Most people improve in 6 weeks and return to normal activity. If symptoms continue, surgery may be recommended.
A bulging disc might never go back to its original position or shape. However, if you strengthen the muscles around the spine hence increasing the stability of the spine you might not experience any symptoms.
Treatment of L5-S1 usually begins with: Medication. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are usually tried first for pain stemming from L5-S1. For more severe pain, prescription medication, such as opioids, tramadol, and/or corticosteroids may be used.
Your Recovery
It may take 4 to 6 weeks to get back to doing simple activities, such as light housework. It may take 6 months to a year for your back to get better completely. You may need to wear a back brace while your back heals. And your doctor may have you go to physiotherapy.
There are several signs of a healed herniated disk. However, the first symptom that will reveal that you are on the way to healing is that the sharp, shooting pain in your legs or arms will go away, followed by some muscle weakness in that nerve path. However, if you have numbness, it might take longer to heal.
You can feel better while the original damage or weakness may remain. Or your disc can fully heal, it just takes time for the protruding material to be resorbed by your body. Factors like your age and the cause of the herniation come into play.
The pain is a result of spinal nerve inflammation and swelling caused by the pressure of the herniated disc. Over time, the herniation tends to shrink and you may experience partial or complete pain relief. In most cases, if low back and/or leg pain is going to resolve it will do so in about 6 weeks.
How serious is a L5-S1 Disc Herniation? Disc herniation is a serious condition that can cause pain, numbness, and weakness. If the herniated disc presses on the spinal cord or nerves, it can cause more severe symptoms such as bowel or bladder control loss, paralysis, or difficulty walking.
Common Symptoms and Signs Stemming from L5-S1
Compression or inflammation of the L5 and/or S1 spinal nerve root may cause radiculopathy symptoms or sciatica, characterized by: Pain, generally felt as a sharp, shooting, and/or searing feeling in the buttock, thigh, leg, foot, and/or toes. Numbness in the foot and/or ...
A L4-L5 bulge in the disc can cause sciatic-like symptoms by impinging nerves running down the legs. A pinched nerve can be caused by a slipped disc. A L4–L5 disc bulge (or slip-disc) in the L4-L5 region can cause severe health issues such as impotence and reproduction issues.
Although these symptoms are usually limited to one leg, they can also affect both legs at times. Cauda Equina syndrome may develop at L5-S1 when there is an injury to the cauda Equina nerves, which descend from your spinal cord.
The most common levels for a herniated disc are L4-5 and L5-S1. The onset of symptoms is characterized by a sharp, burning, stabbing pain radiating down the posterior or lateral aspect of the leg, to below the knee. Pain is generally superficial and localized, and is often associated with numbness or tingling.
Pinched nerve at L5-S1 spinal segment.
The L5 nerve supplies the nerves to the muscles that raise the foot and big toe, and consequently, impingement of this nerve may lead to weakness in these muscles. Numbness for L5 runs over the top of the foot.
Although considerable controversy still exists, previous work in this field suggests that the L5 nerve root supplies tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, extensor digitorum brevis, and the lateral head of gastrocnemius, while the S1 nerve root innervates the medial head of gastrocnemius, soleus, and abductor ...
We think that large, extruded L5-S1 disc herniations may affect the superior hypogastric plexus or pre-sacral nerve which is situated anterior to the last lumbar vertebra, the middle sacral artery, the lumbosacral intervertebral disc.
How long should bedrest be used when treating a slipped disc? For patients with neck pain radiating down the arm and a diagnosis of herniated disc, there is no need or indication for strict bed rest. Certainly, a day of two of taking it easy and staying in bed is fine but it should not be done for more than that.
Sit using the correct posture, with your back firmly placed against the chair back. It is proper to sit up straight without slouching. When you slump, you put extra pressure on the discs in the spine and can aggravate your herniated disc. Additionally, you want to ensure your knees are level with your hips.
Therefore if you have an onset of back pain, even if you do have a disc bulge or prior history of one, it may be caused by something else and not the disc. Is it permanent? Disc bulges are not permanent. The disc is a fluid filled structure and therefore has the capacity to heal, resolve and be re-absorbed.
While you should get some rest the first couple of days after your spine injury, lying in bed or staying sedentary all day will actually hinder healing. “We know fairly conclusively that inactivity can slow both the healing of the disc and the resolution of the inflammation that a herniation causes,” says Dr.
If you still have pain or numbness after four to six weeks, or if your problem gets 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 backbone, tell your doctor right away.
In general, a flare-up can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. However, it is important to note that every individual is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.