Understanding Treatment Options for Lumbar Disc Herniation

During surgery for a herniated disc, the surgeon removes the herniated fragment that’s near the nerve. This can be done with an open surgery or minimally invasively. “I do a minimally invasive procedure called a tubular microdiscectomy,” Dr. Dowdell says. Treatment for lumbar disc herniation includes various options before considering surgery, such as weight loss, a physical therapy program that may include recommendations for activity modification, pain medications, and/or epidural steroid injections.

Although a herniation can occur in any section of the spine, herniated discs in the lumbar (low back) and cervical (neck) spine are the most common. Symptoms may include low back or neck pain, along with pain radiating into the leg (sciatica) or arm, accompanied by weakness and/or numbness. If the disc is lower in your back, it may irritate your sciatic nerve, causing pain that radiates through your buttock and down your leg. The good news is that in most cases — 90% of the time — pain caused by a herniated disc will resolve on its own within six months.

While herniated discs may occur at almost any level of the spine, lumbar microdiscectomy – surgery in the lower portion of the back – is the most common site for this procedure. On average, microdiscectomy surgery takes between 30 to 60 minutes to complete. This minimally invasive procedure removes the herniated portion of the disc. Depending on the location and severity of your disc herniation, your spine center physician may recommend a surgical approach to relieve your symptoms and to avoid future complications.

A discectomy is a form of spinal decompression surgery to treat a herniated disc, sometimes referred to as a “slipped disc”. A herniated disc occurs when a piece of a spinal disc bulges or ruptures and slips out of place, potentially putting pressure on a spinal nerve. Most people with a herniated disc can be treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or pain relievers if the pain is mild to moderate. Your doctor may advise you to maintain a low activity level for a few days or weeks until the spinal nerve inflammation decreases.

For more detailed information on treatments for a herniated disc, visit HSS, Disc Herniations Lumbar Spine FAQs, Herniated Disc Condition List, Harvard Health, Microdiscectomy Surgery for Herniated Disc, UC Davis Health, Discectomy Condition List, and UTH Neurosciences for further reading.