A common myth: The majority of herniated disc cases in the lumbar or cervical spine (LWS/HWS) require surgery. In fact, 100,000 herniated disc operations are performed in Germany every year. However, many of them are avoidable.
Treat disc herniation cases differently using the Munich back pain model
„Health is not everything, but without health everything is nothing.“
Schopenhauer
Acute herniated disc cases must only be operated on in exceptional cases!
In our second opinion consultation, we make an alternative treatment recommendation in 8 out of 10 cases and can avoid surgery. The Munich back pain model developed by Dr. Gall helps initiate a change in perspective and find gentle therapies.
According to the Bertelsmann Stiftung, between 2007 and 2015, % there was an increase in spinal disc surgery in Germany by 71%. In contrast, the frequency of disc problems in the general population remained unchanged. In fact, only 1-3 of % all documented disc problems require surgical intervention.
Typical emergency symptoms of a herniated disc are paralysis in the affected extremity. If a herniated disc is detected during imaging, prompt surgery is necessary. Any dysfunction of the bladder or colon function, such as incontinence or urinary and fecal incontinence, must also be treated surgically promptly.
If after 12 weeks of adequate conservative therapy there has been no sufficient reduction in pain and the symptoms can clearly be attributed to a herniated disc, an operation may be considered. A herniated disc operation is therefore only advisable after exhausting conservative measures. We adhere to this recommendation of the medical professional associations and usually achieve the desired therapeutic goal with conservative procedures.
Conservative treatment methods include medication, physical therapy (physical therapy), and injections. Especially for patients with recurring back problems, it is also worth taking a look at the factors of stress in everyday life that lead to muscle tension and thus further pain. The Munich Back Pain Model forms the basis for understanding these often dark-room triggers of pain.
Should an operation become unavoidable, we can recommend both the procedure and the appropriate surgeon. We arrange the necessary appointments and provide post-operative care.
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More informationAnother widely held myth is the belief that herniated discs are always associated with pain. This is not true! Approximately half of people over the age of seventy have a herniated disc without any symptoms. The detection of a herniated disc on a magnetic resonance imaging scan is by no means a diagnosis. Experience and an accurate understanding of current symptoms are essential for interpreting the imaging data. A radiology report cannot replace the radiologist’s own interpretation of the images.
In case of doubt, diagnostic blockages can help. We inject a needle precisely under X-ray control and interrupt the pain pathway. This makes it possible to identify the nerve or other structures responsible for the pain.
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More informationIn the case of back pain lasting longer than 6 to 9 months, there is a tendency to self-aggravate or chronicize the pain: initially, „only“ a disorder of the spinal anatomy was present; however, chronicization means a vicious cycle of pain, painful compensatory postures, and psychological impairment. To interrupt this vicious cycle, diagnosis and treatment require the inclusion of all components. This is where the Munich Back Pain Model comes in, which brings to light the psychosocial background of the disease process.
Many chronic pain patients have already undergone surgery. While this may have provided a short-term relief, a longer-term reduction in pain was not achieved. A look at the statistics shows that in 30 % of the patients who underwent disc surgery, no pain reduction occurred. And about 20 of % all the patients whose spinal column was stiffened complain of persistent or even increasing pain postoperatively. In the literature, the term „failed back surgery syndrome“ has become established: the syndrome of the back that has not responded to standard surgery. Instead of further standard surgeries, these patients need a viable alternative.
In addition to eliminating individual stressors, a pain pacemaker can help here. The electrical suppression of the transmission of pain impulses in the spinal cord provides relief. In 70 % of the patients, we were able to achieve a pain reduction of half. Learn more about the pain pacemaker here.