What is anesthesia therapy for a lower lumbar herniated disc?

General anesthesia: If you are having surgery such as lumbar laminectomy, discectomy, and/or fusion, you will recieve general anesthesia. However, a herniated disc does not always require surgery and is dependent on your symptoms and treatments. Physical therapy, epidural steroids, and/or oral pain medications are often sufficient treatment of symptoms of a hernieated disc.

Epidural steroids: Are one option, surgery is another, pt, stretching and non-steroidal anti inflammatory medications are also very helpful.

General Anesthesia: Anesthesia is technically not a therapy in that anesthesia is only used to facilitate pain free surgery. For a repair of a lower lumbar herniated disc a general anesthetic is required.

Spinal injections: A pan management specialist might suggest the use of a steroid injection into your epidural space to decrease the swelling of the herniated disc. This can relieve the pressure on the nerve and improve your symptoms.