Treatment may include: 

• Physical therapy and exercises to help strengthen specific muscles to help the back heal and reduce the frequency of painful flare-ups. 
• Pain management, including anti-inflammatory and pain medications, muscle relaxers, manual manipulation, steroid injections, electrical stimulation, radiofrequency ablation and heat/ice therapy. 
• Traditional medicine combined with holistic therapies such as yoga, healing touch and acupuncture. 

When symptoms related to disc degeneration don't improve with conservative treatment or if there is a progression of neurologic symptoms, surgery may be recommended. The goal of surgery is to relieve pressure on the nerves and stabilize the degenerated disc(s). Our spine specialists are skilled in the use of minimally invasive techniques that incorporate advanced navigation and robotics procedures, leading to faster recovery, less discomfort and shorter hospitalizations.

Treatment options include: 

• Laminectomy: Removal of fragments of bone and soft tissue if spinal stenosis or significant nerve compression are involved. Depending on certain factors, this may be performed as a minimally invasive procedure or an open procedure. For more severe cases in which there is significant nerve compression, a laminectomy may be combined with a spinal fusion. 
• Spinal Fusion: A procedure that reduces the movement in the damaged spine segment by permanently connecting two or more vertebrae using screws and rods to stabilize the spine. A bone graft is also typically performed using additional bone to fill in gaps between the vertebrae and stimulate the healing process. 
• L5-S1 Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A procedure performed in the lower spine (typically L4-L5 or L5-S1) in which the disc is removed and a cage/interbody fusion is placed between the discs to help restore disc height and indirectly decompress the affected nerve(s). This procedure is performed through the abdomen versus the back, resulting in a smaller incision and quicker healing.