I have 4 herniated disc in my cervical vertebrea, and is in a dilemma as to get surgery of live in pain.?

i had one herniated disc between c6 and c7..i had the surgery...my risk was greater because of an extremely low platelet count but the pain was excruciating...the difference afterward was amazing...no regrets..hope your decision is the right one for you...good luck!!!

My discs aren't herniated, I have degenerative disc disease. But I can definitely give you some advice. At this point I would discuss surgery, and it also depends on your medical insurance. My neck is currently in a C shape leaning toward my right side and I am not eligible for surgery until my discs are completely gone, which will be soon. At this time my doctor is doing Cortisone with a bit of epidural in the injections once a month. I am up to nearly 25 shots in my neck and the whole ordeal is very painful. I am only 29 years old now and my risk of becoming paralyzed is very high with or without the surgery. I am also on medicare/medicaid due to that, stroke, and epilepsy ( was abused in a previous marriage) so my insurance will not cover any surgical procedure until my neck completely collapses. My spine is also fused from birth in some places which adds to my doctor's worry. What the injections do is basically put the fluid between your discs ( or what's left of mine) and raises your neck up releasing pressure and trying to preserve my bones since they are constantly grinding together on their own. They do however, make replacement discs now but that depends on your insurance and your doctor as to what they suggest is best for you. Mine is suggesting (and he is the ONLY doctor I've trusted in the last 7 years) that I wait it out.

Holistic treatments are excellent for smaller ailments, but something such as your spine and neck which, besides your brain, is your central function area of the body. Basically you need it, so you have to be pretty aggressive in treatment. I questioned my doctor ONCE and did not get the shots for 6 months. I am paying DEARLY for that now. That is why my neck collapsed! In my own opinion, and everyone has one lol, I would have to tell you that after all I've been through and am living with now as well, that you must listen to your doctor on this one. With your neck and spine, any decision you make could be just as bad as playing Russian Roulette.

Basically if your doctor tells you that you need surgery, weigh out your options. Age ,risk, benefits, and possibly things that could go wrong need to be strongly weighed. If it could help relive some of your pain and increase your quality of life and it's something you can do, that may be best if your doctor thinks it will help or eliminate the problem.

Husband had 2 herniated discs and has surgery.. had them shaved.. now he has another one.. and this time is doing disc replacement. It's a good solution to a painfull situation. Just don't let them fuse your back.

Hello,

It is a fact that no one condition reflects sciatica and it would be prudent to refer to it as a generic medical term encompassing lots of symptoms that taken together describe a lower back pain that a patient suffers from. When someone complains of severe back pain that passes down to legs through his buttocks, even down to his feet and toes, doctors suspect him to be suffering from sciatica. Often sciatica presents itself as numbness or a tingling sensation that may not be anything like the severe pain commonly associated with sciatica. This tingling or numbness may be felt by the person when he engages in some activities.

On this site you can find very good tips on how to treat your sciatica: http://curesciatica.toptips.org/

Your doctor is the one to discuss risks of surgery. No, no holistic remedy can help you at this point. What is your risk of paralysis? Are you taking holistic pain medicine? Does that work?