Herniated discs how long to heal

Keep your back straight while lifting heavy objects, using knees and hips instead. Avoid repetitive bending or reaching. Also, keep focus on good posture with standing or sitting.

There are special exercises and stretches, which help relieve the pain associated with a herniated disc. Our physical therapists can train you on performing these exercises properly to reduce the pressure on the disc and reduce pressure on the spine associated with poor mobility. As your spinal muscles become stronger, the pressure on the disc should lessen, causing the pain to ease. In most cases, seeing a physical therapist relieves the pain associated with a herniated disc and trains your body on prevention of back and neck pain in the future.

When the pain from a herniated disc is only moderate, an over-the-counter OTC pain medication can help relieve inflammation and improve pain. These nerve roots will become the nerves that supply sensation and movement to the limbs and the rest of our bodies. The most significant version of this injury occurs when the inner disc material actually escapes from the outer layer annulus of the disc.

If you sustain an injury to the annulus of your disc, the nucleus can push on the weakened area and protrude outwards.

This is called a disc bulge. When the nucleus actually leaves the annulus, this is called a herniated disc. This will probably surprise you, but — it is possible to have a herniated disc and know nothing about it! A lot of the time, a disc bulge or herniated disc can be completely pain free. However, if this herniated disc touches on one of the nerve roots that we spoke about earlier, you can develop the symptoms of sciatica.

Usually, when you get a herniated disc, the symptoms of your sciatica will reflect the particular nerve root within the spine that the disc bulge is irritating. Note that this does not necessarily mean that you will get your symptoms at the exact level of the herniated disc… Let me explain. This means that you may get symptoms reflecting an irritation of the S1 nerve root just below the base of the spine due to the inner disc material having traveled south within your back.

It is also possible that the inflammation that appears in our spine when we suffer a disc injury irritate the nerves above and below the injury too. The presence of these inflammatory chemicals is likely to increase the time it takes your herniated disc to heal. You can check out his course and get lifetime access to the videos and bonus content by clicking HERE. Often, there is a pre-existing weakness in the annulus of one of your discs, caused by repetitive micro-trauma over time through repeated actions and just living your day-to-day life.

This can then lead to a disc bulge and then a herniation over a period of time. Sometimes, an explicit event can cause your disc herniation when the spine is moved in such a way as to cause a sudden increase in the pressure within one of your discs , causing a tear to occur in the outer disc. This is often the case in car accidents, or during poor lifting techniques e.

There also may be genetic factors to explain why you are suffering from a disc herniation and the associated symptoms of sciatica. This is because some people are born with less fibers in the annulus of their disc. This predisposes their discs to weakness, and makes a disc injury or bulge through repetitive strain more likely.

Factors such as diet see here , lifestyle see here and stress see here are all much bigger factors in our recovery. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and some people remain in pain past the 12 week mark. If this sounds like you, make sure you are doing everything you can to maximize the chances of your body recovering naturally from the herniated disc. The inner disc material is able to return to the nucleus within the disc over time.

It is worth noting that, during the healing process, the herniated disc is quite vulnerable to a re-injury for up to 6 weeks.

However, this sense of vulnerability can remain for quite some time after. A large part of the reason for this is due to subconscious fear of a re-injury.

Some people with a herniated disc will require surgery if their disc is not healing for any number of reasons. Most of the surgeries involve taking away some of the disc or a piece of bone within the spine to allow the affected nerve root to move, glide and send messages more freely. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

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Preventing preeclampsia may be as simple as taking an aspirin. But being overweight often also means being in poor physical condition, with weaker muscles and less flexibility. These can lead to low back pain. When To Call Call or other emergency services immediately if: An injury causes numbness or weakness in one or both legs. Call your doctor now if: You have a new loss of bowel or bladder control.

Leg pain is accompanied by persistent weakness, tingling, or numbness in any part of the leg from the buttock to the ankle or foot. Leg pain or intermittent weakness, tingling, or numbness lasts longer than 1 week despite home treatment. You have back pain that either won't go away or builds in intensity over a few weeks.

A back injury is work-related, and symptoms don't improve in 2 to 3 days. Back pain is accompanied by pain during urination or blood in the urine. You have back pain that is worse when you are resting than when you are active. You notice a gradual increase in problems with bowel or bladder control. Watchful waiting Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach.

If you have pain, numbness, or tingling in one leg that gets worse with sitting, standing, or walking without any obvious leg weakness : You may try a brief period of bed rest—usually no more than 1 to 2 days—then gradually begin activities if the pain is manageable.

Take short walks. Avoid movements and positions that increase pain or numbness. Who to see For diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of a herniated disc, you may see: A family medicine doctor.

An internist. A chiropractor. A physical therapist. A physiatrist a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation. A rheumatologist. A neurologist. For diagnosis and surgical treatment of a herniated disc, specialists include: A neurosurgeon. An orthopedic surgeon. Exams and Tests Your doctor will do a medical history and physical exam.

Other tests Other tests, such as blood tests, may be done to rule out other conditions. The following tests aren't used as often as an MRI or a CT scan, but they may give your doctor more information: An electromyogram and nerve conduction test may be done in some cases for people who have signs of prolonged pressure on a nerve root. Discography can help diagnose disc problems but is rarely used.

A nerve block may show which nerve is causing a problem. Treatment Overview Your doctor may recommend a short period of rest or reduced activity followed by a gradual increase in activity. So most of the time nonsurgical treatment is tried first, including: Heat or ice, exercise, and other steps at home to help with pain and make your back stronger.

For more information, see Home Treatment. Physical therapy. For more information, see Other Treatment. Pain medicine. For more information, see Medications.

Prevention To help prevent low back pain or a herniated disc: Stay at a healthy body weight. Exercise regularly. Quit smoking. Nicotine can harm the discs in your back, because it lowers the ability of the discs to absorb the nutrients they need to stay healthy.

And it may cause them to become dry and brittle. Use proper lifting techniques. Think about your posture. Slumping or slouching alone may not cause low back pain. But after the back has been strained or injured, bad posture can make pain worse. Use good posture while standing or walking. Protect your back while sitting. Try putting a small pillow or rolled towel between your back and the chair.

Keep your back in the neutral position while sleeping. Place a pillow between your knees when sleeping on your side. Self-Care To reduce pain The following steps may help to reduce pain: Relax. Find a comfortable position for rest. You might prefer lying on the floor or a medium-firm bed with a small pillow under your head and another under your knees.

Or you can try lying on your side with a pillow between your knees. Don't stay in one position for too long. Take a short walk 10 to 20 minutes on a level surface no slopes, hills, or stairs every 2 to 3 hours.

Walk only distances you can manage without pain, especially leg pain. Take pain medicine if needed. These medicines usually work best if you take them on a regular schedule instead of waiting until the pain gets worse.

Try heat or ice. There is not strong evidence that either heat or ice will help, but you can try them to see if they help you. You may also want to try switching between heat and cold.

You can try: A heating pad on a low or medium setting for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours. A warm shower in place of one session with the heating pad. Single-use heat wraps that last up to 8 hours. An ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes every 2 to 3 hours. You can use an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a thin towel.

To strengthen your back Keep active and do exercises, as recommended by your doctor or physical therapist, to help you return to your usual level of activity. Fitness: Increasing Core Stability.

Medicines Although medicine doesn't cure a herniated disc, it may reduce inflammation and pain and allow you to begin an exercise program that can strengthen your stomach and back muscles. Muscle relaxants. Surgery Surgery is considered if the following conditions are present: You have leg pain that hasn't improved with at least 6 weeks of nonsurgical treatment, and your symptoms are bad enough to interfere with normal activities and work and to require strong pain medicine.