Treatment options for herniated disks run the gamut from noninvasive measures – a short rest period, anti-inflammatory medications, hot and cold packs, massage, core strengthening exercises and physical therapy – to epidural injections, and less often, surgical intervention in the form of a microdiscectomy. This latter option, which is followed with physical rehabilitation, is a minimally invasive spinal decompression procedure where a portion of the disk is removed to eliminate pressure on the nerve root. Typically, lumbar and cervical herniated disks can be effectively treated via non-surgical means, allowing players to get back on the field before long. But when significant pain persists following conservative treatments, a microdiscectomy may be considered.