Herniated Disc Surgery Specialists

Herniated disc surgery specialists in Valencia

At Regenerat Traumatology Clinic we are specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of disc herniation and other spinal pathologies.

Our objective is to:

• Determine the cause of your herniated disc.
• Perform the appropriate diagnostic tests to determine the extent of your back ailment or injury.
• Apply regenerative traumatology treatment or minimally invasive endoscopic techniques to relieve your pain so that you can recover your well-being as soon as possible.

We want to help our patients using the safest, most successful and least invasive treatments possible!

What is a herniated disc?

Anatomy of the intervertebral disc

Herniated disc is one of the most common causes of back pain.

The intervertebral discs are thick cushions of cartilage that lie between each vertebra of the spine. They are flat and round and play a key role in absorbing the forces exerted on the spine during movement. They act as shock absorbers when walking or running.

There is a soft, jelly-like material in the center called the nucleus pulposus, which is wrapped in strong, elastic tissue that forms a ring of collagen fibers around it called the annulus fibrosus.

How does a herniated disc occur?

Disc herniation is a condition in which the central nucleus pushes or extrudes through the outer edge of the disc, causing a bulge that compresses the spinal nerves.

Discs can become weakened and damaged by age or trauma caused by excessive pressure, such as lifting heavy objects.

This damage is called “herniation”, which is an abnormal protrusion of the soft core into or through the firmer annulus.

Types of herniated discs

Disc herniation can occur in four ways:

• Protrusion: the disc weakens and becomes thinner and may shrink (usually this occurs with age), but the nucleus does not pass through the outer wall of the disc.
• Disc prolapse: the disc has a pronounced bulge that puts pressure on the spinal canal or a nerve.
• Extrusion: the core breaks through the ring but remains in one piece.
• Abduction: the nucleus breaks through the annulus but is separated from the main part of the disc.

What are the causes of a disc herniation?

Disc injuries usually affect older and physically active people.

In this case, these individuals may be affected by chronic degenerative disc disease.

The cause of a herniated disc is usually gradual wear and tear and overuse as a result of repeated movements over time.

Over time, the disc height decreases and bony growths known as osteophytes may form in and around the vertebrae.

• In older people, the discs of the spine become drier and weaker, making a herniated disc more likely.
• Some medical conditions may increase the risk of disc herniation, such as spinal stenosis and connective tissue disorders.
• Obesity, sedentary lifestyle and smoking increase the risk of lumbar disc herniation.
• Acute cervical disc injuries may be seen in athletes competing in contact sports who receive repetitive axial loads (compressive forces through the head and spine) or hyperflexion-type injuries such as those seen in the sport of soccer or running.
• In the lumbar spine, disc injuries can occur in athletes who repeatedly load their spine and combine the motion with a twist or lateral flexion. This can be seen in the sport of basketball when an athlete comes down off a rebound and then twists the upper body to clear the area of any nearby defenders.

What are the symptoms of herniated disc?

When a disc herniates, it usually causes severe pain.

• If the disc herniation is small, such as a disc protrusion, it may cause back pain.
• If the compression is severe, it will cause numbness and tingling and may cause weakness of the muscles in one or both legs and/or in the feet that makes it difficult to walk or stand.
• When the disc protrusion is larger, it may press on the spinal canal or a nerve.
• If it compresses a nerve, it can cause sciatica, which is pain in the lower back and hip that radiates down the leg.

The pain usually radiates down the back or side of the leg, but may travel down the front of the thigh.

The pain may affect one or both legs. It may be associated with severe pain in the lower back and buttocks.

In very severe cases, it can compress multiple nerves and cause urinary or bowel problems.

Symptoms can range from mild, intermittent pain to more severe cases, in which there may be severe pain, weakness or loss of bladder or bowel control.

Risk factors for a herniated disc

There are several main risk factors for developing a herniated disc:

• Osteoarthritis of the spine or degenerative disc disease.
• Being overweight or obese.
• Improper lifting of heavy objects
• Repetitive bending or twisting movements, often related to work and / or sports practice.
• Smoking, which dehydrates the discs.

Although you can’t change the risk of age-related disc degeneration, the other factors you can control.

Other causes of back pain

Back pain can have its origin in any of these structures, but in most cases, this pain is not a consequence of any significant damage to the spine.

This pain usually comes from the surrounding muscles, ligaments or joints, and occasionally from problems in the vertebral discs.

The most frequent pathologies, conditions and treatments for back pain are the following:

• Sacroiliitis joint pain: Process of wear and tear and loss of cartilage in the sacroiliac joint (junction between the support of the pelvis and the lower region of the spine).
• Facet joint pain: Facet joint syndrome is related to the aging process, the loss of cartilage and synovial fluid in the joints of the spine.
• Herniated disc operation: For spinal injury when one of the intervertebral cushioning discs suffers a tear or rupture.
• Pain after back surgery: sometimes patients experience improvement, but as scar tissue forms, leg and back pain reappears or increases.
• Coccyx pain: is pain at the base of the spine at the top of the buttocks. It is one of the most common causes of back pain in sports.
• Spondylolysis: frequent in young athletes, even teenagers, who practice sports such as gymnastics, pole vaulting and soccer.
• Spondylolisthesis: is a condition of the spine that occurs when one vertebra is displaced or has slipped forward or backward over the one below it.
• Muscle back pain or muscle-ligament strain: is the most common sports injury caused by an injury to the soft tissues surrounding the spine.