How is thoracic disc herniation treated?

All discs are created equal, but not all herniations. A vertebral disc is made up of two primary layers, the inner layer called the nucleus pulposus, and an outer layer called the annulus fibrosus. A popular metaphor used to describe a vertebral disc is that of a jelly doughnut. The outer shell of the doughnut would be the annulus, and the inner "goo" would be considered the nucleus. Trauma to the spine, either direct or through repetitive stress (wear and tear), can cause pressure on the doughnut which squeezes the jelly. The jelly may just push on the outer wall of the doughnut, or be squeezed out. If your symptoms are mild to moderate, then conservative treatment with physical therapy, massage and chiropractic may be all you need. If they are more severe, causing you a lot of pain and making it difficult for you to move, then you may benefit from a series of steroid injections to the problematic area. Surgery is a last resort, and should be reserved for patients in extreme pain who have tried conservative methods for at least three months.