Herniated discs can range from mildly annoying to majorly debilitating, and the sooner you treat the problem, the better your outcomes tend to be. Surgery can fix some herniated discs, but a lot of times the condition won’t progress that far because they tend to respond well to conservative care. But what conservative treatment options should you pursue to treat your herniated disc? We take a look at a couple different nonsurgical treatment options below.
Non-Operative Herniated Disc Treatment
Your doctor will likely suggest that you try up to 12 weeks of conservative care techniques before considering surgery as an option. Odds are you’ll be asked to try one or more of these treatment techniques, as they are often most effective when paired with other techniques.
1. Rest and Pain Relievers – Rest and pain medications can help to reduce herniated disc pain in the short-term, but they won’t be a great long-term solution. That being said, if certain physical tasks are causing your herniated disc to become painful, avoiding these movements or practicing better posture management can prevent a herniated disc from getting worse.
2. Exercise – Exercise helps to strengthen your spinal column and can actually help you regain mobility and reduce pain associated with a herniated disc. It also helps to get healthy blood flowing throughout the spine, which can aid in healing. If normal exercises cause too much discomfort, consider aquatic exercises, because water naturally counteracts the affects of gravity, so you won’t have to bear to full force of your weight.
3. Physical Therapy – Physical therapy is even better than normal exercise because it it targets specific structures in your back. Your spine specialist can help set you up with a physical therapy plan that targets the exact level of the herniation, or they can refer you to a physical therapist. With the right physical therapy plan over the course of a few weeks, your body can actually reabsorb the disc herniation, relieving you of symptoms.
4. Steroid Injections – Epidural steroid injections can provide your body with a concentrated anti-inflammatory effect, which can allow the herniation to heal. This is a great option for individuals who are struggling to complete an exercise or PT program because the herniated disc is causing significant discomfort. An injection can provide pain relief while the strengthening routine helps the spinal column heal.
Your doctor may have you try a combination of these techniques for up to 12 weeks before pursing corrective surgery. When caught at an early enough stage, the vast majority of herniated discs heal with conservative techniques, so don’t just ignore the pain. Actively treat it and work to strengthen the area, and odds are you can avoid surgery.
For more information about lumbar herniated discs, reach out to Dr. Chang today.