As you age, your body undergoes many changes, including gradual deterioration of your spine’s various structures. One of the most notable changes is an annular disc tear, which can occur in your intervertebral discs. Disc tears are part of the degenerative disc disease cascade.
They can occur naturally or because of a traumatic impact on the disc from repetitive exercises, lifting or for example an auto accident. When you experience a disc tear, this can lead to extremely painful symptoms and back pain.
If you’re looking for doctors who treat these annular disc tears in Arizona, look no further than Desert Institute for Spine Care. We are leaders in minimally invasive spine care, treating the source of your painful symptoms.
Disc tears occur when the outer shell cracks or tears, allowing the nucleus pulposus to seep out. One way to picture this is to imagine a jelly doughnut. If the doughnut’s exterior gets stale or dry, little cracks can form, allowing some of the jelly within to seep out through the tear.
The gel-like material within the disc can aggravate the pain receptors found in the tough, outer shell, leading to significant pain and other symptoms. Annular tears tend to be more common in the lower back and cervical or neck region, but they can also impact other spinal areas.
Unfortunately, many patients do not realize that they have a disc tear until they experience the painful symptoms associated with other spinal conditions, such as a herniated disc or compressed nerve. A torn disc in the lower back will cause symptoms to the legs, while a disc tear in the neck region will cause symptoms in the hands, arms and shoulders.
Symptoms of a torn disc can include the following:
The orthopedic surgeons at DISC offer a full range of innovative treatments. When dealing with a disc tear, our doctors always recommend least invasive options first based on your unique condition. Many annular tears can improve and heal over time with non-surgical interventions, such as:
If conservative treatment methods fail to address your pain after six to eight weeks, we may recommend minimally invasive disc tear surgery. We specialize in endoscopic spine surgery, designed to safely remove herniated disc material to ensure a fast and effective recovery. If the disc tear has developed into a severe disc herniation, we may recommend artificial disc replacement.
The team at DISC is here to walk you through the surgery process, ensuring you understand everything ahead of time so you can make a fully informed decision. We want to partner with you to provide the best possible care.
Are you experiencing severe lumbar back pain, or are you concerned that you have a disc tear in your neck that requires immediate medical attention? Patients from around the world count on the expert surgeons at DISC to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate spinal conditions such as annular disc tears. We will develop a personalized treatment plan that works with your lifestyle so you can enjoy life again.
Contact us today to schedule your appointment with one of our board-certified spine surgeons in the Phoenix, AZ area.
Our spine health blog features up-to-date spine education and expert spine tips from our spine specialists here at DISC.
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