The pain of a herniated disc in your lower back can be excruciating – and it can be frustrating if you are not feeling any relief. The nagging pain, which can be sciatica, can last for months while your body is working to recover from the herniated disc.
The only two options are (1) live with the pain until your body heals (if it heals), or (2) opt for surgery to remove the herniated portion of the disc. This minimally invasive surgery is called a lumbar microdiscectomy.
What Is a Herniated Disc?
A herniated disc tends to cause radiating pain from your spine. This is because the soft material inside the disc has escaped, or leaked, outside the harder exterior of the disc. The soft material presses against your spinal nerve, which can cause constant pain.
The discs that protect and cushion your vertebrae can be injured from too much stress on the area. This can happen from heavy lifting or from trauma like a severe fall or an accident.
How Does a Lumbar Microdiscectomy Work?
Spinal surgery is no longer as aggressive as it once was. Incisions don’t need to be large, and recovery can be quick and almost painless.
Arthroscopic surgery such as a microdiscectomy, also known as a microdecompression, is minimally invasive. It allows your surgeon to relieve this pressure you’re feeling quickly – and with minimal damage to surrounding tissues.
How to Heal Sciatica
This procedure is especially helpful for sciatica patients whose damaged tissue is causing pain in the lower back and (usually) down one leg. Sciatica is the condition in which a degenerative disc has caused radiating pain down your leg due to the pressure on the spinal nerve.
Through a small incision, your orthopedic surgeon can remove the damaged portions of the disc and clean up any leaked material. This will help relieve what is pushing against your spinal nerve.
A lumbar discectomy is an ideal option for sciatica patients who have been in pain for greater than 12 weeks – perhaps for years – and who have not been able to find a resolution for their constant pain.
In fact, a microdiscectomy is approximately 95 percent effective in eliminating sciatica pain that is caused by a herniated disc.
Can the Surgery Help Me?
It is important to note that a microdiscectomy is not a cure-all, and some patients who are experiencing general back pain – even in the lower back – might not benefit from this surgery. Sciatica patients who have been in pain for greater than 12 weeks are usually ideal candidates for a lumbar microdiscectomy.
Once the surgery is over, and the spinal nerve is no longer harmed by the herniated disc, the pain should go away fairly quickly. You should start feeling much better in no time.
Orthopedic Surgeons in Tennessee
If these symptoms sound familiar and you think you might be experiencing pain from a herniated disc, you may benefit from a lumbar discectomy. Contact Watauga Orthopaedics today for an evaluation.
Call (423) 282-9011 to make an appointment, or request an appointment online. We look forward to helping you enjoy a more pain-free lifestyle once again.
