There are many things you can do wrong with your spine if you have joint pains, sciatica, and herniations (protrusions). Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to prevent that from happening. How you do that is by keeping your spine movin’ and groovin’, stable and strong.
Along our backs, what makes up our spines are 24 discs that absorb damage when hit and allows the back to bend and twist, allowing us to perform a multitude of daily tasks throughout the day essentially. However, you may have heard of or are currently experiencing a herniated disc when the gel-like substance in one of the spinal discs that protect us from damaging leaks, a part of our back (or in dire circumstances, multiple discs) is more susceptible to pressure and hurts immensely upon impact from anything. At First Health Physical Therapy in midtown, we aim to ensure that herniated discs are treated correctly.
Causes of Herniated Discs
As you may have already guessed, our 24 spinal discs can be herniated by direct force against the spine. While this may be true, there are many other ways our discs can become herniated, one of which is simply aging. However, it may go even further than that. Causes include, but are not limited to:
- Excessive body weight (obesity)
- Employment in a back-intensive occupation (heavy lifting, constant activity)
- Genetics
- Smoking, decreasing oxygen consumption for the discs
While these causes are likely, the most common way of having a herniated disc is either from repeated heavy strains for the back or simply being more susceptible to having one as you age, with herniated discs most common among the elderly. You become less flexible as you age, increasing the stiffness of your back. At First Health PT, we can quickly remedy why and build you back up as best as possible.
Symptoms Of A Herniated Disc
While herniated discs are often associated exclusively with the back, they may also affect the neck, given how the discs are along the vertebrae and stop just at the top of the neck. Several symptoms come with herniated discs, yet the most common include:
- Arm/Leg Pain (the lower your herniated disc, the more areas surrounding it such as the thigh or buttocks will hurt, as is the case the higher the herniated disc is)
- Numbing/Tingling Sensations
- Weakness (depending on what nerves are affected that are connected to the herniated disc)

Herniated discs are certainly not the most destructive affliction to your muscles and bones, but they are undoubtedly potent. They can leave permanent damage behind if not treated effectively and quickly. First Health PT in midtown is always here to help.

Do Herniated Discs Go Away On Their Own?
In most cases, yes, they do end up going away. But, it depends on the severity of your herniated disc. Surgical measures may be necessary. Most herniated discs heal and leave after six months. Doctors will often prescribe over-the-counter medications that help combat the pain and discomfort that come with herniated discs. However, should those not work, physical therapy comes into play. Luckily for you, First Health PT takes care of just that. Unfortunately, it should not be even physical therapy to cure your pain; surgery comes next. The order of treatment goes from medications to therapy to surgery. If you are finding moving around and being active becoming progressively more difficult, even with medications and therapy, or if a doctor believes that the spinal cord holding all of the discs is being compressed, a doctor will often recommend surgery.
Contact FHPT In Midtown
Herniated discs may repeat themselves as you get older, so knowing how to combat them correctly can make all the difference. However, the best advice for these cases is to wait for the doctor to assess the conditions. Contacting us is the first step to making your pain go entirely away. We are located in Midtown, New York City. Contact us today to see how we can help!