I herniated two discs in my thoracic spine, between my shoulder blades, at work in January of 2012 and still deal with pain everyday. Some days are better than others but it is always there. I have since learned that thoracic herniations are a completely different animal compared to cervical or lumbar. Most times surgery isn't an option unless the herniation interferes with the part of the spinal cord that affects breathing or other bodily functions. The surgery is also extremely risky due to the fact that the disc has to be repaired from the front. It requires removing rib and entering behind your lung or entering through the chest wall which would be comparative to open heart surgery. I've done countless hours of physical therapy, epidurals, cold laser therapy and any other non surgical options you can imagine and still hurt every day.

If you have a healthy back be thankful and take care of it!