Back Surgery For A Herniated Disc – When To Consider Surgery, And When To Consider Other Options

Surgery For A Herniated Disc can be a very ominous thing to consider, especially because of all the conflicting information available. There are definitely some instances where bulging disc neurosurgery is necessary, but more often than not, this is not the case.

In fact, much of the research available today tells us that the success rate of back surgery for a herniated disc is very low, and rarely results in lasting relief (in most cases, the pain returns within 5 years).

This article will discuss the different options available for back surgery for a herniated disc, but before we discuss that, we need to talk about what a herniated disc is.

The discs of the spine are cushions that separate each set of bones in the back. Their primary function is to act as shock-absorbers, protecting the vertebrae from excessive wear and tear with motion.

Each disc is composed of a strong outer covering called the annulus, and a soft jelly center called the nucleus. In the case of a herniated disc, the annulus is damaged and tears. This causes the jelly to shift from the center of the disc into the area of weakness, which causes the disc to bulge.

The most serious complication of this condition is that the nerves of the spine are located right behind each spinal disc, which is where the disc will tend to bulge if it is injured. Because of this, the herniated disc will tend to apply pressure on a nerve, which can result in a great deal of disability and pain.

In fact, an interesting fact about the discs of the spine that you may not know is that they are not able to experience pain sensations. This may sound odd to you at first, because as you know, this can be a very painful condition to live with.

But if you think about it, it makes sense that a disc wouldn’t experience pain, because they are absorbing shock all day. If they could experience pain, you would be in pain all the time, with every movement you make!

So, what actually causes the pain in the case of a herniated disc? It’s actually the pressure on the affected nerve. Even more important than the pain, though, is the other parts of the body that can be affected by this condition.

Because the nerves of the spine control everything in the body, pressure on a nerve will cause the body part being controlled by that nerve to stop functioning normally.

A good example of this would be a herniated disc in the lower back. The nerves that would be affected here control the legs, so it’s very common for an individual with this condition to experience pain radiating down the legs, as well as weakness in the legs.

I’ve even seen cases where the pressure on the nerves in the low back becomes so intense that an individual literally drops to their knees because they’ve lost so much strength in their legs.

Now, before we talk about the different types of bulging disc surgery available, let me just say one thing, because people often ask if there is a way for them to know if surgery is their only option, and there is.

There are only a couple of situations that actually require surgery right away. The first is if you have a herniated disc in your low back, and you are losing control of your bowel and/or bladder. This is very serious and usually requires surgery right away.

The other circumstance that often requires surgery is when an individual begins to have weakness in the extremities (either the arms or legs). This is a sign that the nerves have enough pressure on them that they are starting to fall asleep. This is also a very serious sign.

One thing I need to say about that second circumstance, though, is that the weakness I’m referring to is an objective weakness that a doctor can only find through a proper examination. You may feel like you are having weakness, but unless it shows up on the exam, it may not be serious enough to consider surgery.

In other words, your doctor is the only one who will know if you have a true weakness that requires surgery.

Now let’s talk about the different types of back surgery for a herniated disc commonly used today. Although there is a lot of new research in this field, the two most commonly used types of surgery involve either removing the bulging part of the disc to remove the pressure from the nerve, or removing the entire disc and fusing the bones above and below the disc together.

With both of these forms of surgery, the success rate is very low – only about 16% according to the medical journal Spine. Also, these often lead to other complications in the future. With a fusion, the joints above and below the fusion have to work extra hard to make up for the lack of motion, so those joints tend to wear out more quickly, and the problem will ultimately spread throughout the spine.

In the case of a disc resection, where they remove the part of the disc that is bulging, the condition usually returns within 5 years, because if you are removing a part of the disc, it creates a weakness in the disc, and also causes scar tissue to develop over time.

Many people ask me about disc replacement back surgery, and other recent discoveries in this field, but at this moment in time, these types of surgery are not as commonly used. I believe there is a lot of promise in this field, but they really haven’t perfected this technology yet.

So, here’s the bottom line with back surgery for a herniated disc – always view this as a last resort. The success rate is very low, and unless you fit into one of the situations that absolutely requires surgery, you should try everything else available first.

So, what other alternatives are available? After working with thousands of patients with this condition, I have actually found that there are a number of treatments that are very helpful, and can truly lead to lasting results.

I’ve actually found that it’s a combination of treatments that lead to the best results. If you are interested in avoiding back surgery for a herniated disc, and would like to know more about the combination of treatments that are most effective for healing a herniated disc, you can click here (surgery for a herniated disc) to get all the details.

Did you find this article helpful? Here are some other related articles and resources you may also find useful:

• Here is a list of the best resources I've found for Bulging Disc / Herniated Disc relief
• Bulging Disc Neurosurgery – Types Of Surgery And Alternatives
• Bulging Disc Surgery – Surgical Options And Alternatives
• Disc Back Surgery - Things To Consider Before Deciding On Surgery
• More Disc Surgery Resources