Hello doctor: Does mild disc herniation require surgery?

'I have had persistent back pain. After an MRI, the doctor said I have mild disc herniation. If I don't have surgery, is there any other treatment?' (Viet Cuong, in Ho Chi Minh City).

Master - Doctor Duong Duc Anh, Department of Neurosurgery - Spine, Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital replied: Hello Cuong, prolonged back pain is a fairly common condition in office workers, people with little exercise or with unreasonable living habits. When diagnosed with mild disc herniation through MRI results, many people often wonder: Is surgery necessary? The information below will help you better understand this disease and appropriate treatment directions.

Most mild disc herniations do not require surgery.

When it comes to disc herniation, many people often worry and immediately think of surgery. However, in most cases of mild disc herniation, surgery is not required.

Surgery is usually only considered by specialists when medical treatment (using drugs) is ineffective, or the herniated disc is in a severe stage and cannot be treated conservatively, causing complications such as nerve root compression, severe pain, numbness, weakness in the limbs, urinary disorders, seriously affecting daily activities.

Conservative treatments for mild disc herniation

For mild disc herniation, the main treatment goals are to relieve pain, improve mobility, and prevent the disease from progressing. Here are some methods you can apply:

With mild disc herniation, the main treatment goal is to relieve pain and improve motor function.

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Reasonable rest : When back pain occurs, you should rest, avoid strenuous activities, heavy lifting or standing or sitting in one position for too long. However, you should not lie down for too long because it can weaken the back muscles.

Use of medication : Your doctor may prescribe common pain relievers or muscle relaxants to help you feel more comfortable. Note, only use medication as directed by your doctor, absolutely do not self-medicate or abuse pain relievers.

Physical therapy: If pain medications do not relieve symptoms after a few weeks, your doctor may consider physical therapy.

And after applying the above conservative treatments but the disease still does not improve, the condition progresses seriously, surgery is the treatment method that brings optimal results. Currently, there are many surgical methods to treat disc herniation, in which endoscopic surgery is a popular method because of many outstanding advantages such as high success rate and obvious effectiveness.

When should I see a doctor?

You should have regular check-ups as directed by your doctor to monitor the progression of the disease. If you feel that the pain symptoms become worse, numbness, weakness in the legs or other unusual signs appear, see your doctor immediately for examination and timely adjustment of the treatment regimen.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/alo-bac-si-nghe-thoat-vi-dia-dem-nhe-co-can-phau-thuat-khong-185250630172845917.htm