Many patients are treated with medication with only having success in managing their peripheral neuropathy. A majority of the time these drugs don’t provide relief and come with harmful and life-altering side effects. A herniated or bulging disc refers to a problem with one of the rubbery cushions (discs) that sit between the individual bones (vertebrae) that stack to make your spine. A herniated or bulging disc, which can occur in any part of the spine, can irritate a nearby nerve. Depending on where the herniated/bulging disc is, it can result in pain, numbness or weakness in an arm or leg. Sciatica refers to back pain caused by a problem with the sciatic nerve. This is a large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg. When something injures or puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, it can cause pain in the lower back that spreads to the hip, buttocks, and leg.

Many patients are treated with medication, injections, physical therapy, and surgery with only having minimal success in managing their nerve pain. Medications and injections do not fix the structural problems related to the cause of the disc problem. Physical therapy alone does not address all of the contributing factors to your pain. Surgery is a risky endeavor that has a high failure rate and is a permanent change that may not be successful and irreversible.