A herniated disc is quite painful, and movement further makes it worse. Anyone who has experienced it knows how frustrating it is to wait for it to heal. You can be fine one minute, and the next, a sharp pain shoots through your body as you bend, plaguing your back or neck. So, what does a herniated disk exactly entail, and read to know the signs herniated disc on neck.
What Is A Herniated Disc?
To understand what is a herniated disc, let’s first understand the structure of your spine. The spine has 24 disks that start at the top, called the cervical spine, and go all the way down to the lumbar spine.
These discs absorb any kind of shock when you move. It is also due to these disks that the spine moves and bends. The outside of the disc is called the annulus fibrosis, while inside, it has a jelly-like substance known as the nucleus pulposus.
So, you have a herniated disc when the nucleus pulposus pushes out of the outside covering and touches a nerve. When this happens, you experience immense pain in your back that can travel up to your neck.
What Causes A Herniated Disk?
There are several reasons that can cause a herniated disk. However, the most common are age factors, pressure, movement, or injury. It could just be your plain bad luck that leads to it. Some people can suffer from it by something as simple as bending, while others get in an accident and have a herniated disk as a result. The pain from a herniated disk is sudden, so most people know the real cause of it.
In some cases, it can also be because of genetics, disc degeneration, or a combination of both. Herniation can also occur due to playing sports or weight lifting.
Symptoms of a Herniated Disk
The level of the herniated disk and what nerve it pinches determines the various symptoms you might witness. You will feel pain in a certain part of your body when the herniation presses on the spinal cord or a nerve.
A nerve that’s pinched is called radiculopathy and causes numbness, shooting pain, or wakens. Depending on what nerve in your body is pinched, you will feel pain in different parts.
A herniated disc in your lumbar pain will cause pain in your legs and over and down the hips. If any nerve in your cervical spine is pinched due to the herniated disc, it will cause weakness or arm pain that travels down the upper back and shoulders.
It can be more serious if the herniated disc affects your spinal cord. You can experience loss of control or sensation in certain parts of the body.
also read: How can a herniated disc heal
Treatment for a herniated disk
There are a few options to treat a herniated disk. These include the following:
- Physical therapy
- Stretches
- Icing and rest
- Over-the-counter medication
- Steroids
- Epidural Injection(click to know how much does epidural injection cost)
Surgery is also a treatment option in some cases, but there are prerequisites. For the surgery, the person should have pain that is persistent for at least six weeks. Other prerequisites involve passing the physical examination and an acceptable medical history. Your physician may also ask you about the intensity of the pain and how badly it affects the quality of your life. Surgery for the spine is very serious and needs to be weighed accordingly.
How Long Does It Take To Heal?
On average, it takes anywhere between four to six weeks for someone to heal from a herniated disc. However, the healing time may vary for each person and depends on the nature of the symptoms and the extent of the injury.
Healing can last anywhere between a few days to months. It also depends on other factors such as age, activity level, and health. Sometimes, it can resolve on its own as well as time passes. However, it is advisable to always seek consultation from a specialist and follow their advice. They may recommend a full-body CT scan to reach the root cause of the problem and suggest the right treatment.
Signs Your Herniated Disc is Healing
There are several signs of a healed herniated disk. 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.
Some people experience immense pain in the neck and back due to muscle spasms. These spasms occur to protect the body from further damage. During the first few days of injury, the muscle spasms also relax, leaving you somewhat relieved.
What to Expect During Healing
Naturally, you will feel discomfort experiencing the pain from a herniated sic. However, your doctor will prescribe muscle relaxants or an anti-inflammatory pain reliever to help ease the pain. You may also require to see a physical therapist who will work with you to loosen tight muscles, relieve the pressure on nerves and improve circulation.
If you have serious pain, it is advisable to rest for the first few days after the injury. However, specialists often discourage complete bed rest, which can cause muscle stiffness.
Why Does Healing Take So Long
A herniated disc can take longer to heal due to several factors. First of all, adults can have a poor blood supply that causes a delay in healing, or sometimes their body lacks the ability for complete healing. In healthy patients, a herniated disc does not take too long to heal.
Moreover, if someone is suffering from radiculopathy- in which shooting pain radiates to the arms or legs through a nerve- then that can take longer to become better. In any case, you should not lose hope and follow your doctor’s advice.
Ignoring the precautions they give you can lead to bigger health problems, which you should avoid at all costs. An injury to the spine can get very serious, and you can lose your ability to move. So, always ensure that you follow the doctor’s advice and give your body the time to heal completely.
Tips to Heal Faster
While each person has a different timeframe for healing, some actions can help speed up the recovery period. These include:
- Getting a diagnosis as early as possible
- Going to physical therapy
- Having a healthy diet
- Getting enough sleep
- Staying hydrated
Age also plays a significant role in healing, as younger patients tend to recover faster than older ones.
What Can Slow the Healing Process?
While your body needs to rest the first couple of days, extending the rest too long can have the opposite effect. Make sure you are not staying sedentary or lying in bed all day, as it can hinder recovery.
Inactivity will not resolve the inflammation, and you should be mindful not to overdo things. If you think you have slightly recovered but not fully, then you should still avoid undertaking any task that puts excessive strain on your spine. For instance, avoid moving heavy boxes and seek someone’s help instead.
Other people for whom recovery from a herniated disc can be slow include those with certain health issues, such as diabetes, or people who smoke.
Timeline to Recover From a Herniated Disk
You can expect yourself or your loved one to recover from your daily routine and other activities within a general timeline. However, it could be different for everyone depending on age and other factors.
Regular Activity
People with a herniated disk can expect to recover to day-to-day activities and regular functioning within a few days. Doctors normally suggest that patients start their daily routine as soon as they start feeling comfortable.
The body needs gentle motion, and it actually helps stabilize the spine and increases blood flow to the affected area.
Light Exercise
Patients can expect to resume light exercise within a couple of weeks as they feel the pain has minimized. You can begin brisk walking or swimming after two to four weeks of the injury.
Intense Exercise
If you do intense workouts, you can expect to return after eight to twelve weeks of the injury. Make sure your pain has resolved by this time, and you are completely comfortable.
Conclusion
A herniated disc is quite common than you think. It can happen after something as simple as bending, but the good news is you will recover in a few days. You can recover quickly if you follow your doctor’s instructions.
If they have asked you for diagnostic imaging scans, you can visit us for an open MRI in NJ, and we will facilitate you accordingly. A herniated disc is very painful, but with a timely diagnosis and the right treatment plan, you can be fit and healthy in no time.