We are all aging and with this comes back problems including slipped discs. Learn more about what a slipped disc is and how to treat it in this medical video clip.
Immobilize your neck
Physical therapy
Steroid injections
Dr. Valadka practices Neurosurgery in Houston, Texas. Dr. Alex Valadka graduated from the University of Pritzker School of Med with an MD and he has been in the profession for 21 years.
DR. ALEX VALADKA: Today, we're here to talk about slipped disks in your neck. These are also known as ruptured disks or herniated disks, and they're very common. As we all get older and our spines age, many of us will develop problems with the disks including them thinning out or flattening, and oftentimes they can push back a little bit. In most cases, this is just a normal part of the aging process and there are no symptoms, but there are some occasions in which you may need to see a surgeon and think about an operation. If you look at the model here, you see these are the bones in the neck, and all of us have seven bones whether you're a human or whether you're a giraffe with a very long neck. The disks are these flat things in between here. And on each side, here's an opening where one nerve comes out over each disk, one on the right side and on the left side. Here's another and another. If the disk pushes back in just the right way or if it's big enough, it can pinch this nerve as it runs down through this opening or runs down in your arm. Many times you can get by just with immobilizing the neck for a while and maybe wearing a collar for a few days, trying physical therapy and some exercises to strengthen the muscles in your neck, so they can take some of the pressure off your spine and that may take some of the pressure off your disks. If problem still persists, many people will opt for an injection of some steroids or some local anesthetic over the nerve to take away some of the pain. That often can buy you some time. They work for a long, long period of time. If the problem still persists, though, you may need surgery. And generally, nowadays, an MRI is a test that most doctors will get it before an operation.
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