Treatment FAQ

what is treatment for a slipped disc

by Jensen Witting Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Most people with a slipped disc in the lumbar region
lumbar region
The acute onset lumbar lateral shift, otherwise known as a list or acute scoliosis, is a common clinical observation associated with low back pain.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › pmc › articles › PMC2700497
of their spine (lower back) are offered “conservative” treatment, meaning that the treatment does not involve surgery. This mainly involves exercise, relaxation and positioning, painkillers or local anesthetics, and manual and physical therapy.
Apr 9, 2020

What is the best remedy for a slipped disc?

What Are Home Remedies For A Herniated Disc?

  1. Ice And Heat Therapy For pain relief, using a cold and hot pack may help alleviate your pain and keep inflammation down. ...
  2. Stretching Exercises Don’t just sit in bed all day. Try gentle movements during the day to use your muscles and keep them moving. ...
  3. Yoga

What are the effective remedies for Slip Disc?

  • Abhyanga – Massages with medicated oil and herbal concoctions are proven effective in the ayurvedic treatment of slip disc. ...
  • Swedana – The process, Swedana, will be instrumental in relaxing the body and reenergizing it. ...
  • Shodhana – Shodhana will help in expelling toxic substances from the body. It will detoxify the body and purify it. ...

What is the recovery time from a slipped disc?

disc recovery time periods can range from 6 to 12 weeks, to longer in more complex cases. However, during these time periods, the amount of activity you are allowed to perform is far more limited than during the average herniated disc recovery period without surgery. When should I get surgery for a herniated disc?

Can a slipped disc heal on its own?

Can a Herniated Disc Heal on Its Own? Despite what a surgeon may advise you the answer is YES. Lumbar discs healing on their own is well documented using MRI (9). The medical term for this is a regression which references a resolution or reduction of the disc herniation. The healing may be partial or complete.

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How do you fix a slipped disc?

Nonsurgical treatment may include:Rest. One to 2 days of bed rest will usually help relieve back and leg pain. ... Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen can help relieve pain.Physical therapy. ... Epidural steroid injection.

Can a slipped disc heal on its own?

A herniated disk is also known as a slipped, ruptured or bulging disk. It's one of the most common causes of neck, back and leg pain. Most of the time, herniated disks heal on their own or with simple home-care measures.

What will a doctor do for a slipped disc?

In nearly all cases, surgeons can remove just the protruding portion of the disk. Rarely, the entire disk must be removed. In these cases, the vertebrae might need to be fused with a bone graft. To allow the process of bone fusion, which takes months, metal hardware is placed in the spine to provide spinal stability.

How long does a slipped disc take to heal?

The average amount of time it takes for a herniated disk to heal is four to six weeks, but it can get better within a few days depending on how severe the herniation was and where it occurred. The biggest factor in healing a herniated disk is time, because most often it will resolve on its own.

Can chiropractor fix slipped disc?

It can get to the point where many patients mistakenly believe surgery is the only option. But it's not. Chiropractic care may be effective in the treatment of slipped discs, no matter the severity.

Can a slipped disc go back in 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.

How serious is a slipped disc?

An untreated, severe slipped disc can lead to permanent nerve damage. In very rare cases, a slipped disc can cut off nerve impulses to the cauda equina nerves in your lower back and legs. If this occurs, you may lose bowel or bladder control. Another long-term complication is known as saddle anesthesia.

What makes a slipped disc worse?

The pain from a herniated disc usually is worse when you are active and gets better when you are resting. Coughing, sneezing, sitting, driving, and bending forward may make the pain worse. The pain gets worse when you make these movements because there is more pressure on the nerve.

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.

Is walking good for slipped 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 is the fastest way to recover from a slipped 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.

Is a slipped disc very painful?

A slipped disc is when a soft cushion of tissue between the bones in your spine pushes out. It's painful if it presses on nerves. It usually gets better slowly with rest, gentle exercise and painkillers.

What does a slipped disc mean?

What Does 'Slipped Disc' Actually Mean? In medical terms, a ‘slipped disc’ could be either a disc bulge (protrusion) or a ruptured disc (disc extrusion or sequestrum). Slipped discs may arise in the neck (cervical spine), back of chest (thoracic spine) or lower back (lumbar spine).

Can a slipped disc be in one part of the body?

One of the complications in diagnosing a slipped disc is that whilst the apparent pain or problem may manifest itself in one part of the body, the actual cause of the problem can lie in a different part of the spinal region. For this reason, medical professionals pay close attention to the symptoms as a first step in evaluating what ...

What is the treatment for a slipped disc in the lower back?

This mainly involves exercise, relaxation and positioning, painkillers or local anesthetics, and manual and physical therapy.

How to treat sciatica after slipped disc?

Manual therapy and treatments based on physical stimuli. The treatment options for sciatica following a slipped disc also include manual therapy and treatments based on physical stimuli. Manual treatment may include massages and special techniques for relaxing tense muscles or locked joints.

What is the best painkiller for sciatica?

NSAIDs that may be an option for the treatment of sciatica include diclofenac, ibuprofen and naproxen.

How long does it take for a slipped disc to heal?

Most people recover from a slipped disc within six weeks without treatment.

Where is the lumbar nerve injected?

In lumbar spinal nerve analgesia, the medication is injected directly at the point where the nerve root leaves the spinal canal. This has a numbing effect on the nerve root. In lumbar epidural analgesia, the medication is injected into what is known as the epidural space (“epidural injection”).

How long does it take to recover from a slipped disc?

Most people recover from a slipped disc within six weeks without treatment. Until then there are a number of treatment options that aim to help relieve the pain and improve mobility. Exercise, relaxation and positioning.

Where is the epidural space?

The epidural space surrounds the spinal cord and the spinal fluid in the spinal canal. This is also where the nerve roots are located. During this treatment the spine is monitored using computer tomography or x-rays to make sure that the injection is placed at exactly the right spot.

How a doctor diagnoses a slipped disc

When you see your doctor for the diagnosis and treatment of what you think might be a slipped disc, you can expect the following steps:

Treatment options for a slipped disc

Once your physician has confirmed diagnosis of the condition that is being referred to as a slipped disc, he or she will likely recommend a course of conservative treatments. These can include:

USA Spine Care

If your symptoms persist after several weeks or months following your slipped disc diagnosis, and you have followed a course of conservative treatments during this time, your doctor may ask you to consider surgery. If so, contact the team at USA Spine Care to learn more about the benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery.

What is the procedure to remove a herniated disk?

Surgery. Diskectomy is the surgical removal of the damaged portion of a herniated disk in your spine. A herniated disk occurs when some of the softer material inside the disk pushes out through a crack in the tougher exterior. This can irritate or compress nearby nerves and cause pain, numbness or weakness.

What tests are needed for a herniated disk?

In most cases of herniated disk, a physical exam and a medical history are all that's needed for a diagnosis. If your doctor suspects another condition or needs to see which nerves are affected, he or she may order one or more of the following tests.

What test can be used to confirm the location of the herniated disk and to see which nerves are affected

This test can be used to confirm the location of the herniated disk and to see which nerves are affected. Myelogram . A dye is injected into the spinal fluid before X-rays are taken. This test can show pressure on your spinal cord or nerves due to multiple herniated disks or other conditions.

How to treat low back pain?

Spinal manipulation has been found to be moderately effective for low back pain that has lasted for at least a month. Rarely, chiropractic treatment of the neck can cause certain types of strokes. Acupuncture. Although results are usually modest, acupuncture appears to ease chronic back and neck pain. Massage.

Can a surgeon remove a disk?

Loss of bladder or bowel control. In nearly all cases, surgeons can remove just the protruding portion of the disk. Rarely, the entire disk must be removed. In these cases, the vertebrae may need to be fused with a bone graft.

Can you take codeine for disk herniation?

Because of the side effects of opioids and the potential for addiction, many doctors hesitate to prescribe them for disk herniation. If other medication doesn't relieve your pain, your doctor might consider short-term use of opioids, such as codeine or an oxycodone-acetaminophen combination (Percocet, Roxicet).

Why do I have a slipped disc?

It is not clear why some people develop a 'slipped' (prolapsed) disc and not others, even when they do the same job or lift the same sort of objects. It seems that some people may have a weakness in the outer part of the affected disc. Various things may trigger the inner softer part of the disc to squeeze out through the weakened outer part of the disc. For example, sneezing, awkward bending, or heavy lifting in an awkward position may cause some extra pressure on the disc. In people with a weakness in a disc, this may be sufficient to cause a prolapse. Factors that may increase the risk of developing a prolapsed disc include: 1 A job involving lots of lifting. 2 A job involving lots of sitting (especially driving). 3 Weight-bearing sports (weightlifting, etc). 4 Smoking. 5 Being overweight (obesity). 6 Increasing age (a disc is more likely to develop a weakness as we become older).

How long does it take for a bulging disc to heal?

In most cases, the symptoms tend to improve over a few weeks. Research studies of repeated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans have shown that the bulging prolapsed portion of the disc tends to shrink (regress) over time in most cases. The symptoms then tend to ease and, in most cases, go away completely.

How old is too old to have a prolapsed disc?

The most common age to develop a prolapsed disc is between 30 and 50 years. Twice as many men as women are affected. A prolapsed disc is rare in anyone under 20 years of age. For information and advice on back pain in young people, see the separate leaflet called Back Pain in Children.

What causes a bulging disc to prolapse?

The bulging disc may press on nearby structures such as a nerve coming from the spinal cord. Some inflammation also develops around the prolapsed part of the disc. Inflammation may irritate a nerve and also causes swelling, which may put pressure on a nerve. Any disc in the spine can prolapse. However, most prolapsed discs occur in ...

How long does it take for a disc to go away?

The disc often presses on a nerve root which can cause pain and other symptoms in a leg. In most cases, the symptoms ease off gradually over several weeks. The usual advice is to carry on as normal as much as possible. Painkillers may help. Physical treatments such as spinal manipulation may also help.

What is the name of the part of the disc that bulges out?

What happens is that part of the inner softer part of the disc (the nucleus pulposus) bulges out (herniates) through a weakness in the outer part of the disc. A prolapsed disc is sometimes called a herniated disc. The bulging disc may press on nearby structures such as a nerve coming from the spinal cord.

Where do discs prolapse?

Any disc in the spine can prolapse. However, most prolapsed discs occur in the lower back (the lumbar spine). The size of the prolapse can vary. As a rule, the larger the prolapse, the more severe the symptoms are likely to be.

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 to protect your spine from a herniated disk?

To protect your spine and prevent another herniated disk, you should always sit and stand up straight. If you have to stand for a long period of time , rest one foot on a stool or box to take pressure off your back. Be careful when you lift anything heavy. Squat from your knees to pick it up.

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.

What is the bone that is removed from a herniated disc?

Sometimes your surgeon will also need to remove a small piece of bone called the lamina from the vertebra. The lamina forms a protective cover over your spinal cord. Removing part or all of it helps the surgeon access your herniated disk. It also can relieve pressure on your nerves and eliminate leg pain and sciatica.

What is the best medicine for back spasms?

And nerve pain medicines, such as amitriptyline ( Elavil, Vanatrip ), duloxetine ( Cymbalta ), ...

What is the procedure called when you have two disks in your back?

This is called spinal fusion . Fusing the two disks will stop the bones from moving and prevent you from having any more pain. Artificial disk surgery. Only a few people are good candidates for artificial disk surgery because it only works on certain disks in your lower back.

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 relieve slipped disc pain?

Most people can relieve slipped disc pain using an exercise program that stretches and strengthens the back and surrounding muscles. A physical therapist may recommend exercises that can strengthen your back while reducing your pain.

How to prevent a slipped disc?

It may not be possible to prevent a slipped disc, but you can take steps to reduce your risk of developing a slipped disc. These steps include: 1 Use safe lifting techniques: Bend and lift from your knees, not your waist. 2 Maintain a healthy weight. 3 Do not remain seated for long periods; get up and stretch periodically. 4 Do exercises to strengthen the muscles in your back, legs, and abdomen.

What happens if you slip a disc?

If the slipped disc compresses one of your spinal nerves, you may also experience numbness and pain along the affected nerve. In severe instances, you may require surgery to remove or repair the slipped disc. Find a doctor near you: Neurologist » Orthopedic Surgeon ».

What causes a disc to protrude?

Each disc has two parts: a soft, gelatinous inner portion and a tough outer ring. Injury or weakness can cause the inner portion of the disc to protrude through the outer ring. This is known as a slipped, herniated, or prolapsed disc. This causes pain and discomfort.

What does a doctor ask about your spine?

They will be interested in when you first felt symptoms and what activities cause your pain to worsen. Imaging tests can help your doctor view the bones and muscles of your spine and identify any damaged areas.

Where can you get a slipped disc?

You can have a slipped disc in any part of your spine, from your neck to your lower back. The lower back is one of the more common areas for slipped discs. Your spinal column is an intricate network of nerves and blood vessels. A slipped disc can place extra pressure on the nerves and muscles around it. Symptoms of a slipped disc include:

What is it called when you have a disc removed?

Your surgeon may remove the damaged or protruding portion of the disc without removing the entire disc. This is called a microdiskectomy. In more severe cases, your doctor may replace the disc with an artificial one or remove the disc and fuse your vertebrae together.

What is a slipped disc?

So, what exactly is a slipped disc? A slipped disc occurs when the gel covering a disc in the spine herniates and shifts, due to degeneration of disc elasticity. A slipped disc is also known as a ‘herniated’, ‘ruptured’ or ‘prolapsed’ disc. Between each vertebra in our spine are discs that keep it supple. These discs also act as shock absorbers.

How to treat a herniated disc?

For less severe cases of herniated or slipped disc, getting sufficient rest, treatment by taking painkillers, and attending physiotherapy and rehabilitation programmes for a few weeks to minimise the risk of future injury may be sufficient for recovery.

How do you know if you have a slipped disc?

Signs and symptoms of a slipped disc include: Lower back pain that moves down to the buttock or leg (sciatica) Numbness or pain that radiates down your legs. Pain when moving lower limbs. Dr Chua shares that some people suffer from a slipped disc for years before they decide to see a doctor.

What is the function of discs in the spine?

Between each vertebra in our spine are discs that keep it supple. These discs also act as shock absorbers. “Depending on the severity of the slipped disc, a person’s disc may be bulging, but not prolapsed, or slipped,” explains Dr Chua Soo Yong, orthopaedic surgeon and spine specialist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Can a slipped disc be painful?

Yes. No. A slipped disc can be painful and life-altering. But with proper medical attention, you can rid the affliction and get your life back on track. Last updated on 8 April 2021. Lounging on a comfortable couch may sound like the perfect way to wind down after a long day at work. But with a slipped disc, you may not be able to stand up ...

Can the nucleus pulposus detach itself from the disc?

In more serious cases, the nucleus pulposus may detach itself from the disc entirely and occupy the space in the spinal canal, causing severe nerve compression, adds Dr Chua.

Can you stand up with a slipped disc?

But with a slipped disc, you may not be able to stand up afterwards. According to medical research, slipped discs are most prevalent in people aged 30 – 50. Males are twice as prone to the condition compared to females. If you think you may have a slipped disc, don’t be afraid to speak to a doctor.

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Diagnosis

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During the physical exam, your doctor will check your back for tenderness. You might be asked to lie flat and move your legs into various positions to help determine the cause of your pain. Your doctor may also perform a neurological exam to check your: 1. Reflexes 2. Muscle strength 3. Walking ability 4. Ability to f…
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Treatment

  • Conservative treatment — mainly modifying activities to avoid movement that causes pain and taking pain medication — relieves symptoms in most people within a few days or weeks.
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Lifestyle and Home Remedies

  • Besides taking the pain medications your doctor recommends, try: 1. Applying heat or cold.Initially, cold packs can be used to relieve pain and inflammation. After a few days, you might switch to gentle heat to give relief and comfort. 2. Avoiding too much bed rest.Staying in bed can lead to stiff joints and weak muscles — which can complicate your...
See more on mayoclinic.org

Alternative Medicine

  • Some alternative and complementary medicine treatments might help ease chronic back pain. Examples include: 1. Chiropractic.Spinal manipulation has been found to be moderately effective for low back pain that has lasted for at least a month. Rarely, chiropractic treatment of the neck can cause certain types of strokes. 2. Acupuncture.Although results are usually modest, acupun…
See more on mayoclinic.org

Preparing For Your Appointment

  • You're likely to start by seeing your family doctor. You might be referred to a doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopedic surgery, neurology, or neurosurgery.
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