Facts about Herniated Discs
This article provides insight to many lesser known facts about herniated discs which are very important to understand if you have been diagnosed with this common
spinal abnormality.
Herniated discs have a terrible reputation as a longterm source of
chronic back pain
and considerable disability. This perception is not exactly accurate, since the
herniated disc
has been vilified far beyond its abilities to actually cause pain.I hope this discussion of verified medical facts helps you to better understand the nature of any disc-related diagnosis you might have been given and provides you with some important topics of conversation to have with your doctor.
Facts about Herniated Discs / Myths
There are many accepted myths about disc injuries which contribute considerably to the diagnostic
nocebo
effect of a confirmed
bulging disc.
Some of the most common myths include:* All herniations are painful.
* All herniations are the result of injury.
* Most herniations require surgery.
* All herniated discs cause
pinched nerves.
Most doctors do not do enough to reassure diagnosed patients and certainly rarely provide them with accurate and true statistics on the common incidence and often asymptomatic nature of herniated discs. Meanwhile, research clearly shows that there is no correlation between disc herniations and back or neck pain complaints. When compared to patients who have herniated discs and back pain, just as many other people have disc issues, but no pain, and just as many people have pain, but no disc issues.
True Facts about Herniated Discs
Here are some lesser known facts about herniations:* Herniated discs can cause pain in some instances, but this pain will typically resolve on its own in 6 to 8 weeks time. * The vast majority of herniations go completely unnoticed, since they create no pain or related symptoms. Many of these herniations are discovered by accident during routine testing for an unrelated condition.
* Back surgery
demonstrates some of the worst curative results of any
herniated disc treatment.
Surgery might also lead to permanent functional loss and physical limitations. Of course,
failed back surgery syndrome
is rampant and is a real nightmare to endure. * The normal degenerative processes which act upon the
spines
of every human being contribute to herniations. Therefore, herniations are simply a normal and expected part of getting older for most people. Degeneration induced herniated discs are rarely painful.
Facts about Herniated Discs / Advice
I, like you, had a huge
fear
of the very words
HERNIATED DISK.
I was brought up hearing horror stories about my grandfather’s
lower back pain
and seeing the effects of a
lumbar herniated disc
in my mother. When I was diagnosed with not one, but 2 herniations in my early twenties, I was devastated. I bought into the old mythology 100%!It took me many years of suffering through various ineffective treatment strategies in order to learn all the facts that I needed to know about my supposed disc pain. After many years of research and active involvement in patient advocacy on an international level, I am confident that discs can indeed cause pain, but do not necessarily have to be problematic. Most are non-issues, especially if they do not occur from sudden violent trauma. This is all very useful to me now, since at this stage of life, I have 12 known herniations, including the 2 oldest in my lower back, a few in my upper back and every single disc in my neck. If I was not intimately knowledgeable about the true facts of herniations, I am quite certain that I would be a fearful mess. If you are unsure about your disc-related diagnosis or its ability to create painful symptoms, I strongly suggest you get more involved in your own care and begin your research immediately. There are many great sources of info to read online and you can always speak to your doctor for additional pertinent details of your specific condition.
Facts about Herniated Discs to Back Pain
9/30/09 Revised 12/24/11
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