“Disks are the shock absorbers of the spine, letting you move and rotate your body,” says Seth Joseffer, MD, Co-director of the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center (PMC) Center for Spine Care. “They can best be described as being like a jelly donut, with a jellylike inside and a harder protective casing. A herniation is when some of that jelly pushes through a tear in the outer casing, causing pain, numbness, weakness, and reduced mobility.”
With Proper Care, Recovery Can be Quick
Herniations in the neck and upper back are usually caused by gradual wear and tear on the spine. In some cases they can be corrected with an artificial disk replacement, where a titanium and polymer-constructed disk is used to replace the damaged disk, rather than a spinal fusion, where two or more disks are permanently surgically connected. The procedure involves a small incision allowing for the removal of the damaged disk and insertion of the artificial replacement. Patients often head home from the hospital the same day as the procedure, and experience some initial soreness at the site of the incision.
“It depends on the person, but most people do not need physical therapy and are pretty much functioning normally right away,” says Dr. Joseffer, who is board certified in spine and neurological surgery. “Unlike a disk fusion — where bone grows across the damaged disk space over a couple of months— the disk replacement is functional immediately, so the recovery time is far shorter. The artificial disk functions exactly like the natural disk, while with a fusion the nerves and muscles need time to heal, and full mobility cannot be restored.”
Candidates for artificial disk replacement are generally middle-aged or younger, with otherwise healthy spines. Older individuals are more likely to have arthritis, bone spurs, ligament problems, or other conditions that would require a fusion.
“Whether you are a candidate for a disk replacement or a fusion, if a disk herniation is impacting your quality of life, it is important to seek medical attention,” says Dr. Joseffer. “Both surgical options can alleviate pain and improve your quality of life.”