Often you can relieve a herniated disk with rest, pain relievers, and physical therapy. But if your symptoms don't get better after a few months, surgery may be an option. It can improve your pain faster than other treatments, but it can have side effects.
According to research cited by Harvard Health, about 10 percent of patients with herniated disc issues require surgery after six weeks. Similar research suggests that 90 percent of the time, surgery is not necessary for a herniated disc.
Your doctor might recommend surgery as an option for your herniated disc if: Your symptoms have lasted at least 6 weeks and make it hard to do your normal activities, and other treatments haven't helped. You need to get better quickly because of your job or to get back to your other activities as soon as possible.
The good news is that the vast majority of herniated discs can be treated without surgery using manual therapy and exercise or with IDD Therapy disc treatment. It is only a small percentage of cases which go on to have surgery.
Fortunately, only a small number of patients with a bulging disc need surgery. However, surgery may be necessary if the patient experiences: Severe pain that makes it difficult to maintain a reasonable level of normal activity. Progressive neurological symptoms, such as worsening leg weakness or numbness.
Most (80-90%) cases involving bulging or herniated discs will heal within 2-4 months. This of course depends on the severity of the injury, as well as your age and overall health. An important difference is that a herniated disc is a permanent injury that usually results in chronic, recurring pain.
If a bulging disc is untreated, the symptoms will become worse as the constant pressure on the nerve intensifies the sensations. This can also cause issues with walking, and even while holding objects, as the pressure impedes the ability of the nerves to transmit information properly.
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.
Disc bulges are not permanent. The disc is a fluid filled structure and therefore has the capacity to heal, resolve and be re-absorbed.
Herniated Disk (Slipped, Ruptured or Bulging Disk) A herniated disk is also known as a slipped, ruptured or bulging disk. It's one of the most common causes of neck, back and leg pain. Most of the time, herniated disks heal on their own or with simple home-care measures.
Seek emergency medical attention if you have: Worsening symptoms. Pain, numbness or weakness can increase to the point that they hamper your daily activities. Bladder or bowel dysfunction.
Do disc bulges get worse over time? Unfortunately if disc bulges are left untreated, and if the abnormal spinal stresses that caused them continue, they will often worsen over time. For the disc bulge or herniated disc to have any possibility of recovery, the instigating stress must be minimized.
Most people recover from a slipped disc within six weeks without treatment. Until then there are a number of treatment options that aim to help relieve the pain and improve mobility.
Recovery process and timeline
Typically, most people can go home 24 hours after a herniated disc operation. Some may even be able to go home the same day.
How long do these disc herniations take to heal? 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).
Coughing, sneezing, sitting, driving, and bending forward may make the pain worse. The pain gets worse when you make these movements because there is more pressure on the nerve. People with painful herniated discs often try to change positions to reduce the pain.
Skip movements that involve significant axial loading on the lower back, such as squats and leg presses. Avoid toe-touches, sit-ups, and yoga poses that worsen the pain and lead to significant bending of the back.
Yes! Chiropractic care is the preferred treatment method for many patients suffering from a bulging disc. It is non-invasive and does not require drugs or injections of any kind. Chiropractic can help provide you with improved mobility, decreased pain, and overall better quality of life.
Discs that become herniated usually are in an early stage of degeneration. The spinal canal has limited space, which is inadequate for the spinal nerve and the displaced herniated disc fragment. Due to this displacement, the disc presses on spinal nerves, often producing pain, which may be severe.
“Many people who have pain from a bulging disc will get pain relief with a few days of rest and some anti-inflammatories. Traction, physical therapy, and epidural steroid injections can be beneficial as well.”
How does Physiotherapy help with bulged discs? Physiotherapy can be very effective in relieving the pain and other symptoms associated with herniated discs. Techniques such as neural gliding, joint mobilisation and dry needling are all known to be effective in treating this condition.
Disks show signs of wear and tear with age. Over time, disks dehydrate and their cartilage stiffens. These changes can cause the outer layer of the disk to bulge out fairly evenly all the way around its circumference — so it looks a little like a hamburger that's too big for its bun.
Evidence of a bulging disc may range from mild tingling and numbness to moderate or severe pain, depending on the severity. In most cases, when a bulging disc has reached this stage it is near or at herniation. Tingling or pain in the fingers, hands, arms, neck or shoulders.