Management of Lumbar and Cervical Disc Herniations
Current Medical Approaches to Lumbar and Cervical Herniated Discs
Between the bones (vertebrae) that make up the spine are cartilaginous discs that enable movement and act as shock absorbers. The condition in which the outer layer of these discs tears, causing the gelatinous substance inside to protrude into the spinal canal or toward the nerve roots, is called a “herniated disc.” At the Egemed Hospital Neurosurgery Clinic, the approach to lumbar and cervical herniated discs is planned in stages based on the patient’s clinical presentation.
[ Conservative (Non-Surgical) Treatment Options ]
Not every patient diagnosed with a hernia undergoes surgery immediately. If the neurological examination reveals no urgent findings, such as progressive weakness (risk of paralysis) or urinary incontinence, the initial treatment involves bed rest, medical (drug) therapy, and exercise/physical therapy programs coordinated with our hospital’s Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation department. A significant number of patients are able to recover their health through these methods.
[ Surgical Procedure: Microsurgical Technique ]
Surgery is considered for patients who do not respond to conservative treatments, whose pain has become chronic, or in whom signs of nerve damage (muscle weakness, loss of reflexes) are detected during an examination. At our clinic, we use the microsurgical (microdiscectomy) technique:
- Using a surgical microscope, the surgical site is magnified significantly, allowing nerve tissues to be clearly visualized and preserved.
- Because the incision area is kept to a minimum, damage to muscle and bone tissue is minimized.
- The length of the postoperative hospital stay is decreasing, and patients are generally able to get up and move around the day after surgery and are then discharged.