First, when you lie down, the pressure on your discs increases. It can cause the herniated disc to bulge more and pressure your nerves. Second, lying down flat on your back may not be the best position for a herniated disc. When you sleep on your back, your head and neck are in a neutral position.
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.
Sleep on Your Side in the Fetal Position
This position is mostly beneficial if you have herniated disc in the upper back. Curling your torso into a fetal position opens up the vertebrae on your back to offer relief. It also allows you to fall asleep more easily. Remember to switch sides often to prevent any imbalances.
Sleeping With a Herniated Disc
It's also been known to increase the arch in the lower back which can also cause pain. If you currently find yourself stomach-sleeping on a regular basis, adjusting your habits now can help you improve your sleep habits to help mitigate your herniated disc pain from getting any worse.
Sitting is not really the preferred position when you have a herniated lumbar disc. Most physical therapists will recommend standing up, moving around or lying down over sitting.
The pain is a result of spinal nerve inflammation and swelling caused by the pressure of the herniated disc. Over time, the herniation tends to shrink and you may experience partial or complete pain relief. In most cases, if low back and/or leg pain is going to resolve it will do so in about 6 weeks.
The following ways can help naturally treat a bulging disc: see a chiropractor for spinal adjustments, visit a physical therapist, stay active, get enough sleep and rest, work on correcting your posture, eat an anti-inflammatory diet, and reduce pain using essential oils, massage therapy, heat and acupuncture.
“Most acute pain from a herniated disc in the lower back will subside after four to six weeks, but pain can come and go and persist over several months,” says Dr.
An untreated herniated disk can get worse. That's especially true if you continue the activities that caused it — for instance, if it developed because of your work. A worsening ruptured disk may cause chronic (ongoing) pain and loss of control or sensation in the affected area.
While direct manual pressure to the spine is contraindicated, massaging the surrounding muscular tissues can ease the symptoms of a herniated or bulging disc. In addition to relieving the discomfort, massage can also increase the chances of the disc healing on its own without invasive measures.
Herniated discs are most commonly located in the lower back. The best herniated disc sleeping position is usually sleeping on your back. This position keeps the spine in alignment. If the pain persists, you can place a pillow under the lower back and knees to ease the pressure placed on the spine.
With a forward bend (standing or otherwise), the pelvis should be tilted forward so that the sacrum is moving in the same direction as the lumbar spine – otherwise there is a hinge point in the lumbar spine which puts added, undue stress on the anterior portion of the intervertebral discs, adding to the posterior ...
In a simple forward bend, the discs bulge straight back into the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine. This usually prevents disc damage in this direction. If you combine a forward bend with a spinal twist, the direction of the force is to the back and one side, where there is no ligament to protect the disc.
L4-L5 disc bulge, slipped disc, spondylosis, bone-spur, and joint pain is treatable without injections or surgery. Avoid the L4-L5 surgery by opting for our corrective non-surgical treatment to fix and repair spinal discs and joints.
Therefore if you have an onset of back pain, even if you do have a disc bulge or prior history of one, it may be caused by something else and not the disc. Is it permanent? Disc bulges are not permanent. The disc is a fluid filled structure and therefore has the capacity to heal, resolve and be re-absorbed.
Walking is a gentle form of exercise that has the potential to be beneficial if you have a bulging or herniated spinal disc. We explain why below. Walking isn't too strenuous, which is one reason it tends to be beneficial even with a bulging disc.
A bulging disk usually results from aging, but it can also be due to spinal injury, such as the result of a car accident. An injury could also cause symptoms to become more severe. Other risk factors include: engaging in some types of physical activity, especially if they involve repetitive movements.
Though exercising can't necessarily heal a bulging disc, it can strengthen your back, increase spine stability, and help decrease stress on the disc.
In some cases, surgery may be required to fix a herniated disc. However, bulging discs more often heal on their own over time, and surgery isn't needed. Your doctor can perform a neurological exam to test your muscle strength, reflexes, and walking ability.
If you continue to stay dehydrated, this can cause permanent damage to the spinal discs and create painful lifelong conditions such as bulging and herniated discs. Proper hydration is important to prevent this type of damage and improve not just your spinal health but your health overall.
Thus, it's recommended that you stretch your muscles as often as possible to ease the pain and prevent muscle spasms from becoming chronic. There are many great stretches that you can do to ease the back pain caused by a herniated disc. The knee to chest is one of the best stretches that you can do on a daily basis.
Stretching is actually one of the best ways to minimize and prevent ongoing leg pain from a herniated disc.
One of the best things that you can do for a herniated disc is to stay active. This may seem counterintuitive, but bed rest is actually not helpful for healing a herniated disc. In fact, it can actually make the pain worse. When you are inactive, your muscles weaken and your range of motion decreases.