large herniated disc
May 24, 2014 | 40,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring
I have been diagnosed with a 1.8cm prolapse at L4/5, and a severe narrowing of the spinal canal. I am experiencing pain in my left leg (outer edge) and taking Ibuprofen 600. The doctor recommended a PRT injection, but I declined due to fear of side effects. No further actions have been taken by the doctor, and I am now supposed to wait for 12 weeks, potentially for a surgery. Please share your opinion on this with me.
Good morning,
Surgery should always be the last resort of therapy and should only be planned if the pain is uncontrollable or if there are neurological deficits (e.g. paralysis) that make it necessary. Most cases of disc herniation can be managed with conservative methods, so that the patient can eventually become pain-free again.
Therefore, a combination of anti-inflammatory drugs such as Diclofenac, Ibuprofen or cortisone, painkillers, muscle relaxants like Ortoton, and physical therapy should be tried before considering invasive measures.
However, the PRT injection is a reasonable option if the other measures fail, and is usually without complications.
That's why I strongly recommend consulting a second colleague on site, or asking your orthopedist to provide you with the above-mentioned therapies, or to explain to you clearly why he wants to start with the second stage.
I wish you all the best!
Dr. Höllering
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