Herniated Disc Cold Feet: Understand The Root Cause

Neuropathy refers to nerve damage or dysfunction that disrupts normal nerve signaling, often causing burning, numbness, tingling, or cold sensations in the hands or feet. In the context of spinal conditions, these symptoms are typically classified as radiculopathy, a type of neuropathy that originates from irritated or compressed nerve roots in the spine.

While peripheral neuropathy can be caused by systemic issues like diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, or autoimmune diseases, spinal radiculopathy is most often caused by disc injuries.

Our findings show that non-surgical treatments are commonly the first approach for patients experiencing symptoms of a herniated disc. These may include physical therapy, pain medications, spinal manipulation, and ergonomic interventions. 

While such therapies can help manage symptoms temporarily, they often do not address the root cause: inflammation.

At Deuk Spine Institute, the clinical consensus is clear: conservative care may offer symptom relief but is rarely curative for discogenic pain or radiculopathy. Here’s why:

• Physical therapy is useful for strengthening supportive muscles and improving posture. However, it cannot reverse disc herniation or remove painful fragments lodged in the annular tear.
  
   
• NSAIDs and corticosteroids reduce inflammation but come with risks such as gastrointestinal side effects, liver toxicity, and immune suppression with long-term use. Moreover, these medications do not fix the structural problem.
  
   
• Chiropractic care and acupuncture may provide short-term pain relief for musculoskeletal strain but have no proven efficacy in healing herniated discs.

When conservative care fails, traditional surgery is often proposed. Common surgical procedures for herniated discs include:

• Microdiscectomy: Removal of the herniated portion of the disc.
  
   
• Spinal fusion: Fusing two or more vertebrae to stabilize the spine.
  
   
• Artificial disc replacement (ADR): Replacing the damaged disc with a mechanical implant.

While these surgeries can offer relief, they also come with serious risks and long-term drawbacks:

• Invasiveness: Open surgeries often require cutting or removing bone, ligaments, and muscles, which results in postoperative instability, internal scar tissue, and sometimes the need for additional surgeries.
  
   
• High complication rates: For instance, the complication rate for cervical spinal fusion is 48%, including risks like hardware failure, infection, and nerve damage​.
  
   
• Permanent spinal changes: Spinal fusion eliminates motion in the treated segment and often leads to adjacent segment disease, where surrounding discs deteriorate faster due to compensatory stress.

Emerging non-invasive therapies like spinal decompression machines, cold laser therapy, and electric stimulation are often marketed as alternatives to surgery. While some patients find these modalities helpful for short-term symptom management, there is limited evidence of their long-term effectiveness.

The most effective non-invasive solution, according to peer-reviewed studies and patient outcomes, is Deuk Laser Disc Repair. This procedure:

• Requires only a 7mm skin incision for lumbar access
  
   
• Uses real-time endoscopic visualization for precision
  
   
• Removes only the inflamed, herniated disc tissue—no cutting of muscle, bone, or ligament
  
   
• Eliminates pain at the source by resolving the inflammation inside the disc
  
   
• Preserves full spinal motion and integrity

Deuk Spine Institute offers a Free MRI review to help determine if you're a candidate for these procedures. The review includes a virtual consultation with a Deuk Spine surgeon and is based on advanced diagnostic protocols developed by Dr. Ara Deukmedjian.