Interventional treatment of discopathy

What is discopathy?

Discopathy, also known as a herniated disc, is a mechanical injury of the intervertebral disc.

Discopathy, meaning damage or degeneration of the intervertebral discs, is one of the most common causes of chronic back pain and limitations in daily activities. Discopathy can affect any section of the spine and cause pain radiating to the limbs, pelvis, shoulders, or chest. It most commonly occurs in the lumbar-sacral spine and cervical spine, and least often in the thoracic spine.

Modern, minimally invasive treatment techniques allow effective symptom relief, faster return to normal life, and minimize the risk of complications typical for traditional surgeries.

What does minimally invasive discopathy treatment involve?

Currently, modern, safe, and minimally invasive surgical methods are used to treat discopathy.

Minimally invasive procedures involve the precise removal or reduction of changes in the intervertebral discs using micro-instruments and imaging technology (e.g., endoscope). 

These procedures require only a small skin incision through which a specially designed retractor is introduced, allowing minimally invasive access to the spine and removal of the herniated disc fragment that presses on nerves and causes pain.

After surgery, the patient requires only a few hours of hospitalization, usually returns home the same day, and quickly resumes daily activities and duties. The aesthetic outcome is also very important in such procedures – both endoscopic and minimally invasive surgeries leave only a small scar that heals to become almost invisible.

These procedures allow:

• maintaining spinal stability,
• limiting soft tissue damage,
• shortening recovery time,
• quickly restoring movement comfort and daily activity

Who is this solution for?

Minimally invasive treatment of discopathy is recommended for individuals who:

• experience chronic back pain or pain radiating to the legs,
• have a confirmed diagnosis of intervertebral disc changes,
• wish to avoid traditional open surgery or accelerate recovery after injury,
• require an effective and safe method with minimal surgical intervention.

Symptoms of discopathy

The main symptoms of lumbar discopathy are:

• Chronic or acute lower back pain that worsens with bending, sitting, coughing, or sneezing.
• Pain radiating to one or both lower limbs, known as sciatica.
• Burning, tingling, and numbness in the leg or perineal area.
• In severe cases, weakness (paresis) of one or both legs, foot drop, or even loss of sphincter control.

Symptoms of cervical discopathy are very similar to those of lumbar discopathy but affect the neck and upper limbs. In very advanced disease stages, similar symptoms may also occur in the lower limbs and sphincters.

Minimally invasive interventional discopathy treatment will help eliminate chronic back pain and restore full mobility through effective discopathy therapy.

What factors can potentially influence the onset of discopathy?

Discopathy is a condition that affects people of all ages, but most commonly those between 30 and 55 years old. The main factors contributing to the development of this condition are:

• a sedentary lifestyle,
• lack of physical activity,
• spending many hours in front of a computer,
• obesity,
• stress,
• improperly performed forward bending work,
• incorrect lifting of heavy objects combined with torso twisting.