MRI shows protruding disc in neck

first diagnosed whiplash after rear end car crash.  MRI shows disk protrusion in neck. Pain starts where head hit head rest in car, runs to front of head comes back runs across both shoulders and down to mid back. What percentage of cases recover without surgery?  Is this a life long injury.

[Curtis1960]

Hello, Sarah.

What did your doctor tell you when he gave you the MRI results?  There are a lot of factors that will determine if you need surgery.  First, what level is the disk at, C4/C5, C6/C7?.  And, how much is it protruding?  A little/lot?

Normally, doctors will try to treat your disk problems conservatively.  They might try physical therapy, massage therapy, traction, NSAIDS, ibuprofen, muscle relaxants, nerve ablation, steriod injections, pain medicine injections - I mean there are so many different treatments.

If your symptoms become worse, or if the neck is causing you to lose quality of life, then they might recommend surgery.  Usually, if only the disk is the problem and there isn't a lot of degenerative disk disease, the surgery can be successful at eliminating the symptoms and you can live symptom free for life.  There are things that can change the prognosis - reinjury to the spine, degenerative disk disease, complications from the surgery. I am with you on this - try everything to avoid the surgery unless things become unmanageable.

I had a herniated disk at C6/C7 and had no neck pain.  I've had two surgeries at that level and now live with terrible neck pain.  

Best of luck and let us know how everything goes.

Curt