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A herniated disk can affect how you're able to perform everyday tasks and can cause severe pain that influences almost everything you do. You and your doctor will make decisions about how to best treat your herniated disk (herniated disc), sometimes also called herniated disc, ruptured disk or slipped disk.

No single treatment choice is best for everyone. Your decisions will be based on a number of factors, including:

The nature of your condition
The degree to which it's affecting your lifestyle
The level of pain you're experiencing

Think of yourself and your doctor as partners in making decisions about how to treat your herniated disk. You'll want to carefully consider all your options and the risks and benefits of each in relation to your lifestyle and what's important to you. The information here is intended to help you understand the various treatment options and decide which treatment may be best for you. This guide also frames key questions to help you in this important decision-making process.

This guide is designed for you if you're diagnosed with a herniated lumbar disk, but not a herniated cervical disk. Lumbar disk herniation occurs in the lower (lumbar) region of the spine and occurs more frequently than does neck (cervical) herniation.

Treatment options