So are you struggling with a herniated disc that’s causing you a ton of grief? Are you
wondering does a herniated disc ever heal on its own, or am I going to need to see a
doctor, or even possibly have surgery?
Well, in this video, I’m going to help answer this big question and more.
Hey everyone, Dr. Rowe coming to you from SpineCare in St. Joseph, MI. As a chiropractor,
I see a lot of patients suffering from disc herniations.
When it comes to a herniated disc and its timetable on healing, it comes down to the
severity of the condition. A minor issue is (obviously) going to have a better and quicker
chance of healing than that of a very serious one.
So I’m going to start with more minor disc issues and work towards the severe ones, and
I’ll give you advice at each step.
On the severity scale of bad to terrible, a bulging disc is considered to be slight.
The best way to explain a bulging disc is to think of a nice jelly donut.
Spinal discs are like shock-absorbers in between the bones, or vertebrae, that make up the
spine. The center of the disc is called the nucleus pulposus (so that’s the jelly-like
center) and the tough, outer layer is called the annulus fibrosus (so that’s the donut’s
crust).⠀
When discs are put under stress, they can become compressed. Let’s think back to the
jelly donut. If you were to press your hand down on it, pressure builds up in the jelly
center and the compression causes the donut to flatten and bulge out. This is exactly
what happens to your spinal discs and how they will bulge out.
A large amount of bulging discs will not be severe enough to press onto a nearby nerve,
which would cause the classic “pinched nerve” that results in sharp, shooting pains (think
sciatica).
If you’re in this spot, with no shooting nerve pain, the prognosis is usually good.
A lot of back injuries are just minor, and if treated properly, are likely to repair
and heal quickly. On average, 50% of lower back pain episodes will resolve within two
weeks, and 80% by six weeks.
Correcting this problem is likely to require you to make changes and take part in activities
that will help reverse the conditions that caused the bulging disc in the first place.
Below are some of the things you can do to help:
Apply ice or heat. Ice helps to reduce inflammation in an area and dull the pain, and reduces
inflammation. It’s a good idea to do this within the first 48 hours of an injury. Once
the inflammation is reduced, switch to heat since it will sooth the muscles and get the
blood flowing to the injured area, which can promote healing.
Stretches and exercise. This is a time to focus on relieving compression in the discs
so they can heal. That can be done with at-home stretches. If you need some good examples,
I’ll leave a link in this video’s description to a video that gives some really simple,
effective stretches for the lower back or neck.
Getting extra sleep. Your body heals while it sleeps, so when you’re injured, getting
extra sleep can be a big help!
Avoid Overdoing it. Overuse of your body (and especially the affected area) can make the
problem worse. Likewise, reducing your use of the affected part of your body can make
the problem better. Let pain be your guide, if there’s a certain position or activity
that causes more pain or irritation, back off and try to avoid or limit doing it.
Stay active! Light activity is going to be key, such as walking to keep the muscles and
joints moving. Don’t think that bed rest will help it. Inactivity causes the muscles
to tighten up and become more stiff. That’s why being in a position for too long and having
to move isn’t the best feeling.
You can also speed up recovery by doing conservative treatments such as chiropractic adjustments,
physical therapy, and traction-based therapy like spinal decompression.
In the middle of the severity scale would be a disc protrusion. So back to our jelly
donut, that would be pressing so hard that the outer crust starts to crack and the jelly
starts to leak out.
This is commonly known as a ‘ruptured disc’ or ‘slipped disc’ since the disc pressure
is so great, it causes a tear in the annulus fibrosus (the outer layer) and material shoots
out and presses onto a nearby nerve.
This is where a pinched nerve occurs, and it’s not fun at all. The classic sign is
sharp, radiating pain. In the neck, they tend to shoot into the shoulders, arms, or hands.
In the lower back, it results in sciatica pain into the buttocks, legs, or feet.
At this point, you need to consult with your local chiropractor or doctor for a professional
opinion and possible treatment. Imaging, such as an MRI, is usually performed to gauge the
severity of the herniated disc, and its impact on nearby spinal nerves.
If you’ve been diagnosed with a herniated disc, and it was said to not require surgery,
then in most cases it’s going to require several weeks to heal.
It will require professional treatment, such as chiropractic or physical therapy, to recover.
I prefer traction-based treatments in my office, like spinal decompression therapy, since they
work great at relieving disc pressure and bringing bulging material off nerves. So look
into these.
Under proper care, the average amount of time to heal usually falls between 4 to 6 weeks,
depending on the severity of the herniation.
On the severe end of the scale, are disc extrusions. This is like pressing into the jelly donut
and having the jelly completely explode out of the crust to one side. It’s usually marked
by the spinal disc collapsing due to large amounts of compression and pressure. They’re
usually caused after experiencing significant accidents, falls, and injuries.
At this point, pain is so extreme it needs immediate medical attention. Depending on
the amount of material that’s pressing onto spinal nerves, symptoms such as tingling,
numbness, and muscle weakness in the extremities may occur.
At this point, surgery is a likely route, followed by a lengthy period of physical therapy.
Disc herniations that do require surgery will take a significant longer period of time to
fully recover. Additionally, it will take several months of rehabilitation, and it’s
going to be important to follow the recommendations of your doctor or healthcare provider. They
should be able to discuss with you the process of recovery, and how long it will take in
better detail. So I hope this video helped answer some questions
about disc herniations and their ability to heal. So If it did, please show us your support
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thanks for watching!