If you are experiencing the pain and weakness that comes from a herniated disc, you may wonder if you need surgery or if the symptoms will go away on their own. Keep reading to learn the surprising answer.
A herniated spinal disc may cause no symptoms, but it is more likely to impinge upon surrounding nerves, causing a great deal of pain that radiates from the nerve root into other parts of the body. From conventional to surgical, there are treatments available that repair the damage, relieve the symptoms, and get you back to your best self.
At Endoscopic & Minimally Invasive Spine Specialists, board-certified neurosurgeons Dr. Scott Glickman and Dr. Aaron Smith and our team understand how painful and limiting a herniated disc can be. That is why we offer numerous treatment options for our patients with disc problems. One question we get asked a lot, is if the problem will go away on its own. Here is a brief answer that we are happy to elaborate during your evaluation:
Background on your Backbone
The human adult has 33 bony vertebrae in the spine (7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, and 5 sacral), which forms the backbone. Nestled between each pair of vertebrae between C2 and S1 are spinal discs (total 24), which have a fibrous outer sheath (annulus fibrosus) and a gel-like interior (nucleus pulposus).
The discs’ function is threefold:
- to absorb the shock the spine endures from all types of movement
- to prevent the bones from grating against each other, and
- to permit you to twist and bend.
Discs may be strong, but they are not indestructible. Trauma to the spine can cause the annulus to rupture, permitting the inner material to squeeze out into the spinal canal, the area containing the spinal cord and cerebrospinal fluid. If the material presses against nerve roots inside the canal, the nerve responds by sending out pain signals, as well as by causing weakness and/or numbness in the extremity it serves.
Herniated Disc Symptoms
Herniated discs can happen anywhere along the spinal column, but they are most common in the lumbar (lower back) and cervical (neck) regions. That is because these regions experience the most movement, and they sustain the greatest amount of wear-and-tear damage as a result.
The best-known symptom of a herniated disc is pain, which can be mild and intermittent or severe and unrelenting. You usually feel it on just one side of the body, and it often radiates (travels) into an arm or leg along the nerve’s path.
A common example of radicular pain is sciatica. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body, starting in your lumbar spine and traveling through your buttocks and down the outside of your leg. If the L4-L5 disc herniates, it impinges on either the L4 or possibly L5 nerve, sending pain all the way down into your ankle or foot.
Other symptoms you may experience with a herniated disc include:
- Sudden pain with a cough or sneeze
- Inability to stay in one position for long
- Muscle weakness
- Numbness and/or tingling/burning sensations
- Balance issues from altered gait
- Limping from weakness and pain
- Poor posture
Each person has their own combination of symptoms, and some of these symptoms may be caused by other problems, which is why it is important to get an accurate diagnosis before starting treatment.
Will My Herniated Disc Go Away on its Own?
It’s entirely possible that, with rest, time, and non-operative treatments, your herniated disc will heal on its own. Or it may persist or worsen in both symptom intensity and extent, that may become permanent or recoverable. That is why it is so important to address early.
Here at Endoscopic & Minimally Invasive Spine Specialists, we prefer to start with non-operative treatments, which may include:
- Over the counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatories
- Corticosteroids and epidural injections
- Muscle relaxers
- Physical therapy
We also advocate lifestyle changes, including:
- Losing excess weight, which compresses spine
- Quitting smoking, which is a major risk for disc degeneration
- Doing low-impact exercise to prevent muscle weakness and atrophy
- Performing core exercises to strengthen the abdomen and lower back
In a small percentage of cases, non-operative treatments fail or may need to be bypassed due to symptom severity. In these cases, our surgeons may recommend surgery, such as microdiscectomy to relieve the pain and pressure. This minimally invasive or endoscopic procedure removes the disc material impinging on the nerve root, immediately relieving pressure and eliminating pain.
Usually, we only remove a small portion of your disc; however, if the entire body is torn, we may need to remove more or nearly the entire disc. In such a case, we discuss the appropriate next steps with you, including simultaneous spinal fusion or artificial disc replacement, tailoring the treatment plan to your own unique needs.
If you are suffering from the pain and weakness of a herniated disc, the best thing you can do is to come to Endoscopic & Minimally Invasive Spine Specialists for an evaluation with Dr. Glickman or Dr. Smith. Call our office at 813-505-8485, or book an appointment on-line at www.EndoscopicSpineFL.com.
