Herniated Lumbar Disk

Excessive weight, bad postures, undue movements, improper weight lifting and other kind of traumas may weaken the inter vertebral disks. When this occurs the pulpous nucleus (spongy center) will bulge against the annulus (outer ring), or even be squeezed through it (extruded disk).

If this bulged, or herniated disk, presses one of the nerves, it will produce pain going down the leg, in the distribution of the nerve, and maybe in the lower back. Sciatic pain occurs when the disk presses one of the nerves that form the sciatic nerve. Other symptoms could be weakness, tingling or numbness on the areas corresponding to the affected nerve. Sometimes bladder compromise is also present, which is made evident for urine retention and this need to be taken care as an emergency.

The first steps to deal with a herniated or prolapsed lumbar disk are conservative. These include rest, analgesic and anti-inflammatory medication and in some cases physical therapy. At this point it is convenient to have some plain X-rays done, in search of some indirect evidence of the disk problem, as well as of degenerative changes on the spine.

If in a few days these measures have failed, the diagnosis has to be confirmed by means of exams that give better detail over the troubled area, as the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CT (computed tomography) which will show the disk, the space behind it and in the first case, the nerves. In some instances the EMG (electromyography) is also of great value, as this will show the functionality of the nerves and muscles.

Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, one of the best alternatives existing today is the Ozone Discolysis as the results obtained are excellent and practically has no complications. This novel treatment avoids the use of surgery in 80% of those who needed it. In most patients left with pain killers as the only treatment, the symptoms eventually disappear, only that this could take months or even years; ozone speeds up these developments, seen the same result in a few weeks. However, there are some patients where the use of ozone is contraindicated

If despite the ozone therapy the symptoms persist, surgery (Diskectomy) has to be contemplated and in those true emergencies, as mentioned above, this is possibly the first choice.

It has to be understood that a herniated disk is not something simple and that with any kind of treatment can be solved immediately and forever. The problem has to be seen and approached integrally and frequently the combination of therapies has to be used, most frequently physiotherapy. Also, it has to be known that those who had a herniated disk have 10 times more chances of having another herniation than the rest of the population.