HealthcareHerniated Disc: 7 Ways to Relieve Pain

Back and spinal injuries are common, especially if you have to engage in physical activities on a regular basis. But one of the worst kinds of back injuries is a herniated disc.

The spine is made of bones (vertebrae) cushioned by discs stacked between each of the bones. These round discs have a tough outer layer (annulus) that contains a nucleus. Since discs are located between the spinal bones, they have the ability to absorb shock and pressure, protecting your spinal bones.

However, too much pressure and shock can damage or rupture the disc and cause the nucleus to be pushed out of the annulus – the outer layer – into the spinal canal. Now, the spinal canal doesn’t have a lot of space, and displaced disc and nucleus can press the nerves around the spine, which can trigger a lot of pain. This pain can get severe over time, so immediate treatment is required.

Usually, discs that are prone to get herniated are at their initial stage of degeneration – which is something unavoidable because it happens with age.

Moreover, any disc of a spine can get herniated; lower back discs are more common to get herniated, but the cervical spine (neck) is also prone to get herniated. The pain occurs in the part of the back or neck where the spinal discs are damaged. However, if not treated immediately and effectively, this pain can spread.

Even after medical attention and the initiation of professional herniated disc treatment, what bothers patients the most is the pain and irritation caused by it. Not only this pain strictly limits you from performing usual physical tasks, but it doesn’t even let sleep at night.

However, there are some ways in which you can relieve your back pain faster while recovering through a herniated disc. Check them out below.

1. Inflammation Relief

When a herniated disc occurs, it results in swelling and inflammation. One way to relieve pain is to relieve inflammation first. And it can be done with heat pads and ice packs.

The way to do this is to lie down on your stomach with a pillow or two under your crotch area. Apply the heat pad first pad on the affected part of the back, take a 10-minute break, and then apply the ice pack. Apply both for 10 to 15 minutes; do this activity twice a day.

This will help alleviate the inflammation and decrease pain. However, if the pain isn’t affected after these remedies, check out other remedies in this list and apply.

2. Move Carefully

A herniated disc causes a lack of movement and creates a weakness in the body, which restricts the physical ability to perform usual household tasks. Some people, out of boredom and frustration, stop resting all the time and start doing minimum and physically less demanding works around the house, which can result badly.

Patients tend to believe that small physical activities wouldn’t matter, but in a professional opinion, even small activities can put a strain on your back because it’s already very weak due to disc herniation. Therefore, it’s better to be very cautious and always consult a doctor before trying to get back on a physical routine.

Some things you need to keep in mind are: avoid wearing high heels, don’t stand or sit for long periods (it’s better to walk around a bit every once in a while), avoid lifting heavy objects (if you are lifting light objects, then your back should be straight; use your knees and hips to lower your body while lifting), avoid stretching or bending your body repeatedly to reach something, and always maintain a straight posture while sitting or standing.

3. Try to Be Active

Indeed, rest is very important and you shouldn’t physically strain your body during the first days of recovery. However, after the consultation from a professional, you can gradually slide back into your old routine by being a little more active every day.

While rest can be frustrated at the beginning (when it’s recommended), it doesn’t take much time to become habitual and make you lazy. And if you are still resting on the edge of being fully recovered, you need to stop and try to be active, but that still doesn’t mean doing activities that can make your spine worse, like heavy lifting, carrying heavy items, bending, or reaching.

What you can do is go for a swim, walk in the park, and go for a bicycle ride. If your work requires to do strain on your body, you shouldn’t go back to it yet.

As you slowly become more active, the pain will start eradicating itself.

4. Adjust Your Sleeping Position

A lot of us sleep in weirdly wrong positions. Of course, we have no idea what toll it’s causing in the long term. But now that you are already a victim of disc herniation, it’s time you let your body heal, recover from pain, and be physically more able by adjusting your sleep position.

The pain relief may come from lying on your stomach on pillows to keep your back rounded. If you are lying on your back, stack pillows underneath your knees to keep your knees and hips afloat and your legs parallel to the bed.

During day time, try to take your naps on the floor. If you are sitting on a chair, rest your legs on another chair. This would contribute to pain relief.

5. Exercise and Physical Therapy

As stated above, trying to be a little more active, by walking, swimming, or bicycling, is a really good idea when your recovery is near. However, another great way to lessen the pain in your body and bringing it gradually back to a normal routine is exercise.

There is an exercise routine with special stretches that help alleviate the pain that originates because of disc herniation.

You can consult your doctor regarding this and they will let you know about a physical therapist who is experienced in providing a workout routine (and probably help you follow it) for people who have suffered from a herniated disc.

Physical therapy and exercise would make your spinal muscles stronger, which will lessen the pressure on your nerves because of disc herniation. It will also increase mobility.

6. Chiropractic Care

You always have the option of taking prescribed drugs to get relief from pain if the OTC medications aren’t working. And if other pain relief techniques aren’t working, you also have the option to go for injection-based treatments for pain relief. Surgery might also be the solution if the back doesn’t seem to heal.

However, if you want to avoid taking hardcore drugs, having injections, or going into surgery, you can opt for chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic care doesn’t use any drugs, injections, or surgical equipment; they only use hands or tools which can be used to apply pressure on the outside.

Experienced chiropractors use a method called spinal decompression that takes the pressure off the spine discuss by causing negative pressure. This, as result, retracts the herniated disc and depressurizes the nerves. As the oxygen, water, and nutrients flow through your spine, the pain will go away within a few days.

This post has been sponsored by Blueprint Digital LLC