“Can my herniated disc heal? I heard my herniation is really big! I’m scared to do anything because of my disc herniation.” We hear this all the time from our members, and we’re here to explain some of the most recent research regarding disc herniations, because knowledge is power and understanding the mechanics behind your herniated disk will change your entire outlook on your lower back pain and injury trajectory.
Lumbar disc herniation (commonly known as a slipped, bulging, or ruptured disk) is a major contributor to lower back pain. There are varying levels of disc herniation, resulting in differing levels of symptoms. The four types of disc herniation include a disc bulge, disc protrusion, disc extrusion, and disc sequestration and they refer to how much the inner gelatinous part of the disc disrupts the tougher fibrous exterior of the disc. It is quite common to have a disc bulge, in fact, 40% us do and we don’t have any symptoms from it. Many would consider a disc bulge a normal finding on imaging. A disc protrusion is slightly more noticeable than the bulge. It is not until a disc extrusion and sequestration that you get tearing of the fibrous layer outside of the disc.
New research suggests that the most severe disc herniations have the highest probability of healing. This is pretty amazing, because the injuries that are the most debilitating and painful are the most likely to get better. Take a moment to process that and recognize that conservative management is often a great treatment for these injuries. The rate of spontaneous regression, meaning the disc healed on its own, was found to be 96% for disc sequestration, 70% for disc extrusion, 41% for disc protrusion, and 13% for disc bulging.
Ultimately, your herniated disc can heal, and in mild cases it is often not the only reason for your lower back pain. Dario Move can help you understand your pain, manage your symptoms, and learn how to properly address your disc herniation to achieve long term results.
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