SLIPPED DISC
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The inter-vertebral discs are protective cushion-like shock-absorbing pads between the two bones of the spine called vertebrae. These discs are soft gel filled pads bounded by few layers of membrane called lamella. These discs do not actually "slip," they may split or rupture (Slipped Disc is a misnomer). Following this rupture the gel escape into the surrounding tissue. The leaking jellylike substance can produce pressure on the spinal cord or on a single nerve root and cause pain either around the damaged disc or anywhere along the area controlled by that nerve. This condition is also known as a herniated disc, ruptured disc, prolapsed disc, or, more commonly, slip disc or slipped disc.
| Frequently affected area |
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Neck - pain in neck that will be radiating to the hands.
- Low back - radiate to the legs.
frequently electric shock-like pain or burning pain.
associated with some numbness, tingling sensations and sometime some muscle weakness.
- Sciatica is a frequently used term both by doctors and by patients. It is a symptom and not a disease. Sciatica is defined as any pain that is starting in the low back and is going towards the legs. Sciatica is a non-specific term like fever.
Slipped disc is one of the most common cause of sciatica. Apart from conservative therapy all other forms of treatment aim at decompressing the nerve roots. These can be done by taking the disc out by surgery or by decompressing the foramen and disc by different interventions.
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| Other Options |
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nonoperative treatment of slipped disc/ slip disc to decompress the nerve roots maintaining the structural stability. Epidural steroid injection, transforaminal epidural decompressions has a high success rate (up to 85%) but chances of recurrences are there specially if these interventions are done at later stage.
Chemonucleolysis using chymopapain has also high success rate (80%) with low recurrences but not popular owing to the chances of anaphylaxis following intradiscalchymopapain injection.
Injection of ozone for slipped disc or discogenic radiculopathy (low back pain with radiation to legs) has developed as a nonoperative treatment of slipped disc/ slip disc (or called ozone therapy for slip disc) which is an alternative to chemonucleolysis and disc surgery. Owing to its high success rate, less invasiveness, fewer chances of recurrences and remarkably fewer side effects, ozone therapy for slip disc is becoming popular day by day in the whole world. This is called ozone nucleolysis or ozone discectomy.
Percutaneous discectomy is another less invasive nonoperative treatment of slipped disc where disc material is taken out with motorized probe that is introduced through a 17 G needle.
These nonoperativetreatment of slipped disc have revolutionized the treatment of slipped disc/ slip disc. There is quick recovery, less hospital stay, more economical, very little chance of side effects, and no chance of failed back surgery syndrome- the most fearsome complication of open surgery.
FOR EXAMPLE : if you have disk prolapse with contained disk herniation – you need not to rush for surgical intervention as we can now actually suck out your disk material and decompress your nerve root without cutting anything this technique is known as PERCUTANEOUS DISCECTOMY.
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