Is Herniated Disc Surgery Right for You?

Content medically reviewed by Dino Terzic, MD

A herniated disc, also called a ruptured or slipped disc, can cause pain and discomfort that affects your daily life. While symptoms usually resolve on their own over time, surgery is sometimes necessary to repair the damaged disc. At Essentia Health, less invasive options, like the SpineX program, are available to help get you back on your feet before considering surgical options. Here’s what you need to know. 

What Is a Herniated Disc?

Bones called vertebrae in your spine are cushioned by small, round discs, which have a tough outer layer called the annulus. These discs act as shock absorbers for the bones in your spine. When part of a disc pushes through its outer layer into the spinal canal, it can press on spinal nerves, leading to pain and other symptoms.

A herniated disc can happen due to strain or an injury from strenuous activity, such as lifting heavy objects. However, certain risk factors, such as these, make you more likely to develop a herniated disc –

• Being overweight
• Standing or sitting in the same position for long periods of time
• Having an inactive lifestyle
• Smoking
• Repeatedly twisting or bending the lower back

In addition, discs begin to naturally degenerate as you get older, making them more likely to rupture. While herniated discs are more common in middle-aged or older men, they can happen to anyone.Most herniated discs occur in the lumbar spine (lower back), but they can also affect cervical discs in the neck.

How to Tell if You Have a Herniated Disc

A herniated disc that puts pressure on one or more nerves can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the location of the injury. Pain and discomfort are usually focused on one side of the body.

A herniated disc in the lumbar spine often leads to –

• Pain, tingling, numbness, or burning that starts in the buttock and radiates into the leg and sometimes the foot
• Leg pain that may worsen when walking, standing, sitting, or straightening the leg
• Low back pain (although pain in the leg is often worse)

A herniated disc in the cervical spine can cause –

• Dull or sharp pain in the neck or between the shoulder blades
• Pain that may worsen with certain neck movements
• Pain that radiates from the arm down into the hand or fingers
• Numbness or tingling in the arm or shoulder

For both types of herniated discs, movements like sneezing, laughing, coughing, or straining can intensify pain. The discomfort may also begin slowly and gradually get worse.

Do You Need Herniated Disc Surgery?

If you think you might have a herniated disc, see your health care provider. He or she will do a physical exam and ask you to do certain movements while checking for pain and numbness. You might also need imaging tests, such as CT scans or spine MRI, to determine the location of the damaged disc.

For most people, pain and other symptoms from a herniated disc improve without surgery. Recovery time can range from a few days to several weeks. During this time, your provider might recommend reduced activity for a few days and taking pain medications. Steroid injections and muscle relaxants can also help. Your provider may also suggest a period of physical therapy.

If these conservative treatment methods do not significantly improve or resolve your pain, your provider might recommend surgery. 

Types of Surgery for a Herniated Disc

Different surgical options are available depending on the location of the herniated disc. Your provider will discuss the benefits and risks with you to help determine the right treatment for you.

“At Essentia Health – St. Mary’s Medical Center, we offer several minimally invasive procedures, including those using the Mazor X robotic guidance system,” said Dr. Terzic at Essentia Health. “This system allows us to perform surgery more precisely using only small incisions, which leads to shorter recovery times.”

The Mazor X gives surgeons the ability to –

• Ensure safety by using verification tools that provide innovative tracking and imaging technology for all movements
• Plan surgeries using advanced tools that create detailed 3D images, allowing for enhanced accuracy
• Use technology to guide surgical tools according to the surgical plan

Surgical treatments for a herniated disc can relieve pressure on nerve roots, resolving symptoms. Procedures in the lumbar spine include –

• Laminotomy. In this procedure, the surgeon removes part of the lamina—a part of the arch in the spine—and makes an opening between two vertebrae to reach the herniated disc. A discectomy is then done to remove the disc.
• Lumbar laminectomy. Unlike a laminotomy, this procedure removes the entire lamina to give spinal nerves more space. The surgeon may also perform a discectomy at the same time.
• Spinal fusion. This procedure, in which a surgeon joins together two or more vertebrae to prevent movement, is often done after a discectomy/laminotomy.

“If you have a herniated disc that is continuing to cause pain or other issues that make it difficult to do your daily activities, and your symptoms have not gotten better with other types of treatment, don’t hesitate to discuss possible surgical options with your provider,” Dr. Terzic said. “Our skilled surgeons at Essentia Health are here to help you return to a pain-free life.”