Diagnosis and Treatment for Disc Disorders by Top-Rated Specialists in Northern New Jersey

Disc Disorders We Treat

At Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine & Orthopedics, our trusted spine surgeons diagnose and treat a wide range of spinal disc disorders, including:

Degenerative Disc Disease

Over time, aging, wear and tear to the spine can cause the inside of its vertebral discs to dry out and shrink, resulting in the collapse of the entire disc. This condition is known as degenerative disc disease.

Herniated (Slipped) and Bulging Discs

Each disc’s exterior is made of a tough, fibrinous rind called the annulus, which acts as a shell containing the nucleus pulposus, which has a softer consistency. A disc herniation, known as a slipped disc, occurs when the annulus becomes weakened and the nucleus pulposus escapes out of the annulus and places pressure on the surrounding structures. This can affect any level of the spine, yet the condition is most common in the cervical or lumbar spine. A bulging disc is one that deforms under pressure and moves out of alignment with the bones of the spine. resulting in a stretching type of pain and pressure on the surrounding nerves.

Pinched Nerves and Radiculopathy

Nerves are responsible for carrying pain signals from the extremities to the brain via the spinal cord. When spine discs become distorted, or arthritic bone spurs develop, they can compress nerves near where they enter or exit the spinal cord. Injury, inflammation, tumor, or infection can also irritate the nerves and spinal cord. In such medical conditions, the patient experiences radicular symptoms occur along the path of the nerve from the spine and throughout the affected extremity. This is called radiculopathy   Commonly referred to as a pinched nerve, complaints range from sharp electric pain stemming from the back or neck and traveling down one or both arms or legs, numbness, weakness, tingling sensation, or a loss of the ability to move an arm or leg. This requires immediate attention.

Diagnosis and Treatment

An MRI of the spine may reveal a disc disorder before it becomes symptomatic. In this case, there is no need for treatment. But when a disc disorder becomes symptomatic, then treatment is warranted. To accurately diagnose and treat a disc disorder or a different spine, nerve, brain, orthopedic, or other musculoskeletal condition, you may need a team of experts with combined specialization and knowledge of the correlation between anatomy, symptoms, and biomechanics, with the most advanced technology and treatment to collaborate. Together, they will provide you with the best approach for a rapid recovery. That’s exactly what our patients can expect when choosing Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine & Orthopedics.

From your first phone call to one of our offices through a consultation and beyond, our staff and physicians always take the time to listen to what you have experienced and personally review any of your prior imaging and tests. After isolating the cause of your discomfort, our experts will describe the best treatment plan for a speedy recovery and ensure you transition off pain medications. Many patients benefit from non-invasive pain management procedures,  which can eliminate pain by minimizing inflammation. The reduction in pain enables patients to participate in physical therapy for muscle stretching and relaxation then advancing on to strength training which can completely resolve most neck and back pain. For patients with structural abnormalities of spine or brain, surgical treatment may be necessary. Examples of some of the treatments which are commonly necessary for disc disorders or other causes of neck and back pain may include:

• Physical therapy
• Rehabilitation medicine
• Minimally invasive spine surgery
• Discectomy
• Fusion surgery
• Cervical disc replacement
• Decompression treatment
• Epidural steroid injections
• Medial branch block and RFA
• And more…

Learn More by Contacting Our Team

Whether you’re suffering from a cervical disc disorder with radiculopathy, degenerative disc disease, or another spine or nerve condition, our board-certified neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons, as well as our non-surgical team of physiatrists, pain management physicians, and physical therapists, are here to help. For more information or to schedule an appointment in Northern NJ, contact the award-winning team at Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine & Orthopedics today.