I have a bulging disc in my neck, going on three months and still in pain! How long for this to heal?
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at
11:34 am
I am awaiting an MRI , until then, I am going to therapy every day and still feel little relief.
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first of all, disc problems do not heal themselves. you must do something for them in order to restore them back to their normal orientation.
i am a chiropractor and specialize in spine related injuries. the disc acts as both a cushion and a spacer between each vertebrae. if a disc is bulging/herniated, that bulge can put pressure on the nerves exiting between each vertebra which causes a "pinched nerve." also if the disc is wearing out (getting thinner) you lose the space between the vertebra, which leaves less room for those nerves to exit–and again can pinch a nerve. the nerves in your cervical spine (neck) go all the way down your arm while the nerves in your lumbar spine (low back) form the sciatic nerve which runs all the way down your leg. if any of these are "pinched" they can cause pain, numbess, tingling, weakness wherever these nerves go (down arms/legs).
as a chiropractor i see this type of scenario on a daily basis. for those who have degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, disc bulging, etc.–normal chiropractic care can usually help with those problems. but there are also many people out there that have had this problem for many years and can’t find relief with anything they try–including chiropractic.
but now there is a treatment that is perfect for your situation and the best part is: it’s non-surgical and non-invasive. if you haven’t heard of it yet it is called spinal decompression. this type of treatment focuses on disc injuries and the problems they cause. i use the DRX9000 spinal decompression system in my office and it works wonders for people with these types of injuries (approx. 90% successful). the DRX9000 is fda approved and is the best decompression system available (there are cheap knock-offs that don’t give the same results).
my recommendation would be to see a chiro, especially if you’ve never tried it before-just to see what they have to say. also do some research on this treatment and then contact someone (usually a chiro) who uses it in their office. i would just google "DRX9000" to find info on it and doctors in your area who may have it. this treament is able to encourage the disc to go back to it’s normal orientation and also rebuild its height–which then takes the pressure off whatever nerve it is compressing. pain meds, cortisone shots, epidurals won’t do anything to solve the problem–all they do is cover it up and they become less and less effective over time. surgery AT BEST is 50% successful and usually doesn’t solve the problem since most people need another surgery 5-10 years down the road for the same issue. it’s typically a viscious cycle. remember: surgery is always an option, so try something prior to surgery to see if you can avoid it–cause once you do the surgery there is no going back.
this treatment is extremely effective for degenerative disc disease, disc bulging, herniation, etc. and also sciatica type of cases, especially if you haven’t had surgery yet. i’ve had many patients who were scheduled for surgery, tried this treatment as a last resort, and then ended up cancelling their surgery altogether after treatment was completed. it really does work and that’s what my recommendation would be for you. good luck and hopefully this gives insight to others experiencing similar problems–there is a solution!!!
my brother did two discs in his back it has been 9 months and he is only at 70% specialists say another 3months
Have you seen a neurologist/pain management specialist for your problem? I don’t know what type of doc you’re using now. If you’ve not seen a neurologist/pain management specialist, run the idea by the doc treating you now; if the one treating you now isn’t your family doc, by them also.
Sorry hun, but if it is a bulging disc, it’d take a miracle or a great chiropractor to get it into place without surgery. best bet, get a doctor who specializes in this type of thing. There are many non-surgical options available that provide pain relief. Some are drug dependant options, some are not. Some are both. Good luck, and I feel for you. This type of pain can greatly affect your life.
To the best of my knowledge they don’t heal, I have 3 bulging disk in my neck. If they are putting pressure on the nerves and causing pain I understand surgery is needed to correct the problem. I have an MRI every year to check the disks to see if the are getting worst. I take pain medications to help with the pain.
“Surgery Not Included” (by Dr. Richard E. Busch III, with lots of expertise in this) is a great resource to look at. He champions a different technique for herniated or degenerative disc, or sciatic pain, chronic neck pain, etc. He advocates a spinal decompression treatment — even bringing it to national acceptance. You owe it to yourself (and your condition and your pain!) to take a look and bring the book with you to the doctor’s office.