Whenever you discover that you are suffering from any condition or disease, it’s always essential for you to seek the proper medical or chiropractic attention. However, this is not what most people do. Instead, they wait, hoping that the problem they’re having will go away on its own. For instance, many people live with a herniated disc hoping and expecting that the pain will go away one day. Others are trying to treat the pain using home remedies only to get temporary relief, but the pain starts again after some time. When you are experiencing a herniated disc, you should always seek attention immediately.
Consequences of failing to treat a herniated disc for a long time
In case you have been suffering from a herniated disc for a long time without seeking medical attention, you will experience some signs trying to warn you that you’ve been waiting for a long time. These signs can cause problems to your body, and at times they may affect your lifestyle. This is why it’s always advisable to treat your herniated disc immediately when you realise that you are experiencing this condition. The following are some of the symptoms that you will show due to failing to treat a herniated disc in time.
- Chronic pain
Chronic pain is among the main long-term effects of a herniated disc left untreated for a long time. Herniated discs usually rub against your spinal nerves, causing irritation and some shooting pains. People having herniated discs usually feel chronic pain around the neck, arms and shoulders. It becomes impossible for you to handle your daily activities and continue with your normal lifestyle when this happens. Whenever you have been experiencing chronic pain, it always means that you have been living with a herniated disc for a very long time.
- Nerve damage
This is a severe condition that is always caused by an untreated herniated disc. The spine is responsible for housing the nervous system responsible for communicating with the whole body using the complex connected nerves. When the spine or its tissues suffers any damages, the nervous system will also feel the impact. The herniated disc puts significant pressure on the nerve leading to significant damage, mainly because it cuts off the impulses of the nerves.
- An increased amount of pain
At times a herniated disc can cause an injury, and this injury may be considered a hidden one since it takes some time for the body to begin experiencing the pain. For instance, if you are involved in an accident, you may experience a sore back, but it would take several days for the pain to go away. However, if the pain increases gradually, especially in any specific part of your spine, you will need medical attention. When you fail to treat a herniated disc for a long time, the pain gradually increases when you make many movements since the disc cannot absorb the shock caused or protect the tissues.
- Soft tissue damage
Whenever you have herniated discs, you are injured since the discs are some of these soft tissues. If you do not treat this issue, you’ll be causing permanent damage to the soft tissues. Unless you are treated, the injury becomes severe and hinders you from functioning properly.
There are many ways on how to fix a herniated disc. Therefore, when you realise that you are experiencing this problem, you should get treated immediately. If you leave the herniated discs untreated for a long time, you will experience the above problems, which will worsen even with time.