iduals at one point in time during adulthood. Many different conditions may lead to neck or back pain.
A bulging or herniated disc
Different medical evaluations, radiographic imaging screenings, and spinal diagnostic tools can be used to identify what condition is responsible for the patient’s discomfort. If an abnormal disc is suspected, then discography may lead to the identification of the appropriate disc. Spinal discs often rupture or begin to bulge due to the gradual wear and tear of the tissue, or blunt trauma. If this occurs, spinal nerves become damaged and transmit constant pain signals to the brain. This condition is known as disc herniation. Discography can be used to accurately diagnose this condition.
Discography is a useful diagnostic method that helps doctors understand the nature of their patient’s persistent neck or back pain. Once an accurate diagnosis is made, the patient and doctor can discuss the best method of treatment and in some cases avoid having to discuss surgery. Individuals who have undergone various assessments for their chronic pain and received inconclusive results may benefit from undergoing discography as it has been shown to be much more accurate than other methods, such as MRIs. Surgeons have even reported that positive results that were obtained from a discogram have prevented some of their patients from undergoing unnecessary surgery.