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A herniated disc affects people in different ways. You might only experience pain or you could have pain along with arm or leg weakness. You can get a herniated disc anywhere along your spine, and the location of the herniated disc determines the area of your body affected and the treatment you might need. Here's a look at why a herniated disc causes pain and some treatments that might provide relief.
Reasons Herniated Discs Cause Problems
A disc is a small cushion that fits between the vertebrae in your back. If a disc develops a bulge, the bulged portion of the disc presses against a nerve. The pressure on the nerve is what causes problems like pain, muscle spasms, and muscle weakness. Since the nerve near the herniated disc could run to your fingers or to your feet, you could have radiating pain down your hips or your arms.
Home Treatments For A Herniated Disc
If you have sudden back pain or have back pain that doesn't go away completely, see a doctor to get a diagnosis and treatment recommendation. If you have a herniated disc and the pain is not too extreme, your doctor might recommend resting and avoiding movements that cause pain until your back heals.
You probably won't be put on bed rest because you don't want your muscles to get weak, but you may need to limit your activities, so follow your doctor's instructions for the best chance of a quick recovery.
Your doctor might advise you to use heat or ice to help with pain and take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. A mild herniated disc might heal on its own in several days to a few weeks.
Medical Treatments For A Herniated Disc
Your doctor might send you to physical therapy for treatment. The treatments might include pain relief therapies, such as ultrasound treatments or positioning exercises. If you can move your body in the right position, the pressure is relieved from the nerve and that can help with pain and healing.
You might even take treatments on a decompression table that allow you to stay still on a table while a computer moves the table to just the right position to adjust your spine and relieve pressure on the nerve.
Anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and muscle-relaxing medications might also be prescribed. You can take some orally, and others are injected in your back during a medical procedure.
If your pain is severe or if other treatments don't help, your doctor might decide to do back surgery. The surgery might remove part of the disc so it no longer compresses a nerve. You might need bone fusion surgery if the disc is removed completely.
For more information about herniated disc treatment, contact a doctor.
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