Injury Prevention
Injury prevention programs use education to help reduce the risk of injury and death for Hoosiers.
Relief from chronic and debilitating neck or back pain
Your vertebrae are the 33 bones that make up your spine. Soft, well-padded, and hydrated discs sit between each vertebra and act like cushions. Disc herniation and disc disease happen when these discs become injured or damaged.
As you age, the discs between your vertebrae dry out and begin to weaken, becoming more susceptible to injury. Discs can move out of place, bulge, rupture and leak fluid or even break apart, causing you pain and complications.
There are two types of common disc disorders:
Herniation is when a disc changes shape or pushes into the spinal canal, causing lower back pain and spinal stenosis (narrowing). A herniated disc can put pressure on or pinch nearby nerves and is most common in the cervical spine (neck) and lumbar (lower) spine.
The most common cause of disc herniation is normal wear and tear. Daily activities over time wear out the shock-absorbing discs. Other causes of disc herniation include:
When a disc herniates you may experience:
Disc disease is a degenerative condition, meaning it happens gradually over time and is a normal part of the aging process. As you grow older, the discs in your spine can become brittle and weak.
Some people with degenerative disc disease do not experience back pain. When disc disease does become noticeable, it often involves the cervical or lumbar spine.
Symptoms are similar to those of disc herniation, however everyone experiences disc disease to varying degrees at different ages. For example, you may feel less pain when being active or you may feel less pain when you lie down.
As you age, the discs between your vertebrae dry out and begin to weaken, becoming more susceptible to injury. Discs can move out of place, bulge, rupture and leak fluid or even break apart, causing you pain and complications.
There are two types of common disc disorders:
Herniation is when a disc changes shape or pushes into the spinal canal, causing lower back pain and spinal stenosis (narrowing). A herniated disc can put pressure on or pinch nearby nerves and is most common in the cervical spine (neck) and lumbar (lower) spine.
The most common cause of disc herniation is normal wear and tear. Daily activities over time wear out the shock-absorbing discs. Other causes of disc herniation include:
When a disc herniates you may experience:
Disc disease is a degenerative condition, meaning it happens gradually over time and is a normal part of the aging process. As you grow older, the discs in your spine can become brittle and weak.
Some people with degenerative disc disease do not experience back pain. When disc disease does become noticeable, it often involves the cervical or lumbar spine.
Symptoms are similar to those of disc herniation, however everyone experiences disc disease to varying degrees at different ages. For example, you may feel less pain when being active or you may feel less pain when you lie down.
IU Health Neurology physicians can use a variety of imaging tests to diagnose herniated discs and disc disease. If you are in pain, we can repair your discs to reduce the impact on your spinal nerves so you can be pain free and return to work and other activities.
Treatment for disc herniation and disc disease is designed to reduce the pain and pressure on your spine. Therapies can range from simple to complex and include:
The simplest way to prevent and heal disc herniation and disc disease is to live a healthy lifestyle. If you are overweight, the extra weight puts a strain on your spine. If you smoke, your body’s cells—especially those that make up the spinal discs—are deprived of the oxygen they need to properly function. Some lifestyle changes you can make include:
We use a variety of medicines to reduce the inflammation and pain from disc disease. Narcotics can be used for short periods and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medicines can help reduce the inflammation that causes pain.
This treatment combines an injection of anesthesia and a pain reducer to block the function of specific nerves as a way to stop pain. The treatment can be targeted to specific nerves or it can be delivered in a midline approach to affect a broader area.
Exercises to strengthen the muscles in your back, legs and arms can improve your movements and reduce pain. Your physician may recommend physical therapy and care from a chiropractor.
If your condition requires spine surgery, we can use image-guided surgery, including intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to generate the safest outcomes with the fewest complications. To treat disc herniation and disc disease, our neurosurgeons remove disc fragments in the spinal canal, smooth out any rough disc edges and replace discs as needed.
Types of surgical interventions include:
IU Health Neurology physicians can use a variety of imaging tests to diagnose herniated discs and disc disease. If you are in pain, we can repair your discs to reduce the impact on your spinal nerves so you can be pain free and return to work and other activities.
Treatment for disc herniation and disc disease is designed to reduce the pain and pressure on your spine. Therapies can range from simple to complex and include:
The simplest way to prevent and heal disc herniation and disc disease is to live a healthy lifestyle. If you are overweight, the extra weight puts a strain on your spine. If you smoke, your body’s cells—especially those that make up the spinal discs—are deprived of the oxygen they need to properly function. Some lifestyle changes you can make include:
We use a variety of medicines to reduce the inflammation and pain from disc disease. Narcotics can be used for short periods and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medicines can help reduce the inflammation that causes pain.
This treatment combines an injection of anesthesia and a pain reducer to block the function of specific nerves as a way to stop pain. The treatment can be targeted to specific nerves or it can be delivered in a midline approach to affect a broader area.
Exercises to strengthen the muscles in your back, legs and arms can improve your movements and reduce pain. Your physician may recommend physical therapy and care from a chiropractor.
If your condition requires spine surgery, we can use image-guided surgery, including intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to generate the safest outcomes with the fewest complications. To treat disc herniation and disc disease, our neurosurgeons remove disc fragments in the spinal canal, smooth out any rough disc edges and replace discs as needed.
Types of surgical interventions include:
At IU Health, we continue to test and innovate new surgical devices and techniques to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients. Through our affiliation with the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Neurology, we continue to study and compare the benefits of minimally invasive and open spine surgery.
Our participation in the National Neurosurgery Quality and Outcomes Database (N2QOD) gives our neurosurgeons access to comprehensive information about spine surgery outcomes. We use this data to determine the best care plan and deliver the highest quality standards for treating disc herniation.
At IU Health, we continue to test and innovate new surgical devices and techniques to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients. Through our affiliation with the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Neurology, we continue to study and compare the benefits of minimally invasive and open spine surgery.
Our participation in the National Neurosurgery Quality and Outcomes Database (N2QOD) gives our neurosurgeons access to comprehensive information about spine surgery outcomes. We use this data to determine the best care plan and deliver the highest quality standards for treating disc herniation.
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