- Oral medications and/or steroid injections to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Physical therapy to reduce stiffness and pressure on the nerves in the spine.
- Hot or cold packs for pain relief.
- Manual manipulation, such as massage or chiropractic care.
Medication
· Ice and Heat Applications Ice and heat application can be extremely helpful in relieving the painful symptoms of a disc herniation. 1 By helping to relax the muscles of the back, ice and heat applications can relieve muscle spasm and provide significant pain relief. Physical Therapy
Procedures
A combination of the following conservative treatment options can be used through at least the first six weeks of discomfort and pain: Physical therapy, exercise and gentle stretching to help relieve pressure on the nerve root Ice and heat therapy for …
Therapy
There are several conservative treatment options for a herniated disc, such as pain and anti-inflammatory medications, massage, chiropractic care, gentle stretching, low-impact exercises and physical therapy. Many conservative treatments can be combined, so work with your physician to create a treatment regimen to that is best for your condition.
Self-care
What are the Treatments for a Herniated Disk? Rest. Take it easy for a few days. Rest can relieve swelling and give your back time to heal. While your back hurts,... Medications. Take an over-the-counter pain medicine like ibuprofen ( Motrin, Advil) or …
Nutrition
· 3. Physical therapy “ The goal of these exercises is to push the disc back, away from the nerve root,” said Healthline. “Always be evaluated by your doctor before attempting exercise at home.” 4. Epidural steroid injection
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· The following supplements are also beneficial for herniated disc treatment: Omega-3 fish oil supplement— 1,000–2,000 milligrams a day — or a fish roe supplement (4) MSM supplement, a sulfur-containing supplement that helps …
What are the treatments for a herniated disk?
Immune Response. The immune response process can cause the body to identify the herniated portion of the disc, consider it a foreign material, and attack the disc. As the immune response occurs, the body will reduce the size of the herniated fragment naturally. Water Absorption. The absorption of water is another natural process that can heal ...
What is the best diet for herniated discs?
How do steroids help a herniated disc?
What are the tests for herniated disks?
What are treatment options for herniated disc?
Lumbar herniated disc treatmentsPhysical therapy, exercise and gentle stretching to help relieve pressure on the nerve root.Ice and heat therapy for pain relief.Manipulation (such as chiropractic manipulation)Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen or COX-2 inhibitors for pain relief.More items...
What is the fastest way to get rid of a herniated disc?
How to heal a herniated disc quicklyAlternate applying heat and cold.Stay as active as you can. Take walks to avoid becoming too stiff from resting too often.Try alternative treatments like acupuncture, massage, or chiropractic.
Can herniated disc be treated without surgery?
The good news is that the vast majority of herniated discs can be treated without surgery using manual therapy and exercise or with IDD Therapy disc treatment. It is only a small percentage of cases which go on to have surgery.
What is the most common treatment for herniated discs?
Herniated Disc Treatment Options Most herniated discs don't require surgery. They typically can be managed with a combination of the following treatments: Oral medications and/or steroid injections to reduce pain and inflammation. Physical therapy to reduce stiffness and pressure on the nerves in the spine.
Is walking good for a herniated disc?
Absolutely. Walking is an excellent choice for patients with herniated discs, as it stimulates blood flow and oxygen to the cells. It also helps keep your discs hydrated, which is important for healing. Other low-impact aerobic activities to try are swimming and cycling.
What happens if a herniated disc goes untreated?
Nerve Damage When a herniated disc puts significant pressure on a nerve, it can lead to significant damage by cutting off nerve impulses. Compressed nerves can lead to significant conditions, including loss of sensation in lower extremities or even loss of bowel control.
Can you push a herniated disc back into place?
In theory the disc should be able to be popped back into its natural state, but it is very difficult to just “pop” a herniated disc back into place like a displaced gear. In fact, trying to pop a disc back into place can make the issue worse if the person doing the “popping” doesn't know what they are doing.
Are herniated discs permanent?
Once a healthy disc herniates, it will never return to its normal anatomical state—the disease or injury is permanent in nature.
What is the best treatment for a herniated disc?
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) are commonly prescribed, and often help relieve the pain associated with a disc herniation. 3 By reducing inflammation, these medications can relieve some pressure on the compressed nerves. NSAIDs should be used under your doctor's supervision.
How to relieve a herniated disc?
Ice and heat application can be extremely helpful in relieving the painful symptoms of a disc herniation. 1 By helping to relax the muscles of the back, ice and heat applications can relieve muscle spasm and provide significant pain relief.
Why do you need muscle relaxers?
It is important to use these for only brief periods of time. Muscle relaxers are used to treat spasm of spinal muscles often seen with disc herniations. 5 Often the muscle spasm is worse than the pain from the disc pressing on the nerves.
How long does it take to heal a herniated disc?
For lumbar and cervical herniated discs, conservative (non-surgical) treatments can usually be applied for around four to six weeks to help reduce pain and discomfort. A process of trial and error is often necessary to find the right combination of treatments.
What is the best treatment for nerve pain?
Physical therapy, exercise and gentle stretching to help relieve pressure on the nerve root. Ice and heat therapy for pain relief. Manipulation (such as chiropractic manipulation) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen or COX-2 inhibitors for pain relief.
How to treat a swollen nerve root?
A combination of the following conservative treatment options can be used through at least the first six weeks of discomfort and pain: 1 Physical therapy, exercise and gentle stretching to help relieve pressure on the nerve root 2 Ice and heat therapy for pain relief 3 Manipulation (such as chiropractic manipulation) 4 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen or COX-2 inhibitors for pain relief 5 Narcotic pain medications for pain relief 6 Oral steroids to decrease inflammation for pain relief 7 Epidural injections to decrease inflammation for pain relief
Is trial and error necessary?
A process of trial and error is often necessary to find the right combination of treatments. Patients may try one treatment at a time or may find it helpful to use a combination of treatment options at once.
Conservative herniated disc treatment
Conservative herniated disc treatment should almost always be fully attempted before considering surgery. Over time, these treatments can ease your herniated disc symptoms enough to enjoy a good quality of life. However, it can take some time for you to find the perfect combination of nonsurgical treatments to relieve your symptoms.
Conservative (nonsurgical) treatments include
The use of pain medication. Pain medication can be an effective short-term solution to managing the symptoms that frequently accompany a herniated disc. In many cases, over-the-counter acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be helpful under the guidance of a physician.
Examples of alternative treatments include
Yoga or Pilates. Many patients turn to regular yoga or Pilates classes to complement their herniated disc treatment plan. These classes can be helpful because they can increase flexibility, help a patient shed excess body weight and tend to be relaxing.
Common lifestyle improvements include
Modifying your posture. Making an effort to improve your posture is a relatively easy step that can make a significant improvement in your overall spine health. Maintaining good posture extends beyond standing up straight, and also includes the way you sit, sleep and go about your day.
Conservative treatment options for a herniated disc
There are several conservative treatment options for a herniated disc, such as pain and anti-inflammatory medications, massage, chiropractic care, gentle stretching, low-impact exercises and physical therapy. Many conservative treatments can be combined, so work with your physician to create a treatment regimen to that is best for your condition.
Minimally invasive surgery to treat a herniated disc
For patients considering surgery to treat a herniated disc, we encourage you to research all surgical options before choosing the best treatment plan for you. The two main surgical options to treat a herniated disc are traditional open spine surgery and minimally invasive spine surgery.
How to treat a herniated disc?
Some exercises can help improve the symptoms of a herniated disc. A physical therapist can teach you which ones strengthen the muscles that support your back. Physical therapy programs also include: 1 Stretching exercises to keep your muscles flexible 2 Aerobic exercises -- such as walking or riding a stationary bicycle 3 Massage 4 Ice and heat 5 Ultrasound therapy 6 Electrical muscle stimulation
How long does it take for a herniated disk to heal?
Most people with a herniated disk don't need surgery. Rest and other treatments should start to improve your symptoms within 4 to 6 weeks. But if your pain doesn’t improve, surgery might be an option. Talk to your doctor about surgery if: You’re not getting relief from pain relievers, injections, and physical therapy.
How to remove a disc?
Diskectomy. During this procedure, your surgeon removes your damaged disk to relieve pressure on your nerves. They can perform the surgery in a couple of ways: 1 Your surgeon performs open diskectomy via a cut in your back or neck. 2 Microdiscectomy is done through a much smaller incision. Your surgeon inserts a thin tube with a camera on one end to see and remove the damaged disk.
Can a herniated disk cause numbness?
Diagnosis. Treatment. Spinal Disk Problems. A herniated disk can press on the nerves in your spine and cause pain, weakness, and numbness in your neck, back, arms, and legs. Sometimes these symptoms can be severe enough to disrupt your life. Most of the time, though, the problems from your herniated disk should start to improve on their own within ...
How to help a back that hurts?
Rest can relieve swelling and give your back time to heal. While your back hurts, avoid exercise and other activities where you have to bend or lift.
How to stop back pain from a sprain?
You need to keep moving so your joints and muscles don't stiffen up. You can also use ice and heat to help relieve your pain. Just place an ice pack or warm wet towel on the area of your back that is sore. You can alternate hot and cold, or use whichever feels best.
How to get rid of a swollen ear?
Medications. Take an over-the-counter pain medicine like ibuprofen ( Motrin, Advil) or naproxen ( Aleve, Naprosyn ). These medicines can help relieve your pain and bring down swelling. Just don't use these for more than 10 days without talking to your doctor.
What is the most common surgical procedure for herniated discs?
A Microdiscectomy is the most common surgical procedure as a herniated disc treatment. It is typically only considered after several weeks of more conservative treatments and if you are experiencing pain and associated symptoms. Explained WebMD: “Herniated disk surgery is an option if you’re otherwise healthy but:
Can a herniated disc be a fun thing?
Whether it’s brought on by aging, by injury, or some other cause, a herniated disc is no fun. This very common condition can stop you right in your tracks, with acute pain you just want to get rid of as easily as possible. The good news is that there are a number of herniated disc treatments, and, for many, that treatment does not involve an operation.
What is the goal of disc exercises?
“ The goal of these exercises is to push the disc back, away from the nerve root ,” said Healthline. “Always be evaluated by your doctor before attempting exercise at home.”
Can cortisone be used for pain relief?
“ An injection of a cortisone-like drug into the space around the nerve may provide short-term pain relief by reducing inflammation,” said the AAOS. “There is good evidence that epidural injections can successfully relieve pain in many patients who have not been helped by 6 weeks or more of other nonsurgical care.”
How to treat herniated discs?
Also, getting more antioxidants by consuming high-antioxidant foods like blueberries is key. The ideal herniated disc treatment diet looks something like this: 1 Breakfast: A smoothie with a collagen protein powder or protein powder made from bone broth, blueberries, coconut milk and maybe some anti-inflammatory herbs like ginger root. 2 Lunch/Dinner: Soup or stew with the bone broth.
What is the best diet for herniated discs?
The ideal herniated disc treatment diet looks something like this: Breakfast: A smoothie with a collagen protein powder or protein powder made from bone broth, blueberries, coconut milk and maybe some anti-inflammatory herbs like ginger root. Lunch/Dinner: Soup or stew with the bone broth. 2.
How many people have back pain?
Back pain is something a very large number of people have to deal with at one point or another. In fact, there are some 31 million people in the U.S. alone who suffer from lower back pain at any one time, according to the American Chiropractic Association.
How to heal a disc?
1. Eat a Collagen/Bone Broth Diet. First off, you need to give your body the specific nutrients it needs in order to heal the area, and that means you need to follow what I call the collagen diet. Your body needs collagen to help heal and repair a damaged disc and tissues.
What is the best way to heal a damaged disc?
First off, you need to give your body the specific nutrients it needs in order to heal the area, and that means you need to follow what I call the collagen diet. Your body needs collagen to help heal and repair a damaged disc and tissues. In order to do that, collagen is found in protein powder made from bone broth or bone broth liquid. ( 3)
Can chiropractic care help a herniated disc?
Get Corrective Chiropractic Care. Last but not least, corrective chiropractic care can do wonders for a herniated disc, but beware of improper chiropractic adjustments. Many chiropractors do a form of adjustment that’s going to cause your ligaments to possibly become more loose, believe it or not.
Is a herniated disc more painful than a bulging disc?
Compared to herniated discs, bulging discs are more common, and they might also go unnoticed more often since they can cause less pain. Then again, each person’s symptoms are different.
