What are the consequences of not treating a herniated disc? Herniated discs are serious health problems. Because you're dealing with a spinal injury, you could be at risk for permanent paralysis or long-term chronic pain if you leave your herniated disc untreated.
Untreated herniated discs with symptoms can become more painful and debilitating as time goes on. You may also experience bladder and bowel dysfunction and saddle anesthesia, so-called because it affects the areas on your body that would touch a saddle if you were sitting on a horse.
Herniated discs are more likely to occur in your neck or lower back, and most of them heal without surgery in six to eight weeks. A herniated disc is when the outer covering of a disc is damaged, and the tear allows the disc's inner material to poke out, or herniate, irritating nerves and other surrounding soft tissue.
For up to 90% of people, herniated disk pain gets better on its own or with simple medical care. You'll probably feel better within a month. If you don't, you should see your healthcare provider. Some people need more aggressive medical measures, such as spinal injections or surgery.
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.
If you still have pain or numbness after four to six weeks, or if your problem gets worse, talk with your doctor. Sometimes it takes surgery to relieve pain. If you have trouble going to the bathroom or have weight loss, pain at night, or more pain or weakness than usual in backbone, tell your doctor right away.
Once a healthy disc herniates, it will never return to its normal anatomical state—the disease or injury is permanent in nature.
Herniated discs are a common cause of disability, and many patients are recommended for surgery as their first course of action to rid them of their pain. However, nearly 90% of patients with disc herniations don't require surgery.
According to Spine Universe, chiropractic care is a non-surgical option for herniated disc treatment. This makes choosing a chiropractor to address problems with a herniated disc a viable option if you want to avoid undergoing any surgical procedures.
Living with a herniated disc
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. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms: Trouble going to the bathroom.
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.
Stage 2: Disc Prolapse – The position of the disc will change over time, causing a sharp violation of its outer layer by the inner nucleus pulposus layer but not a complete tear. These are also called bulges and will put pressure along the spinal canal and its pain, tingling, and numbing symptoms.
A L4–L5 disc bulge (or slip-disc) in the L4-L5 region can cause severe health issues such as impotence and reproduction issues. It can also lead to infertility, loss or control of the bowel or bladder, paralysis in one or both of your legs, and even death.
Nerve injury and paralysis
Some patients who have lumbar decompression surgery will develop new numbness or weakness in one or both legs as a result of the operation. Paralysis is an uncommon, but serious, complication that can occur as a result of lumbar decompression surgery.
Nearly 80 percent of our spine patients are able to recover with nonsurgical treatment. But when physical therapy, medications, and spinal injections fail to relieve neck or back pain, we help patients with surgery. We treat more than 2,250 patients with herniated lumbar disc problems each year.
Pain that radiates below the knee is a red flag for a herniated disc or nerve root compression below the L3 nerve root. This is based on the dermatomal distribution of the nerve roots and the fact that the pain associated with inflammation radiates along the entire pathway of the nerve.
Electromyogram. If you feel pain radiating into your arms or legs, or weakness, tingling, or numbness, an electromyogram (EMG) can reveal whether nerves are being pinched as a result of a herniated disc. An EMG measures the electrical impulses transmitted along nerves, nerve roots, and muscle tissue.
Herniated Disc Work Restrictions
A herniated disc can cause severe pain, making walking impossible. This can cause muscle weakness and reduced motor function, impacting walking. If you have a herniated disc, you would not be able to do a variety of different job tasks.
In nearly all cases, surgeons can remove just the protruding portion of the disk. Rarely, the entire disk must be removed. In these cases, the vertebrae might need to be fused with a bone graft. To allow the process of bone fusion, which takes months, metal hardware is placed in the spine to provide spinal stability.
Massaging these muscles can restore proper balance and symmetry to the posture, which can allow the bulging disc to migrate back to its normal position in the spinal column. The pressure against the spinal nerves often subsides, and very likely, the pain associated with it to goes away.
Bulging and Herniated Discs Explained
"A bulging disc is like letting air out of a car tire. The disc sags and looks like it is bulging outward. With a herniated disc, the outer covering of the disc has a hole or tear. This causes the nucleus pulposus (jelly-like center of the disc) to leak into the spinal canal."
Herniated disks are also called ruptured disks or slipped disks, although the whole disk does not rupture or slip. Only the small area of the crack is affected. Compared with a bulging disk, a herniated disk is more likely to cause pain because it generally protrudes farther and is more likely to irritate nerve roots.