WHAT IS A HERNIATED DISK and does it go away anything a person can do for it?

...yes it is in my neck c 3-4 level

A herniated disc is when the fluid within the spinal column "leaks" through and puts pressure on the nerves. A good way to picture a vertebrae is to compare it to a jelly donut. When the donut gets squeezed, the jelly makes its way out. When that happens, you usually will get shooting pain down the side of your leg, very tense muscles in the back and in the hips.

Curing a herniated disc depends on one variable, and that is whether or not nerve damage is occurring. If nerve damage is present, then surgery has to be done to reinforce the opening in the inter-vertebral space. If nerve damage is not present, then you go to a physical therapist and they will show you exercises and stretching techniques. In most cases, you will want to go to PT because surgery can cause either more damage or weaken the back all together. PT exercises focus on pushing that fluid away from the nerve.

For immediate relief, take Aspirin or Motrin, and ice the area that hurts the most. Don't do any exercises until the throbbing has resided a little bit. But always ice it after activity until you aren't experiencing pain anymore. And go easy on the NSAIDS - they tear up your stomach and liver mucosa. Not cool either.

I have two herniated discs and I went to PT 12 years ago. I played a college sport where I ran all the time, I lift weights and haven't had any major problems. Sometimes it gets exacerbated, but I just do my exercises and I'm as good as new.

Good luck.

I believe it's when one of the soft cushioning "disks" of tissue between the vertebra of the spine ruptures, or herniates.

As far as I know there's nothing you can do yourself. You'll have to see a doctor who may suggest surgery. There may be other treatments but surgery is probably the most effective. It's a reasonably routine procedure so there's not much to worry about.

Herniated disks are most common in the lumbar spine--the part of your backbone between the bottom of your ribs and your hips. Disks are the soft "cushions" between the bones of the spine. The disks in the spine let you move your backbone.

When a disk between two bones in the spine presses on the nerves around the backbone, it's called a herniated disk. The word "herniate" (say: her-nee-ate) means to bulge or to stick out. Sometimes this is called a ruptured or slipped disk.




Yes, exercises can be helpful. Begin by stretching. Bend over forward and bend to the sides. Start these exercises after your back is a little stronger and doesn't hurt as much. The goal of exercise is to make your back and stomach muscles stronger. This will ease the pressure on your disk and make you hurt less. Ask your doctor about exercises for your back. Your doctor may want you to see a physical therapist to learn about safe back exercises.



Your chances are good. Most people with a herniated disk are better in about 4 weeks. Sometimes it takes longer. If you still have pain or numbness after 4 to 6 weeks, or if your signs get worse, talk with your doctor. Sometimes it takes surgery to relieve pain.

If you have trouble going to the bathroom or have weight loss, pain at night or more pain or weakness than usual in your backbone, tell your doctor right away. These might be the signs of a more serious problem.

A herniated disc occurs when the cushion that sits between the spinal vertebra is pushed outside its normal position. A herniated disc becomes a problem because there are spinal nerves that are very close to the edge of the intervertebral disc. When a herniated disc bulges out from between the vertebrae, the spinal nerves and spinal cord can become pinched. When the herniated disc ruptures and pushes out, the nerves may become trapped. A herniated disc may occur suddenly in an event such as a fall or an accident, or may occur gradually with repetitive straining of the lumbar spine

Logizomechanophobia said most every thing that could be said. and there is no point in me repeating it. But I want to add a couple of things, as I have had the problem since 1990. I got injured and my back bone in the ex-ray was almost at a 90 degree angle, but no vertebra's were broken. I could not stand without extreme pain, or sit, or even lay down. I went to the hospital and they gave me a book for the exorcises Logizomechanophobia mentioned. And that's all they did. To make a long story short I went to a chiropractor. He had me walking in two weeks. I returned to my construction job in four but on light duty. For the next three years I went once every two weeks for an adjustment. Now I go every six months if I have no problems. Good luck.

a herniated disc occurs when the fluid inside the disc escapes.think of it as a piece of chocolate candy with a caramel center.the outside chocolate breaks (herniates) and the inside filling (the caramel) then oozes out.the pain occurs because the inside filling then impinges the surrounding nerves causing pain,numbness or lack of mobility.see a doctor.he can recommend exercises,anti inflamatory drugs or physical therapy.also a chiropractor can help.unfortunately it's not going away.worst case scenarios would require surgery but there is no guaranty that it will be 100% successful.traction also helps some people.

I have a couple of herniated discs in my neck. Depends on how severe as to the treatment. I went through pain management for 18 months where they loaded me full of drugs, steroid shots, and actual spinal injections (where they put you to sleep). All the drugs made life worse. When, I was told I had to deal with it, I did just that. Now it rarely bothers me.

It is when the disc "ruptures" and allows the fluid like contents to escape. No, it does not go away! Everyone who has ever had the condition knows very well! I had L3-4 and played the "insurance" company game until it scared the nerve. My neurosurgeon told me that's not a good thing!
The problem you face is the insurance companies "pay off" the doctors to avoid surgical cost. Some doctors participate in the corruption while others do not! It's your mission to find one that does NOT!
I believe that if you have a herniated disc and surgery is performed immediately to correct it your chances of a FULL recovery are the greatest! However, the insurance industry, as corrupt as it is, believes you should pay premiums but get no coverage for it! Therefore, the herniated material solidifies and scraps at the nerves until they are scared, creating a life time of misery! The medical community knows my assesment is 100% accurate but as we all know in America, it's all about "MONEY"!

A chiropractor can help get it back to normal.

Much pain is from muscles below is an example of what may help (based on headaches).
Begin with a couple swigs of molasses or a couple of bananas daily - magnesium (which regulates many things in the body) and potassium (a needed building block for muscles).
Drink at least 1/2 gallons of water per day. Running a body low on water is like running a car low on oil is the analogy the head of neurology at UCDavis told my husband about 10 years ago.

Now to the cause - muscles - your back, neck shoulders and head have tender spots. They are knots in the fibers of the muscles called trigger points. It makes the muscles tight which makes them press on nerves and other things causing the pain.

The cure - start with a professional massage, you will also want to go back over any place you can get to 6-12 times per session up to 6 times per day rubbing (or lightly scratching on your head) every where that is tender until the knots go away. The place where the skull connects to the spine press up under the edge of the skull (to get to those muscles).

For more information read The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies. It teaches what to do and where the pain comes from.