Slipped disc treatment in Hyderabad,without surgery

What is a slipped disc?

The discs between the vertebrae act as cushions, each with a tough outer ring and a softer centre. In a slipped disc the disc does not actually slip; part of the soft centre bulges or pushes through a weak point in the ring. The medical terms are herniated or prolapsed disc.

A herniated disc often causes no symptoms. It becomes a problem when it presses on or inflames a nearby nerve root. Slipped discs are commonest in the lower back, less so in the neck.

Common causes of a slipped disc

Usually there is no single cause; several factors add up over time.

• Age-related wear, which makes the discs drier and less flexible
• Lifting, bending or twisting, especially with a heavy load
• Repeated strain from work, sport or long hours of sitting
• Excess body weight, which adds load to the lower spine
• Smoking and a family history, both linked with disc problems

Symptoms of a slipped disc

Symptoms depend on the level of the disc and which nerve root it affects.

• Back pain, or neck pain if the disc is in the neck
• Pain running down the leg (sciatica) or down the arm
• Numbness, tingling or pins and needles in the leg, foot, arm or hand
• Weakness in the muscles supplied by the affected nerve
• Pain worse on sitting, bending, coughing or sneezing

How Halcyon finds the cause

At Halcyon’s Kukatpally centre the consultant examines you to see which nerve root your symptoms point to, and reviews your MRI or other scan reports. Disc bulges are common on scans, including in people without pain, so the scan has to match the examination.

Where there is doubt, a diagnostic block confirms which level is responsible before anything else is done. The treatment then follows from that answer rather than from a guess.

Non-surgical treatment options at Halcyon

In most cases, a herniated disc pressing on a nerve root is treated at Halcyon with an injection placed at the level involved, rather than with surgery.

Keeping as active as the pain allows and a suitable exercise programme usually remain part of the plan. Halcyon is a non-surgical centre; if your examination suggests you should see a spinal surgeon, for example because of worsening weakness, you will be told so plainly.

• Epidural injection — placed under imaging at the level the scan and block have identified
• Transforaminal injection — placed under imaging at the exit of the specific irritated nerve root
• Diagnostic block — used first where needed to confirm the level

What to expect on the day and after

The injection is image-guided and done under local anaesthetic, so you stay awake and talking throughout. There is no general anaesthetic and no hospital admission, and most people are home within about two hours.

You leave with aftercare instructions and a review date. How much and how long the pain eases varies from person to person, so the consultant gives you a realistic answer for your case.

When to see a doctor

Book an assessment if back or neck pain with leg or arm symptoms has lasted more than a few weeks or keeps returning. Go to a hospital emergency department now, rather than waiting for an appointment, if you have:

• Loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness around the genitals or back passage
• Weakness in a leg or arm that is getting worse, or foot drop
• Symptoms in both legs, or difficulty walking
• Back pain with fever, or after a fall or accident