If you’re suffering from the symptoms of a disc extrusion, medication can be extremely effective at helping you to manage your symptoms as the extrusion heals. Sensations of pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness can begin in the back or neck and spread throughout the extremities if extruded disc material comes into contact with a spinal nerve or the spinal cord itself. Talk to your doctor about possible prescription or over-the-counter medications that could prove beneficial.
Medication Can Take a Variety of Forms
Types of disc extrusion medication that your doctor may recommend include:
- Analgesics
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Narcotics
- Oral steroids
- Epidural steroid injections
- Muscle relaxants
Identifying Side Effects from Medication
If you experience adverse side effects from any type of disc extrusion medication, tell your doctor right away. For the first several weeks after beginning a new medication, stay on the lookout for fever, abnormal bleeding, depression, headaches, diarrhea, trouble urinating, insomnia, or fatigue. Your doctor may decide to discontinue that medication, or he or she may change the prescribed dosage. Be sure to tell your doctor about any food or drug allergies you may have before starting the medication.
Combining Medication with Other Treatment Options
Disc extrusion medication can be combined with other conservative treatment options like hot-cold compresses, low-impact exercise, gentle stretching, and behavior modification. If weeks or months of these methods do not help you to achieve the pain relief you require, consider contacting Laser Spine Institute. We offer a variety of minimally invasive, outpatient procedures aimed at releasing the neural compression caused by a disc extrusion. For more information or for a complimentary review of your MRI or CT scan, contact us today.
