The terms "pinched nerve," "slipped disc," "ruptured disc," and "throwing your back out" all refer to the same back condition--a herniated disc pain.

Discs act as rubbery shock absorbers between the hard bones of the vertebrae which make up the spinal column. They provide the back with its flexibility. The gel-like cushioning material of the disc (the nuclueus pulposus) is contained by an outer ring of fibrous cartilage (the anulus). As we get older, the anulus dehydrates, degenerates and becomes susceptible to tears which allow the soft inner material to bulge out or herniate.

Pain is triggered when the inner gel that's slipped out of the degenerative disc presses against the spinal cord or pinches nerve roots. This happens when moving toward the side in which the disc is bulging.

Often, when pinching the sciatic nerve, the disc herniation may cause severe leg pain and a condition called sciatica.

Herniated Disc Pain Symptoms

Sciatica is the most common warning sign of a herniated disc. While sciatica is a form of back pain, not all back pain (which afflicts 80% of adults) is caused by a herniated disc. The sciatic nerve extends down the lower back, through the buttocks and continues down the back of the legs.

Generally, the pain of sciatica radiates through a leg and/or buttock on only one side of the body. Tingling, shooting pain that's persistent on one side and makes it hard to both sit and stand are signs of sciatica and the herniated disc triggering it.

Diagnosing Herniated Disc Pain

While the sciatica symptoms described above might suggest a herniated disk, its up to pain management doctors to make a conclusive diagnosis. Doctors will be able to pinpoint the nerve root source of pain and, using x-rays, the degenerative disc that's herniated up against it.

In some cases, MRI and CT imaging scans are used to reconfirm the herniated disc. An EMG montior may be used to determine the extent of nerve damage caused by the herniated disc (as indicted by its level of electrical activity).

Pain Relief & Pain Management Surgery for a Herniated Disc

Surgery on a herniated disc may seem like the final solution to the chronic pain it produces. However, there are no guarantees of its success. In fact, for most people, the results are disappointing.

Post operative studies indicate that the long term (over 10 years) benefits of herniated disc surgery are no greater than those offered by natural, alternative medicine pain relief professionals. In fact, non-surgical therapies have a 96% success rate in improving herniated disc pain within 6 months.

Individuals who've undergone a series of back surgeries for herniated disc pain experience a lower level of pain relief with each subsequent operation. Herniated disc surgery is an involved procedure whose high failure rate can produce more pain than relief.

Herniated Disc Pain Relief & Pain Management Medications

A disadvantage of using medications for herniated disc pain relief and management is the risk of addiction over an extended period of time. Medications can't cure herniated disc pain, they're prescribed for the management of inflammation, spasms, nerve pain and the side effects such as insomnia.

Besides the danger of addiction, continuous use of pain medications can create serious problems like digestive system and liver damage.

A steroid injection is a step beyond orally administered herniated disc pain management medications. This procedure is used to reduce the pain of irritated nerves by directly injecting the anti-inflammatory drug cortisonet. However, this therapy should only be administered once or twice a year due to the risk of permanent cartilage damage.

Alternative Pain Relief Therapies & Natural Pain Management Doctors

Fortunately, alternative medicine professionals offer herniated disc pain sufferers the option of natural pain management and relief therapies without the risks of surgery and pharmaceutical approaches. Besides being more conservative than the medical establishment's methods of herniated disc pain relief, they're just as effective if not more so.

Pain Relief Professionals connects you to natural, alternative medicine practitioners of Acupuncture, Chiropractic and Naprapathy. The state licensed status of each assures patients that their education and expertise in pain management exceeds that of other unregulated alternative medicine healers.

For natural, alternative herniated disc pain management and relief, click a button below to find Pain Relief Professionals near you.