Disc Herniation Specialists in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Disc herniation is a common back condition that is responsible for several cases of lower back and neck pain. If you feel pain in your discs, fellowship-trained orthopedic and spine surgeon Jocelyn Idema, DO, and her team at Steel City Spine and Orthopedic Center focuses on solving your pain and inactivity that results from herniated discs. Dr. Idema is highly qualified and experienced in offering disk replacement surgeries and other surgical procedures if nonsurgical methods are not effective at alleviating Pittsburgh disc herniation problems.

What is a Disc Herniation?

Disk herniations are common causes of neck and back pain, and they result from the rupturing of a disc between two of your spinal columns. The condition mostly affects the lumbar discs in the lower back and cervical discs in the neck. Herniated discs are not common in the thoracic spine (upper back).

Spinal discs operate as shock absorbers between your spinal columns. They assist in decreasing the tension between the vertebrae and allow for the movement of your back and neck. In most instances, spinal discs wear out and become weak over time as a result of several years of wear and tear that causes a condition known as degenerative disc syndrome.

As your spinal discs continue to deteriorate, they ultimately rupture outward or tear. If the herniated disc bulges sufficiently, it can surge on your spinal cord and nerves, causing unpleasant and painful symptoms.

Symptoms of herniated discs

The herniation of cervical discs usually causes pain and other symptoms, such as weakness and tingling. These symptoms usually move down your arms from your shoulders into the fingers. The herniation of lumbar discs causes comparable symptoms, but the feelings can go down into the legs, buttocks, and hips rather than the arms.

Nerves perform both motor and sensory roles. Disc herniation can impact one or both of these roles and cause problems that range from slight to severe. The compression of nerves can eventually cause permanent damage if the pressure is severe and prolonged.

Treatment of Herniated Discs

There are several treatment options depending on the symptoms you are experiencing. Normally, Dr. Idema provides her patients with a series of conservative treatments, such as anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, and physical therapy.

Mostly, these conservative treatments can address most of your symptoms without the need to undergo surgery.

However, depending on the seriousness of your symptoms and how long you have had the condition, you might need to undergo more complex treatments.

Surgical intervention can be recommended if all the non-invasive measures fail to address your problems. Dr. Idema is an expert in conducting these surgical procedures and has an exceptional success rate and addresses most of your symptoms.

Surgeries that can treat herniated discs include:

• Artificial disc replacement surgery
• Anterior cervical fusion and discectomy (ACDF)
• Lumbar fusion surgery
• Lumbar laminectomy
• Microdiscectomy

Dr. Idema offers minimally invasive spinal surgery for herniated discs. She utilizes state of the art technologies and procedures to resolve your symptoms.

If you are experiencing neck or back pain, contact Steel City Spine and Orthopedic Center today by calling their offices or booking online.