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Are you suffering from annular tear discomfort and are looking for an effective, long-lasting solution? Pain management clinics can help you restore your body to an increased activity level. They have advanced pain treatment training to diagnose annular tears and determine if they are self-healing or need more treatment.
An annular tear can be painful, but the pain symptoms may be alleviated with individualized care and treatments. This allows your body to heal itself without much discomfort.
Proper Diagnosis
An experienced pain management specialist runs an in-depth clinical evaluation to link your pain to an annular tear. The pain you experience with an annular tear is similar to that from various chronic conditions. A detailed diagnosis helps the physician administer appropriate treatments and therapy sessions for annular tears. For proper diagnosis, your doctor:
- Evaluates your entire medical history
- Analyzes your symptoms
- Runs a physical examination
The diagnosis helps your specialist develop an individualized and comprehensive pain treatment plan for maximum relief. It accurately pinpoints the source of your pain and the intensity of your tear. All patients respond differently to various treatment approaches.
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Pain management clinics target your area of pain through advanced diagnosis, including:
- MRI: This testing clearly shows evidence of an annular tear. It helps your doctor to rule out other back pain causes.
- X-rays: This evaluates the anatomy of your spine from a structural standpoint.
- CT Discography: This is used if you have a metal element in your body, making it hard for the MRI to show precise results.
Annular Tear Treatment Options From Pain Management Clinics
Whether large or small, your annual tear may heal on its own. It can some time to heal due to limited blood supply in your annulus. Your specialist administers a treatment approach depending on the intensity of your tear. If you have a simple tear with no disc herniation, your doctor may recommend the following conservative approaches:
- Low Impact Physical Therapy: The therapist recommends routine weight-bearing stretches and exercises to help relieve your torn disc. It can enhance your strength while maintaining your spine’s flexibility.
- Steroid Injections on Your Epidural: This helps in treating inflammation in your spinal canal.
- Pain Medications: These can assist in easing pain and relaxing your muscles.
The conservative treatments may fail if your annular fissure has led to the growth of nerves, granulation tissues, or disc herniation. The tear extends to other parts and results in chronic pain requiring advanced treatment options. Your doctor administers these treatments if your annual tear fails to heal in the expected time frame. They include:
- Microdiscectomy: This is a minimally invasive spine surgery where your specialist removes and repairs the damaged parts of your spinal disc.
- Artificial Disc Replacement: If your disc is very unstable for microdiscectomy, your doctor may suggest your impaired disc be replaced with an artificial one.
Pain management clinics are dedicated to helping you have a painless experience while you undergo your treatment regime. Whether your annular tear heals on its own in a few weeks or after months, you can run your daily errands with little discomfort.
Enjoy a Painless Annular Treatment Journey
Although an annular tear can heal itself, it can be painful and takes some time to gain full recovery. Renowned pain management clinics help you manage the pain to enjoy a painless life. They use advanced diagnostic approaches to identify the intensity of your tear. This enables them to recommend an individualized conservative treatment plan such as physical therapy and steroid injections to ease discomfort.
If the tear takes longer to heal, your specialist suggests advanced treatment (microdiscectomy and artificial replacement) to help your body regain its full functionality. They administer pain management services such as epidural steroid injections to relax you throughout your treatment.