May 25, 2012
Topics A-Z Arthritis May one herniated disc lead to more later on?
May one herniated disc lead to more later on? |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: Can a lumbar herniated disc in 1990 (with three surgeries total) be responsible for a cervical and thoracic herniated disc now? I suspect that poor posture and spinal alignment as a result of the initial injury can be responsible if the patient continues to be in pain and therefore has poor posture and spinal alignment. Is this an accurate suspicion? Dear Cynthia: The problem is not that the herniated lumbar disc causes or leads to more in other spine regions, the situation is that what happened in the lumbar area with the discs, might be happening in other parts, meaning thoracic and/or cervical spine as part of a degenerative process or Arthrosis or Spodylosis of the spine due to the aging, inadequate posture habits or previous injuries. This Degenerative Disc Disease occurs most commonly at the lumbar spine L4-L5 ad L5-S1 but also is common at the cervical spine predominantly at the levels C5-C6 and C6-C7; symptomatic thoracic discs problems are uncommon, about 1% of all discs herniations. The conservative treatment options include: anti inflammatory medication (“Advil”, “Aleve”) and Physical Therapy aimed to control pain and improve flexibility and range of motion, correct wrong postural habits, and educating about what movements or activities to avoid. |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 April 2011 ) |
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