How to Select the Best Spine Doctor to Treat Herniated Discs

Having herniated discs can be something very painful to go through. This article helps you to select the right doctor to treat your condition.

Are you in dire need of herniated disc treatment, but unsure of where to turn for help? Have you been burned in the past by practices that claimed they could take the pain away? If so, then you need to search for a spine doctor who specializes in treated herniated discs.

Doing so can help you find the relief you need while also getting long-term recovery. You will finally get the chance to live life pain-free and void of any setbacks.

Be sure to read below for an in-depth article on selecting a doctor who can provide herniated disc surgery and help you on your road to recovery.

1. Ask the Doctor Questions

Too many people make the mistake of hiring the first spine doctor that they come across. While you might strike gold with the doctor you’ve chosen, you also risk being unsatisfied about the care you receive.

It’s always best to ask a few qualifying questions. Gather a list of a few spine doctors and ask them these questions:

  • What is causing the issues that I’m having?
  • Is there anything that you or I can do to slow its progression?
  • What treatment options do you offer for my herniated disc(s)?
  • What is a realistic outcome for my herniated disc? Does it change if I receive surgery?
  • What are the details of the treatment options I have to choose from?
  • What measures can I take to provide a little pain relief for myself?

If you want more insight into these questions and why they’re important to ask, be sure to read our article on the top 6 questions to ask your spine doctor.

Make sure that the doctor takes time to lay out all of these answers. Are they helping you understand the solution? What can you do in the future to prevent another herniated disc?

2. Look Into Their Qualifications

You should never hire a spine doctor without first looking at their qualifications, especially if you’re looking to receive surgery. By doing just a little research ahead of time, you can give yourself more peace of mind throughout the process.

If you ask your spine doctor about your treatment options and they insist on surgery, then ask them a few questions about their qualifications. You want to make sure they have proper certification and experience. See below:

  • Are you Board Certified? If so, through what organization?
  • How many times in your career have you performed the surgery that I need?
  • What are my options? Is a minimally invasive spine surgery an option?
  • Do you have any previous patients that I can contact?

You must ask each of these questions. It will give you more confidence heading into the surgery you need.

Once you get the name and contact of a few previous patients, be sure to take advantage of them. Ask them about what you should expect, what their experience was, and how their recovery went. They might even shed light on how they’ve felt since the surgery was performed.

3. Look for Someone With a Variety of Treatments

If you’re going to a spine doctor, you want to make sure they will be the ones performing the surgery you require (if necessary). An honest spine doctor will assign you the proper treatment, whether they offer it at their location or not.

Before you visit their practice, take a look at their website and see what treatments they offer their clientele. You want to look for a mixture of non-surgical and surgical services like the ones below:

Non-Surgical Services

  • Discography
  • Spinal Cord Stimulation
  • Epidural Steroid Injections
  • Facet joining Nerve Blocks and Steroid Injections
  • Sacroiliac Injectsions
  • Radiofrequency Ablation

Surgical Services

  • XLIF
  • TLIF
  • ALIF
  • ACDF
  • Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
  • Microdiscectomy
  • Laminoplasty
  • Laminectomy
  • Spinal Fusion
  • Kyphoplasty
  • Spinal Deformity

Once you visit with the spine doctor, they can walk you through these treatment options more in-depth. The more services they offer, the more efficient their service is.

4. Make Sure They Treat Your Conditions

Understandably, you don’t want to walk into several different offices before choosing a spine doctor. You want to have an idea of which ones can treat your conditions before you step foot in their door.

The best spine doctors list the conditions that they treat on their website. We at Florida Spine Care treat conditions such as:

  • Neck Pain
  • Back Pain
  • Scoliosis
  • Spinal Arthritis
  • Compression Fractures
  • Spinal Stenosis
  • Radiculopathy
  • Herniated Disc Disease
  • Myelopathy
  • Foraminal Stenosis

Not only can we treat your herniated discs with a variety of treatment options, but we can also help with any other conditions you might be suffering through.

5. Opt for Informed Answers Over Multiple Opinions

Whenever surgery is discussed, you always hear about patients searching for a second (sometimes even a third or fourth) opinion from a doctor. This is especially common with professional athletes.

However, the goal isn’t to get multiple opinions. It’s to get an informed answer. If you get an informed answer the first time around, there’s no need to receive the opinion of another spine doctor.

The best spine doctors (such as ours) will give you all the details you need. They’ll explain the procedure of the treatment you need, as well as answer your questions to the best of their ability.

Find the Best Spine Doctor for Your Herniated Discs Today

Now that you have seen several ways to find the best spine doctor to treat your herniated discs, be sure to use this list effectively.

Be sure to read this article for more information on the 4 exercises you can receive for lower back pain relief.

For more inquiries, please be sure to reach out via our contact us page and we will be happy to assist you further.