Living with a herniated disc Most people who have a herniated disc are better in about 4 weeks. Sometimes it takes longer. If you still have pain or numbness after 4 to 6 weeks, or if you feel worse, talk with your doctor. Sometimes it takes surgery to relieve pain.
Most disc bulges resolve in 6-8 weeks, but it can take longer depending on the size of the bulge (i.e. if the bulge is hitting the nerve behind it like described above).
The pressure that a bulging disc applies to your nerves can cause your nerves to misfire, especially if the area develops a pinched nerve. You can experience tingling, numbness, acute and chronic pain, and even nerve damage if your condition is left untreated.
A herniated disc injury may result in a designation of permanent disability and make you eligible for disability benefits from workers' compensation if: The herniation compromises a nerve root or the bundle of nerves that lead out from the spinal cord.
It can cause pain in the buttocks, legs, or back. It can also affect your ability to walk. Bulging discs usually affect multiple discs. This condition develops over time and can cause other disc degeneration-related issues, like lumbar stenosis (narrowing of spinal canal).
You can feel better while the original damage or weakness may remain. Or your disc can fully heal, it just takes time for the protruding material to be resorbed by your body. Factors like your age and the cause of the herniation come into play.
For symptoms that have lasted at least 6 weeks and that make it hard to do your normal activities, surgery is an option when other treatments haven't helped. Over the long term, surgery and non-surgical treatments work about the same to reduce pain and other symptoms.
Living with a herniated disc
Most people who have a herniated disc are better in about 4 weeks. Sometimes it takes longer. If you still have pain or numbness after 4 to 6 weeks, or if you feel worse, talk with your doctor. Sometimes it takes surgery to relieve pain.
In worst-case scenarios, patients can lose feeling in their nerves permanently. This normally leads to what is referred to as saddle anesthesia. It can also lead to loss of control over bowel movements and bladder. In cases where a herniated disc has been untreated for too long, this type of damage can be permanent.
If the repeated forward bending stress continues, or the improper body mechanics continue, very often the inner disc material will continue to push backwards, causing the disc bulge to worsen, to herniate, progressing into the spinal canal and towards the spinal cord.
While some people may think they need to stop exercising if they have a disc herniation, this is not the case! Exercise is recommended for people with a disc injury with the main goal of strengthening the muscles of the back to support the spine.
Surgeons usually perform diskectomy using general anesthesia, so you're not awake during the procedure. Ideally, just the piece of disk that's compressing the nerve is removed. However, small amounts of spinal bone and ligament might need to be removed to get to the herniated disk.
L4-L5 disc bulge, slipped disc, spondylosis, bone-spur, and joint pain is treatable without injections or surgery. Avoid the L4-L5 surgery by opting for our corrective non-surgical treatment to fix and repair spinal discs and joints.
While you should get some rest the first couple of days after your spine injury, lying in bed or staying sedentary all day will actually hinder healing. “We know fairly conclusively that inactivity can slow both the healing of the disc and the resolution of the inflammation that a herniation causes,” says Dr.
Though exercising can't necessarily heal a bulging disc, it can strengthen your back, increase spine stability, and help decrease stress on the disc.
Some common symptoms that come from bulging discs are pain and tingling throughout the entire upper body, muscle spasms, and lower back discomfort or pain. If you suffer with this condition, then a chiropractor may be able to fix a bulging disc and relieve your pain.
Is a microdiscectomy painful? Following surgery, most patients do well with a small amount of non-opioid pain medication and a drug that relaxes the muscles. While there is some discomfort associated with the surgical incision, many patients experience rapid relief of the pain caused by the herniated disc.
How long does it take for a herniated disc to heal without surgery? Typically, doctors expect to see improvement within approximately six weeks. If you have ongoing trouble standing or walking or experience loss of bowel or bladder control there is a possibility you may need surgery.
Most people with a slipped disc in the lumbar region of their spine (lower back) are offered “conservative” treatment, meaning that the treatment does not involve surgery. This mainly involves exercise, relaxation and positioning, painkillers or local anesthetics, and manual and physical therapy.
Recovery after lumbar decompression surgery will depend on your fitness and level of activity prior to surgery. This is why a course of physiotherapy before the operation may be recommended. You'll be encouraged to walk and move around the day after surgery and it's likely you'll be discharged 1 to 4 days afterwards.
Treatment with rest, pain medication, spinal injections, and physical therapy is the first step to recovery. Most people improve in 6 weeks and return to normal activity. If symptoms continue, surgery may be recommended.
Physiotherapy treatment for disc prolapses is very effective and aims to reduce pain, stiffness and muscle spasm, as well as sciatic leg pain. Once your disc prolapsed symptoms ahave been reduced your physiotherapist will help to improve your muscle strength and flexibility.
How long should bedrest be used when treating a slipped disc? For patients with neck pain radiating down the arm and a diagnosis of herniated disc, there is no need or indication for strict bed rest. Certainly, a day of two of taking it easy and staying in bed is fine but it should not be done for more than that.