't stiffen up. Rice therapy or cold packs can also help you feel better.
Physical therapy: The therapist will perform an in-depth evaluation, which, combined with your pain management doctor's diagnosis, dictates a treatment specifically designed for patients with herniated discs. Therapy may include pelvic traction, gentle massage, ice and heat therapy, ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, and stretching exercises.
Medications: Over-the-counter or prescription medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, or corticosteroids, can help reduce inflammation and alleviate pain.
Epidural injections: If rest, pain relievers, and physical therapy don't improve, a pain management doctor can inject a steroid into the area around your spinal nerve to help bring down the swelling to allow you to move more freely without the discomfort from a herniated disk. Before an epidural injection or pain management, doctors will use an X-ray to locate the right spot to inject the medicine. Some patients may require more than one steroid injection, depending on the severity of their pain. Or a combination of these treatments. When you choose to work with our pain management doctor in Houston, you can rest assured that we will administer the best course of treatment for your herniated disc based on the severity of your symptoms and the location of the disc. It should be noted that surgery is reserved for cases where non-surgical treatments have not provided relief or for patients at risk for spinal cord compression.
Expert Pain Management in Houston
Pain management is essential to recovering from a herniated disc. Dr. Brett Warfield is a widely recognized pain management doctor in Houston who can tailor a customized pain management plan for you while you heal from a herniated disc. As with all our medical treatments, our pain management doctor Brett Warfield utilizes non-invasive, regenerative therapies that avoid surgery or undue dependence on opioids.
Herniated disc treatment often calls for rest, physical therapy, stretching exercises, hot and cold therapy, NSAIDs, joint injections, spinal decompression, and pain management until complete healing is achieved. This can take time to achieve, and until symptoms like pain and numbness subside, the Texas Intergrative Pain Institute medical team provides interventional pain management in Houston and is at the forefront of adopting and implementing new technologies that do not require an invasive surgical procedure for relieving back pain. Techniques and treatments that our pain management doctors in Houston may prescribe as part of your medical treatment can include any or a combination of several of the following:
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NSAIDs
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Joint injections
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Nerve root blocks
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Homeopathic injections
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Sympathetic blocks
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Electrical stimulation
The good news is that a herniated disc can often be managed without surgery or dangerous opioids that can become difficult to administer and include a high risk of addiction. From bulging discs to herniated discs and everything else spine-related, please find out how our pain management doctor in Houston at Texas Intergrative Pain Institute can help you.
ABOUT US
At Texas Intergrative Pain Institute (TIPI), our board-certified Back Pain doctor in Houston excel in nonsurgical treatments for various spine conditions.
Dr, Warfield is committed to alleviating your pain and restoring your well-being to get you back to doing the things you love faster and without evasive procedures. Contact us today!
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