Spinal decompression is one of the most effective and is a traction-based exercise and movement that is appropriate for disc herniations/disc bulges. This will help to relieve pressure at the level of the disc herniation and alleviate some pain in the low back.
Nine out of ten individuals with a herniated disc can heal their condition through non-invasive procedures. If you want to explore conservative options for recovery, chiropractic care is an excellent place to start. A chiropractor can help you heal naturally and relieve your pain.
It will depend on the severity of the issues as well as whether or not the chiropractor has found additional problems. Typically, a disc protrusion can take up to three months to repair. In most cases, you may be seeing your chiropractor longer than that.
A chiropractor will also test your reflexes if he or she suspects a herniated disc. If the nerves are not sending messages correctly, the reflexes will not react as they should.
Flexion-Distraction Technique
Using a slow, pumping rhythm your chiropractor will work the problem area. By stimulating your disc, while your spine is stretched out, the disc can be manipulated back into a more natural position. By shifting the disc back away from the nerve, pain and inflammation can reduce.
Skip movements that involve significant axial loading on the lower back, such as squats and leg presses. Avoid toe-touches, sit-ups, and yoga poses that worsen the pain and lead to significant bending of the back.
Chiropractic care and physiotherapy are both safe and effective treatments for back pain. Discuss your concerns with a healthcare professional for referral for appropriate therapy options. In some cases, incorporating both therapies can maximize benefits and provide both immediate relief and long-term gains.
Massage therapists can't cure a herniated disc, but therapeutic bodywork enhances the muscle health of the surrounding area, which can take a lot of the stress off the injured area, allowing it to heal itself. Circulation is stimulated, muscle tension is reduced, and the release of feel-good endorphins means less pain.
Herniated discs can cause symptoms like numbness, weakness, stiffness, or limited muscle mobility. Massage therapy can help release the tightness within muscle tissue from nerve compression that is triggering pain in other parts of your body.
Treatment with rest, pain medication, spinal injections, and physical therapy is the first step to recovery. Most people improve in 6 weeks and return to normal activity. If symptoms continue, surgery may be recommended.
Sokunbi notes, “and sometimes don't have the ability to heal completely.” Most often, herniated discs in healthy patients heal quickly. However, nerve compression bad enough to cause radiculopathy—pain radiating down the nerve to an arm or leg—may take longer to get better, says Dr. Butler.
Most of the time, pain associated with a herniated disc goes away on its own over a period of weeks or months and does not cause permanent damage to the spine or nerves. A herniated disc can occur in any part of the spine, but it is most common in the lower back (the lumbar spine) and the neck (the cervical spine).
Physiotherapy is recommended for the treatment of herniated or bulging discs to assist patients to manage their pain and get them moving again. Often in physical therapy, patients will be introduced to an exercise program designed for each injured region.
In addition to natural wear and tear, other factors that can contribute to a bulging disc include repetitive movements, strenuous lifting, twisting of the body, bone spurs pushing against the disc, and many other degenerative conditions.
4) Applying Heat, via a heating pad or heat wrap, even a hot bath may help muscle spasms in the first 2 days of initial pain. Heat helps soft issues to stretch, dilates blood vessels and decreases pain signals giving some relief to the discomfort.
The optimal sleeping position for a herniated disc is on your back. Lying on your back keeps your spine in a neutral position so you have less chance of pinching the nerve. For added comfort, nestle a small pillow or rolled-up towel under your knees and lower back.
3) Fetal Position: When you suffer from a herniated disc, this is often the most comfortable position to sleep in. Fetal position is achieved by lying on your side with your knees pulled up to your chest. The position takes the pressure off your spine and allows you to get a good night's sleep.
When you get an adjustment, your vertebrae are being moved slightly. Your muscles have to adapt to the movement of the bone, so they may end up lengthening or shortening slightly, which can lead to soreness. The soreness is related to the movement of the bones and not to the pressure utilized by the chiropractor.
For acute low back pain, 6 to 12 sessions over the course of 2 to 4 weeks is standard. These initial treatments emphasize the "passive" (non-exercise) approaches of manual therapy to relieve pain and improve function.
Herniated discs are excruciatingly painful and any little movement could further aggravate them. While some may think that chiropractic care will cause more damage to the spine and further aggravate a herniated disc, nothing could be further from the truth.
Sitting for long periods is not advised if you suffer from a herniated disc. It places more stress on your spinal discs, worsening the pain. You can maintain comfort by regularly moving around or standing up from your seat.
The good news is that in most cases — 90% of the time — pain caused by a herniated disc will go away on its own within six months. Initially, your doctor will likely recommend that you take an over-the-counter pain reliever and limit activities that cause pain or discomfort.
Non-surgical Treatments for Herniated Discs
Other non-surgical treatments for a herniated disc include: Cortisone injections are injected into the area around the spinal nerves. Muscle relaxers to relieve spasms. Physical therapy in the form of stretches and exercises designed to minimize pain.