Herniated disks can cause severe pain in patients suffering from this back injury. Patients have lots to consider - should they have surgery? What type of therapy or other treatments are there? Dr. Kevin McIntyre of Burlington Sports Therapy explains the various treatments they offer at their clinic for disc herniation. Here is an excerpt of the article:

If you haven't already heard the analogy, a jelly donut is a really easy way to get the idea of a lumbar disc herniation. If you recall from previous blogs, our spine is made up of boney blocks separated by cartilage discs. These cartilage discs have a tough outer cartilage (like the dough of a donut) and a soft jelly substance in the middle (like the jelly in a donut). In very simple terms, a disc herniation is much like having a crack or tear in the dough of the donut and the jelly in the middle leaking out that crack.

Should I have Surgery for Lumbar Disc Herniation?

On occasion we encounter patients who are considering surgery for their lumbar disc herniation. This is a tough decision and should be made with careful consideration. Obviously, there are many different factors to consider. For some, surgery is an obvious choice because the symptoms are so severe and not improving. In fact, some surgeries can be necessary (rather immediately) if the disc injury is compressing the spinal cord. For most people though, surgery is one option among many.

Read the full article to learn more about herniated disk and the various treatment options. For some patients, wearing a herniated disk back brace may help alleviate pain. Speak with your doctor to see if wearing a back brace for herniated disk is an appropriate treatment option for your situation.