There are over 1.5 billion people that experience some type of chronic pain. This may be due to back and neck pain as well as a variety of neurological conditions. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, for example, reported that at some point in their lives, approximately 80% of adults will experience lower-back pain.
Bulging Discs and Potential Treatment
One or more bulging discs can cause someone to experience ongoing pain. A bulging disc can occur in one or more of these three spinal regions:
- Cervical
- Thoracic
- Lumbar
The cervical region is located in the upper part of the spine. While the thoracic is in the spine’s middle region, the lumbar is in the lower. Most, or roughly 90% of bulging discs, occur in the lower back, or lumbar region. In order to experience pain relief and increase function, spine surgery is recommended for about ten percent of all bulging disc cases.
Options for Minimally-Invasive Spine Surgery
Since many individuals that suffer with chronic pain may take opioid medications, one of the options to reduce and/or alleviate this pain is spinal cord stimulation therapy. On an annual basis, there are approximately 50,000 of these neuro-stimulators being implanted throughout the world. A study was conducted with patients that received this procedure. The results showed that 60% of the patients reported that they experienced reduced pain or relief. It’s important to note that this information was reported one to two years after these participants initially received this treatment.
There have been other studies on the efficacy of using high-frequency therapy for pain reduction. The results of one of these showed that the participants either reduced or stopped taking their opioid medications following this therapy. Since the study’s participants had been experiencing chronic pain for an average of 13 years, these results are noteworthy.
Find a Neurosurgeon to Discuss Your Options
Whether you’re seeking low back pain treatment or have another issue, it’s important to consult with a neurosurgeon about your situation. If you have been taking opioids for pain, one of your options may be to have a neuro-stimulator implanted. While treatment recommendations will depend on your specific issue, such as a bulging disc, it’s possible that you would be a good candidate for a less-invasive procedure. In the event that you have been suffering with chronic pain and haven’t sought treatment yet, it’s important for you to do so in order to improve the quality of your life.
