How does the body heal a herniation?
The body will put a glistering membrane over the herniation. The nerve has visco-elasticity, instead of being stretched over the herniation. But with time the nerve can change shape and it is now just running around the lump and not stretched over it. Inflammation decreases so the nerve adapts. The hole in the annulus heals. It takes 18 months to significantly decrease the size of a herniation on MRI. So a certain number of herniations found on MRI will be 50% less at 18 months.
