Cervical disc herniation: Is the regression flawed by age? A case report

Abstract

Introduction/aim: Spontaneous regression of the herniated disc in the cervical tract is rare, and conservative treatment should be considered as a therapeutic option. This case study aims to describe the course of the recovery from cervical disc herniation (CDH) within a conservative care pathway using global postural reeducation (GPR). Methods: A 74-year-old Caucasian woman with a body mass index of 20.3 was diagnosed with CDH. She had a 4-month history of neck-arm burning pain and short-term dizziness. The treatment goals for the patient were: relief of her neck-arm pain; reduction of the dizziness; improvement in neck flexion and extension range of motion. The first treatment using GPR started 4 months after symptom onset and treatment was provided in an outpatient setting by the same physiotherapist each time. Eight, 1 hour therapeutic sessions were carried out weekly. The chosen exercises were: frog on the ground with upper limbs in abduction, and frog on the ground with upper limbs in adduction. Results: Two months after treatment initiation, neither flexion nor extension were painful, and the patient was able to perform movements that the symptoms previously compromised. Conclusions: This study is the first to describe the treatment of CDH in an older patient and the study raised two additional questions for further studies necessary to determine the effectiveness of GPR in this context. First, was the resolution described in this case report linked to a natural course? Second, is GPR effective for the treatment of CDH?