A herniated disc can worsen from poor sitting habits, such as slouching or sitting uninterrupted for hours. It is vital to adopt different strategies to manage a herniated disc and improve daily life. Sitting creates the highest compressive force, making it critical to use the proper posture to alleviate pain.
The pain from a herniated disc usually is worse when you are active and gets better when you are resting. 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.
Keep your back flat against your chair, and also keep your shoulders tall with your head level over your spine. Keep your knees at the same level as your hips—or sit with your knees slightly above your hips if you are sitting at a desk. Keep your feet flat on the floor.
Sitting is not really the preferred position when you have a herniated lumbar disc. Most physical therapists will recommend standing up, moving around or lying down over sitting.
First, when you lie down, the pressure on your discs increases. It can cause the herniated disc to bulge more and pressure your nerves.
The average amount of time it takes for a herniated disk to heal is four to six weeks, but it can get better within a few days depending on how severe the herniation was and where it occurred. The biggest factor in healing a herniated disk is time, because most often it will resolve on its own.
Signs Your Herniated Disc is Healing
However, the first symptom that will reveal that you are on the way to healing is that the sharp, shooting pain in your legs or arms will go away, followed by some muscle weakness in that nerve path. However, if you have numbness, it might take longer to heal.
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.
Most of the time, pain associated with a herniated disc goes away on its own over a period of weeks or months and does not cause permanent damage to the spine or nerves. A herniated disc can occur in any part of the spine, but it is most common in the lower back (the lumbar spine) and the neck (the cervical spine).
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.
Why Do Herniated Discs Take So Long to Heal? “Discs in adults typically have poor blood supply,” Dr. Sokunbi notes, “and sometimes don't have the ability to heal completely.” Most often, herniated discs in healthy patients heal quickly.
Stretching should be done carefully. It's important also to do the right types of stretches since some types actually make your disc herniation worse. Before beginning any exercise routine, it's always a good idea to consult with your pain management physician.
Self care: In most cases, the pain from a herniated disc will get better within a couple days and completely resolve in 4 to 6 weeks. Restricting your activity, ice/heat therapy, and taking over the counter medications will help your recovery.
Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut answer as to whether your disc herniation will fully heal. With treatment, a disc herniation can dry up, shrink or go away. Your body may have an autoimmune response and aid in healing the herniation.
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.
Sometimes, the nerves are actually damaged by the pressure from the disc herniation and may not recover completely. You may also develop scar tissue around the nerves weeks after the operation that causes pain similar to what you had before the operation.
For some, a herniated disc can heal on its own with plenty of rest and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories. But many people find their pain only gets worse as the disc breaks down even further. You may eventually become limited in what physical activities you can do and find that your pain becomes persistent.
He explains that it's best to be up about as much as possible; complete bed rest for a herniated disc is not recommended. Many patients with a slipped disc find that sleeping in a recliner chair is most comfortable.
Living with a herniated disc
Your chances of getting better are good. 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.
The good news is that in most cases — 90% of the time — pain caused by a herniated disc will go away on its own within six months. Initially, your doctor will likely recommend that you take an over-the-counter pain reliever and limit activities that cause pain or discomfort.