Discography

Lumbar Provocative Discography

Also known as a discogram, a discography is an invasive diagnostic procedure for evaluation for intervertebral disc pathology. It is usually reserved for persons with persistent, severe low back pain (LBP) who have abnormal spaces between vertebrae on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where other diagnostic tests have failed to reveal clear confirmation of a suspected disc as the source of pain, and surgical intervention is being considered.

Orthopedic Doctor at Shreya Hospital might recommend you for a discogram. This is a test to determine if back or neck pain is being caused by a weakened, damaged or displaced disk. Disks are cushionlike pads made up of cartilage and a jellylike substance. They act as shock absorbers between the bones in the spine.

Procedure

During this procedure, Specialist  will inject small amounts of a sterilized material into the center of the disc to pressurize the disc. This injection is guided by a fluoroscopy machine. Once the disc has been pressurized, pictures are taken with the fluoroscopy unit and the needles are removed. In most cases, a post-discogram CT is obtained to document the internal architecture of the disc. Using this advanced procedure, we are able to accurately diagnose the cause of back pain so we can recommend an appropriate treatment plan.