What is a Herniated Disc?
Scoliosis is when a person’s spine looks more like the letter “S” or a “C” than it does a straight line. It makes a patient’s shoulders, waist or hips look uneven. There are two types of scoliosis that can occur in adults: idiopathic and degenerative.
Symptoms
A herniated disc is when you have a problem with one of the discs in your spine. Discs have a harder exterior and a softer interior. When some of the softer inside material pushes through a tear in the harder exterior, it’s a herniated disc (also called a ruptured or slipped disc).
Treatment
Your doctor may tell you to take over-the-counter pain medication. If your pain doesn’t improve, you may be prescribed narcotics for a short time or medications designed to control seizures, which help with pain associated with a herniated disc. If you are experiencing muscle spasms, you may be prescribed muscle relaxers. Cortisone injections are also used to reduce swelling and inflammation.
If your pain hasn’t reduced in a few weeks, you may need physical therapy to learn exercises that can minimize your pain. There are a small number of people who need surgery because all other treatments have not reduced or eliminated their pain. Surgeons can remove the protruding portion of the disk. In rare case, they remove the entire disc.