Problem:
A 52-year-old woman presents for a follow-up visit. A history of present illness reveals that she was treated with antiviral medications for shooting and burning pain in her left hemithorax 4 months ago. The pain has worsened over the past 2 weeks. Her medical history includes type 2 diabetes, treated with metformin and sitagliptin. Her BMI is 36 kg/m2. On physical examination, she has mild paraspinal tenderness, normal patellar reflexes, normal muscle strength in her lower extremities, and a normal gait exam. A thoracolumbar MRI shows a thoracic disk herniation at the T7-T8 interspace. What is the next best step in management? Looking for Assignment Help?
A. Physical therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs B. Thoracic laminectomy C. Transthoracic discectomy D. Posterior approach discectomy