Question
My husband was just told that he needs to have back surgery due to a floating disk fragment hitting the nerve in his back.  Should there be another course of action taken before surgery?  He is in a pain but is able to function on a daily basis.  Thank you.

Answer
Dear Donna,

Everything I have read about free floating disk fragments points to surgical excision as the only viable option.  The reason for this is because that fragment can become lodged against the spinal cord and or nerve roots as the exit the spine and create chronic pain and future disability.

As a chiropractor, I would absolutely refer him for a neurosurgical consult and not adjust him until the fragment had been removed with a discectomy proceedure...there are a few of them to discuss with your surgeon and you should all be on the same page and be fully informed on the proceedures before choosing one.  Most of the discectomies I am seeing now are minimally invasive in nature and do not require large incisions in the bqack to remove them, and this actually reduces infection risk and increases recover times.  Some new terminology is micro-discectomy and IDET, and these proceddures are performed without bone removal or cutting of the tissue.  www.spineonline.com is a site where you can learn more.

After successful removal of the fragment, it is important that your husband additionally complete a rehab program to make sure that he can gain spinal stability and support.  Hope this helps Donna.

Respectfully,
Dr. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net