People often ask if a disc herniation can 'heal' by itself or disappear. What’s important to know, is that there are measures to reduce the pain and other symptoms of this condition.
When someone is diagnosed with the spinal injury known as a disc herniation, they often want to know if it’s possible that the disc herniation will just go away on its own.
The answer is, 'it depends'. It can happen, but this is not usually the case. And even in the cases where it can happen, it takes time, and if no action is taken, the problems caused by disc degeneration can continue.
Before we consider the possible treatments for this condition, it is first necessary to understand what a disc herniation involves and why they occur.
What is a disc herniation?
A disc herniation occurs when a degenerated or damaged intervertebral disc ruptures and its inner contents escape beyond the limits of the disc.
In most cases, we are talking about the nucleus pulposus (the innermost, softest part of the disc) escaping the limits of the fibrous outer ring (annulus fibrosus).
A herniated disc can appear in any level of the spine, with lumbar disc herniations and cervical disc herniations being the most common.
Symptoms of a disc herniation
A disc herniation in the lumbar or cervical spine might not cause any symptoms, or, it might only cause low back pain or neck pain (localized, non-radiating pain). However, if the herniation is in an area that presses against the spinal nerve roots, this pressure on the nerves can cause the symptoms to radiate to the arms or legs, causing a loss of sensation, or, in the most severe case, even loss of strength in the muscle groups of the limb(s).
What causes a disc herniation?
A disc herniation can be caused by various things, including genetic predisposition, accident, or injury.
However, lifestyle and habits often have a key part in making disc herniations more likely.
For example, leading a sedentary lifestyle, performing physically demanding labor, being overweight, smoking, and poor posture can all contribute to the likelihood of suffering a disc herniation.
When is it possible that a disc hernia will just disappear or get better on its own?
There are some specific cases in which a herniated disc can disappear or 'heal' on its own. It depends on the type of disc herniation. A “sequestered” disc (in which a fragment of disc material becomes separated from its original disc), which has a high possibility of reabsorption, is very different from a disc protrusion or bulging disc (herniation contained within the disc), in which case the chances of reabsorption are slim.
In other cases, although the herniation may not physically “disappear,” the symptoms can be greatly reduced or even disappear with conservative treatments and with making the necessary lifestyle changes.
To be clear, then, just because the symptoms improve, does NOT mean that the herniation is reabsorbed, and vice versa.
Partial or complete reabsorption of disc tissue
There are times when the hernia may decrease in size or even disappear. This is because sometimes the body can reabsorb part of the nucleus pulposus that has left the disc.
When this happens, it reduces pressure on the nerves and there is a corresponding improvement in symptoms.
Even so, this process can take a long time. In addition, the patient may continue to suffer discomfort, and without treatment, they may suffer new disc herniations.
Here is a list, in descending order of frequency, of the situations in which it is most likely that a herniation will resolve on its own:
- Disc sequestration (complete separation of disc material from the herniated disc): Around 43% to 90% chance of complete or partial resorption, respectively
- Disc extrusion (partial separation of disc material with rupture of the fibrous ring of the disc): with a 15% to 70% chance, respectively, of complete or partial reabsorption.
- Disc protrusion (herniation contained within the annulus fibrosus): Reabsorption of around 40% and, in most cases, only partially.
- Bulging disc (distension of the annulus fibrosus): Reabsorption can occur in about 10% of cases, and even then, very partially.
It is important to note that, depending on the severity of the symptoms, many times it is not advisable to wait for the reabsorption of the disc contents. This is particularly true when the pain is very intense and does not improve with conservative treatment, or when there are neurological impacts (especially loss of strength in the limbs), or when nerve structures (such as the spinal cord) could be compromised. These are factors that may indicate the need to move swiftly to more invasive procedures, because not doing so would risk leaving the patient with a disability or permanent sequelae that could not be corrected, even with surgery, if the treatment is delayed.
Instituto Clavel, specialists in treatment of disc herniations
At Instituto Clavel, our team of neurosurgeons, traumatologists and orthopedic surgeons has extensive experience in treatment and surgery for herniated discs.
In addition, we work hand-in-hand with our own physiotherapy center, IC Rehabilitation, with a multidisciplinary force of physical therapists, osteopaths, and personal trainers.
We are proud to provide all these resources to care for the health of our patients' backs, to help them find relief from pain, and enjoy a better quality of life.
If you have more questions about treatment for disc herniations, we encourage you to contact us and make an appointment with our expert doctors.
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Dr. Iván Zabaleta Carvajal
Neuroseon
Specialist in minimally invasive approaches to the spine, surgery for tumors of the brain and skull, hydrocephalus and chiari malformation.
Categories: Prevention, Back pain