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• Annular Tear Repair

Annular Tear Repair Is Possible

If you are one of the millions of people who have experienced an annular tear, repair of the damaged intervertebral disc is possible with conservative, non-operative treatments. In fact, about 90 percent of people who develop a fissure or tear in the outer disc wall – the annulus fibrosus – will never need any type of surgery.

How Does an Annular Tear Occur?

The cartilaginous discs that cushion adjacent vertebrae become dry, thin, and weak as we grow older. This makes them extremely susceptible to developing tears. For the most part, however, these tears are not painful. Pain can only arise when the tear is big enough to allow the inner gel-like disc material – nucleus pulposus – to leak into the spinal canal. This fluid can press on nearby spinal nerves or the spinal cord itself, which is what leads to symptoms of pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness. An annular tear can also be referred to as a herniated disc, prolapsed disc, ruptured disc, or slipped disc.

The Process of Resorption

Annular tear repair can occur over a period of several weeks or months with a process called disc resorption. Ironically, the bigger the tear, the more likely resorption becomes. When the nucleus pulposus leaks into the spinal canal, the surrounding tissues recognize this as a foreign substance since, ideally, the nuclear material is never supposed to leave the confines of the disc wall. A combination of chemicals attack and break down the herniated nucleus pulposus until the extruded fluid is completely resorbed by the body.

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Treatment Options

The process of annular tear repair can be aided by conservative treatments. Your doctor may suggest prescription or over-the-counter analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hot-cold therapy, intermittent rest, low-impact exercise, or massage. If weeks or months of these treatments do not provide you with the pain relief you require and an MRI shows no reduction in the size of your annular tear, repair may not be imminent. If this is the case, contact Laser Spine Institute. We offer minimally invasive, endoscopic procedures that may be able to help your rediscover your life without back and neck pain.

Please note: Laser Spine Institute currently does not perform endoscopic procedures on the thoracic spine.