Should i get herniated disc surgery

Low back pain. In: Kelley and Firestein's Textbook of Rheumatology. Philadelphia, Pa. Accessed Sept. Winn HR, ed. Nonsurgical and postsurgical management of low back pain.

Chou R. Subacute and chronic low back pain: Surgical treatment. Spine surgery. Rochester, Minn. Knight CL, et al. Treatment of acute back pain. Azar FM, et al.

Degenerative disorders of the thoracic and lumbar spine. In: Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. See also Acupuncture Acupuncture for back pain? Exercise and chronic disease Functional electrical stimulation for spinal cord injury Inversion therapy: Can it relieve back pain? Risks Like most surgeries, back surgery may have some risks.

The more serious risks include: Wound problems, including infection and hematoma bad bruise : Less than 1 to 2 out of people who had surgery had an infection or some other wound problem. Why might your doctor recommend herniated disc surgery?

Your doctor might recommend surgery as an option for your herniated disc if: Your symptoms have lasted at least 6 weeks and make it hard to do your normal activities, and other treatments haven't helped. You need to get better quickly because of your job or to get back to your other activities as soon as possible. You have leg weakness that is getting worse. Compare your options. Compare Option 1 Have herniated disc surgery now Don't have surgery now.

Use non-surgical treatments. Compare Option 2 Have herniated disc surgery now Don't have surgery now. Have herniated disc surgery now Have herniated disc surgery now You are asleep or numb during the surgery. You will probably stay in the hospital overnight. But over the long term, surgery and non-surgical treatments work about the same to reduce pain and other symptoms. With surgery, most people can go back to work or their other activities sooner.

There is a slight risk of damaging the spine or nerves. All surgery has some risks, including bleeding, infection, risks from anesthesia, and death.

You may not be able to return to all of your normal activities for at least several months. Use non-surgical treatments instead. You try to manage your symptoms with things like changes in the way you do your activities, medicines to manage pain, exercise, physiotherapy, or steroid injections. You avoid the risks of surgery. Over the long term, non-surgical treatments and surgery work about the same to reduce pain or other symptoms. Pain relief comes more slowly than with surgery. If other treatments don't work, you may still have pain that makes it hard for you to do your daily activities.

Some medicines you take for pain may have side effects. Your symptoms don't get better or get worse even with other treatments. Personal stories about herniated disc surgery These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. What matters most to you? Reasons to have surgery for a herniated disc now Reasons not to have surgery now. My pain isn't bad enough that I need to have surgery right now. My other important reasons: My other important reasons:.

Where are you leaning now? Having surgery for herniated disc now NOT having surgery now. What else do you need to make your decision? Check the facts. True Sorry, that's not right. And many people are able to manage their symptoms with things like changes in the way they do their activities, medicines to manage pain, exercise, physiotherapy, or steroid injections. False That's right.

I'm not sure It may help to go back and read "Get the Facts. True That's right. False Sorry, that's not right. Decide what's next.

Yes No. I'm ready to take action. I want to discuss the options with others. I want to learn more about my options. Your Summary. Your decision Next steps. Your knowledge of the facts Key concepts that you understood.

Key concepts that may need review. Getting ready to act Patient choices. What matters to you. Print Summary. Credits and References Credits.

Jacobs WCH, et al. European Spine Journal, 21 11 : — DOI: Accessed October 15, Weinstein JN, et al. JAMA, 20 : — Peul WC, et al. Surgical versus prolonged conservative treatment for sciatica. New England Journal of Medicine, 22 : — Shriver MF, et al. Lumbar microdiscectomy complication rates: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosurgical Focus, 39 4 : — Get the facts Compare your options What matters most to you?

Get the Facts Your options Have surgery for your herniated disc now. Symptom improvement with and without back surgery 2? With surgery With non-surgical treatment Symptom-free or almost symptom-free within 3 months 66 out of people 62 out of people Symptom-free or almost symptom-free within 1 year 76 out of people 67 out of people Symptom-free or almost symptom-free within 2 years 76 out of people 69 out of people How people rated their recovery on a 7-point scale, where "1" is complete recovery and "7" is worse symptoms 3?

Examples of serious risks of surgery for herniated disc 4 Serious risks? Compare your options Have herniated disc surgery now Don't have surgery now. You can find the pain relief you deserve at Oasis Medical Group. Request An Appointment. Oasis Admin June 10, Exhausting Non-Invasive Treatments In the vast majority of herniated disc situations, you will begin your path to pain relief with non-invasive treatments.

Epidural steroid injections, for example, can: Ease pain Aid mobility Calm inflammation While injections are not long term solutions, they can provide relief while your body is healing. There are 2 common reasons to consider a herniated disc surgery: Your herniation is so severe that it is clear a non-invasive treatment would not provide the ideal results, such as nerve damage and loss of bladder or bowel control. You are not improving with non-invasive treatments. Other benefits to minimally invasive spine surgeries include: Reduced risk of blood loss and infection rates Less inclined to have reliance on pain medication Reduced risk of muscle damage Less rehabilitation required Quicker recovery There are many different types of minimally invasive spine surgeries that can provide relief for a herniated disc.

Suffering from Pain After a Car Accident? Do you have enough support and advice from others to make a choice? Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: William H. Blahd Jr. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.

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Updated visitor guidelines. Get the facts. Your options Have surgery for your herniated disc now. Don't have surgery now. Try things like a change in the way you do your activities, medicines to manage pain, exercise, physical therapy, or steroid injections instead. Key points to remember A herniated disc in the lower back is a common cause of back and leg pain. Many people are able to manage their symptoms with things like changes in the way they do their activities, medicines to manage pain, exercise, physical therapy, or steroid injections.

If one of these things doesn't work, you can try something else or combine some of them. Surgery may relieve your pain faster than nonsurgical treatments. For symptoms that have lasted at least 6 weeks and that make it hard to do your normal activities, surgery is an option when other treatments haven't helped.

Over the long term, surgery and nonsurgical treatments work about the same to reduce pain and other symptoms. Back surgery has some risks, including infection, nerve damage, and the chance that the surgery won't relieve your symptoms. And even if you get better with surgery, there is a chance that you may get new symptoms in the future.

What is a herniated disc? What kinds of procedures are done for a herniated disc? There are different ways to remove disc material. They are: Open discectomy. This is done through a large cut, called an incision, in your back. This is done through a smaller incision. It causes less damage to surrounding tissue. Minimally invasive procedures. These are done through one or more tiny incisions in your back.

Your doctor can put special tools through the incisions, such as cutting or heating devices or lasers. These tools can cut or destroy part of the disc. What nonsurgical treatments are used for a herniated disc? Many people are able to manage their symptoms with things like: Changing the way they do their activities.

This means trying other ways of doing your activities that don't cause pain or make other symptoms worse. For example, if sitting makes symptoms worse, try standing up to do your tasks. Or you can switch between sitting and standing. Taking medicines to manage pain. Acetaminophen such as Tylenol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen such as Advil or Motrin and naproxen such as Aleve may help your pain.

Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label. Aerobic exercise can help your symptoms. Take a short walk 10 to 20 minutes on a level surface try to avoid slopes, hills, or stairs every 2 to 3 hours. Walk only distances you can manage without pain, especially leg pain. Physical therapy. It helps you learn stretching and strength exercises that may reduce pain and other symptoms. The goal of this treatment is to make your daily tasks and activities easier.

Steroid injections. These are shots that might be recommended for some people if other nonsurgical treatments haven't worked. The shots may ease leg pain by reducing inflammation in the nerve root. These shots may work for some people, but not for everyone. And when they work, they only help relieve symptoms for a short time. How well does herniated disc surgery work? What are the risks of surgery? But as for most surgeries, there are some risks: There is a slight risk of damaging nerves or the spine during surgery.

Some people form a lot of scar tissue in the area of the surgery. That tissue can press against nerves and cause pain. There is some risk of infection, which may cause more damage. An infection may require antibiotics and another surgery. Serious side effects of anesthesia aren't common but can include trouble breathing, heart attack, stroke, and even death.

There is a chance that the surgery won't relieve your symptoms. And even if you get better with surgery, there is a chance you may get new symptoms in the future. What do numbers tell us about the benefits and risks of back surgery? Symptom improvement with and without back surgery footnote 2 With surgery With nonsurgical treatment Symptom-free or almost symptom-free within 3 months 66 out of people 62 out of people Symptom-free or almost symptom-free within 1 year 76 out of people 67 out of people Symptom-free or almost symptom-free within 2 years 76 out of people 69 out of people How people rated their recovery on a 7-point scale, where "1" is complete recovery and "7" is worse symptoms footnote 3 People assigned to have surgery soon People assigned to try nonsurgical treatments for 6 months followed by surgery if their symptoms didn't improve At 2 months On average, people rated their recovery as 2.

On average, people rated their recovery as 3. At 1 year On average, people rated their recovery as 1. On average, people rated their recovery as 2. Examples of serious risks of surgery for herniated disc footnote 4 Serious risks Wound problems, including infection and hematoma bad bruise Less than 1 to 2 out of people who had surgery had an infection or some other wound problem.