| Herniated Discs and Nerve Root Pressure | | | | 2. Also, inflammatory chemicals leak from the injured |
| In the past, doctors treating people with back pain | | | | disc or facet joint tissues and directly inflame or |
| and radicular leg or arm pain used tools like a | | | | over-stimulate the nerve root causing a burning or |
| myelograms, an enhanced CT Scan and now - | | | | tingling sensation; (sciatica) |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to look for a disc | | | | 3. Mechanical pressure from the mass of the |
| herniation that bulged out and deformed the normal | | | | herniated nucleus pulposus tissue can cause nerve |
| course of the nerve root. It was thought that the | | | | symptoms (like hitting the 'funny bone' nerve in your |
| bulging or herniation caused direct pressure and that | | | | elbow); |
| this caused the nerve root pain. | | | | 4. Pressure can also upset the normal flow of |
| But, several clinical research studies have shown that | | | | nutrients and oxygen carried in the spinal fluid to |
| in many cases of back pain there is no direct nerve | | | | supply the nerves; Best Practices: Non-Surgical |
| contact. And even if there is a herniated disc, that | | | | Treatment of Herniated Discs |
| disc does not always cause back or radiating leg pain. | | | | The latest research confirms that surgery is not |
| That's why MRI's are increasingly thought of by | | | | often necessary - 98% of people won't need |
| experts as a questionable benefit - MRI's only show | | | | surgery - even "laser surgery" for relief of the |
| abnormal anatomy - not pain. In addition, other recent | | | | burning or tingling pain of herniated discs. How fast |
| medical research has found that there is more to a | | | | and completely you respond to non-surgical |
| pinched nerve than merely a bulging or ruptured disc | | | | treatment depends - primarily - on whether or not |
| pressing on it. | | | | you get the right therapy for your specific |
| It is for this reason that we consider most back pain | | | | combination of pain-producers. |
| - even with a herniated disc - to be "multi-factorial." | | | | New (2009) research confirms that your back |
| There is often more than one cause for the burning | | | | pain-relief can be faster, more complete and with less |
| pain you feel in your back or down your leg. | | | | than half the pain medicine required using a new |
| Treat only ONE source of pain and you see why so | | | | refinement of an old approach. The journals report |
| many people get stuck with back pain that keeps | | | | that if your treatment is based on your specific back |
| coming back again and again. So finding the "one" | | | | pain category - you can get more specific and |
| cause doesn't work. | | | | more-effective treatment. |
| Four Causes of Nerve Root Irritation | | | | Unfortunately for most people with problem back |
| There are at least four known causes of nerve root | | | | pain, the "new" method is still buried in the medical |
| irritation and related back pain: | | | | journals - and not yet widely used. Targeted-delivery |
| | | | of pain medication is just the beginning, with |
| 1. Tiny nerves in the annulus of the disc can get | | | | pain-relief starting within an hour. But there's more to |
| stretched or irritated when the tissues are torn - we | | | | the new back pain treatment paradigm that can give |
| call it an annular tear. This causes pain in the disc right | | | | you lasting relief without pills, lasers or big needles. |
| next to the nerve root; | | | | |