Can you have more than one prolapsed disc?
First, it is quite common to have multiple herniated discs in the lumbar spine. In studies of people who were not experiencing back pain, many had disc herniations that caused no pain symptoms. Second, the term “disc herniation” is very broad, and can describe mild bulges to extreme protrusions that cause pain.
What happens when you have multiple bulging discs?
It can cause pain in the buttocks, legs, or back. It can also affect your ability to walk. Bulging discs usually affect multiple discs. This condition develops over time and can cause other disc degeneration-related issues, like lumbar stenosis (narrowing of spinal canal).
How is cervical disc prolapse treated?
Conservative nonsurgical treatment is the first step to recovery and may include medication, rest, massage, physical therapy, home exercises, hydrotherapy, chiropractic care, and pain management. Over 95% of people with arm pain due to a herniated disc improve in about six weeks and return to normal activity.
What causes cervical disc prolapse?
The aging process and wear and tear on your spine can cause a herniated disc in the neck. A herniated disc can also be caused by repetitive activities or an injury to the spine.
What percentage of herniated discs require surgery?
According to research cited by Harvard Health, about 10 percent of patients with herniated disc issues require surgery after six weeks. Similar research suggests that 90 percent of the time, surgery is not necessary for a herniated disc.
What are the final stages of spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis, often an end stage of the spine degenerative process, is characterized by leg pain with walking. Pain will go away with rest but you may have to specifically sit down to ease the leg pain.
Is a bulging disc in neck serious?
One of the most serious conditions involving your neck bones is a bulging disc.
What happens if a bulging disc goes untreated?
If a bulging disc is untreated, the symptoms will become worse as the constant pressure on the nerve intensifies the sensations. This can also cause issues with walking, and even while holding objects, as the pressure impedes the ability of the nerves to transmit information properly.
When is neck surgery necessary?
If cervical degeneration causes myelopathy (spinal cord dysfunction), radiculopathy (dysfunction of nerves to the neck or arms), neck pain, or abnormal neck motion, surgery may be necessary. The surgical goal is to reduce pain and restore spinal stability.
What happens if a cervical herniated disc goes untreated?
If you leave a herniated disc untreated, you may experience intense, sharp pains, partial paralysis, or the inability to control bowel movements in relatively dire situations.
Can C5-C6 cause eye problems?
Symptoms of c5-c6 disc herniation can include numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, problems with vision, and more.
When is surgery necessary for herniated disc in neck?
Surgery for cervical radiculopathy from a herniated disc should only be considered in those cases when 6 to 12 weeks of nonsurgical treatment fails to relieve neurological deficits in the arm, such as pain, numbness, and/or weakness.
What is the life expectancy of someone with spinal stenosis?
Answer: Yes, you do have to live with it for the rest of your life. However, many patients with spinal stenosis live life in the absence of pain or with minimal symptoms.
Will I end up in a wheelchair with spinal stenosis?
Disability: In severe cases of spinal stenosis, a patient can end up permanently disabled. This may be through paralysis, or weakness so severe that it is impossible to stand and move as normal. It is not unreasonable to expect severe stenosis to lead to a person being bound to a wheelchair.
How serious is a bulging disc C5-C6?
If the C5 and C6 discs are bulging, they only cause pain about 50 percent of the time, but this condition can lead to a straightened neck; this leads to tension on the spine, known to cause numbness, pain, and tingling throughout the upper body.
Can you become paralyzed from a bulging disc?
With a herniated disc, the capsule cracks or breaks, and the nucleus squeezes out. This can irritate the spinal cord or nearby nerves, causing weakness and numbness in the arms or legs. A severely herniated disc can cause paralysis.
What is the survival rate of neck surgery?
Medical morbidity and mortality rates for head and neck surgery are relatively low (5.65% and 2.98%, respectively). Pulmonary complications are the most frequently encountered postoperative morbidity.
Is neck surgery Risky?
Neck surgery is no more dangerous or risky than any other surgery. With precision instruments and an enormous amount of hands-on experience, your surgeon will work with pinpoint accuracy. Innovative equipment also allows the surgeon and support team to recognize when nerves may be compromised.
Can I become paralyzed from herniated disc?
How do you fix a C5 C6 herniated disc?
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery involves removing the C5-C6 intervertebral disc to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or C6 nerve root. The disc is replaced by an implant or bone graft, allowing biological fusion of the adjacent C5 and C6 vertebrae.
Can C5-C6 affect legs?
An injury to the spinal cord at the C5-C6 level may cause pain, weakness, or paralysis in the arms and/or legs. There may be loss of bowel and bladder control or breathing problems in some cases. Nonsurgical treatments are often tried first for pain that stems from C5-C6. In rare cases, surgery may be considered.
What parts of the body are affected by C5-C6?
A c5-c6 herniated disc can affect the nerves that control the muscles in the arms, neck, shoulders, hands as well as the head, eyes, ears, or thyroid gland. Symptoms in these areas in addition to pain in the neck is very common with c5-c6 disc herniations.
When is it time for neck surgery?
What is end stage spinal stenosis?
Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis is the end stage of a long-standing disc disease, often at several lumbar segments. It leads to narrowing of the intervertebral disc space and causes secondary changes in the structures bordering the lateral recess and the intervertebral foramina.
What are the final stages of cervical spinal stenosis?
As the condition progresses, weakness of the arms and hands can occur with loss of coordination. Also, in advanced stages of cervical stenosis, problems with bowel and bladder function can result, in addition to weakness and numbness in the legs and feet, which can cause difficulty walking.