How can herniated disc be treated

Surgery is not usually needed, but a GP might refer to you a specialist to discuss surgery if your symptoms:.

There's some evidence that manual therapies, like osteopathy, can help ease lower back pain. Page last reviewed: 22 March Next review due: 22 March Slipped disc. Check if it's a slipped disc A slipped disc also called a prolapsed or herniated disc can cause: lower back pain numbness or tingling in your shoulders, back, arms, hands, legs or feet neck pain problems bending or straightening your back muscle weakness pain in the buttocks, hips or legs if the disc is pressing on the sciatic nerve sciatica Not all slipped discs cause symptoms.

Other causes of back pain Sometimes the pain may be a result of an injury such as a sprain or strain , but often there's no obvious reason. How you can ease the pain from a slipped disc yourself Keep active If the pain is very bad, you may need to rest at first. Take painkillers Alternate painkillers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol. A pharmacist can help with a slipped disc Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs like ibuprofen are not suitable for everyone.

Therapy may include pelvic traction, gentle massage, ice and heat therapy, ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation and stretching exercises. Pain medication and muscle relaxants may also be beneficial in conjunction with physical therapy. A doctor may recommend surgery if conservative treatment options, such as physical therapy and medications, do not reduce or end the pain altogether. Doctors discuss surgical options with patients to determine the proper procedure.

As with any surgery, a patient's age, overall health and other issues are taken into consideration. The benefits of surgery should be weighed carefully against its risks. Although a large percentage of patients with herniated discs report significant pain relief after surgery, there is no guarantee that surgery will help. Lumbar laminotomy is a procedure often utilized to relieve leg pain and sciatica caused by a herniated disc.

It is performed through a small incision down the center of the back over the area of the herniated disc. During this procedure, a portion of the lamina may be removed. Once the incision is made through the skin, the muscles are moved to the side so that the surgeon can see the back of the vertebrae.

A small opening is made between the two vertebrae to gain access to the herniated disc. After the disc is removed through a discectomy, the spine may need to be stabilized. Spinal fusion often is performed in conjunction with a laminotomy. In more involved cases, a laminectomy may be performed. In artificial disc surgery, an incision is made through the abdomen, and the affected disc is removed and replaced.

Only a small percentage of patients are candidates for artificial disc surgery. The patient must have disc degeneration in only one disc, between L4 and L5, or L5 and S1 the first sacral vertebra. The patient must have undergone at least six months of treatment, such as physical therapy, pain medication or wearing a back brace, without showing improvement.

The patient must be in overall good health with no signs of infection, osteoporosis or arthritis. Ongoing concerns: How can I prevent a herniated disc? What exercises can I do to prevent back problems? How do I lift properly to prevent a back injury? Health Tools Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. Decision Points focus on key medical care decisions that are important to many health problems.

Actionsets are designed to help people take an active role in managing a health condition. Cause Wear and tear, also called disc degeneration , is the usual cause of a herniated disc. This can also happen when you injure your back. Injury can occur from: A sudden heavy strain or increased pressure to the lower back. Sometimes a sudden twisting movement or even a sneeze will force some of the material out. Activities that are done over and over again that may stress the lower back, including poor lifting habits, prolonged exposure to vibration, and sports-related injuries.

Symptoms If the herniated disc isn't pressing on a nerve, you may have an ache in the low back or no symptoms at all. Only a few people who have herniated discs have severe or troublesome symptoms. When the disc does press on a nerve, symptoms may include: Pain that travels through the buttock and down a leg to the ankle or foot because of pressure on the sciatic nerve. Low back pain may accompany the leg pain. Tingling "pins-and-needles" sensation or numbness in one leg that can begin in the buttock or behind the knee and extend to the thigh, ankle, or foot.

Weakness in certain muscles in one or both legs. Pain in the front of the thigh. What Happens Due to age, injury, or both, the outer layer of a spinal disc may dry out and form tiny cracks. Sometimes this causes a: Bulging disc. Some of the thick gel in the disc may leak into the cracks.

The disc may begin to bulge out from between the bones of the spine vertebrae. Ruptured disc. The gel breaks through the capsule. Free fragment. Fragments of a ruptured disc may break completely free of the disc and lodge in the spinal canal. Getting help early on can lower your chance of having lasting problems, such as the following: Pain may come and go. Pain-free periods happen less and less. Long-lasting chronic and recurring pain can develop because of continued tissue irritation caused by the disc pressing on a nerve.

Chronic pain syndrome can result from having ongoing pain, causing depression, anxiety, and trouble coping with daily life. Symptoms caused by long-term nerve root compression include loss of agility, strength, or sensation in one or both legs and feet. What Increases Your Risk Risk factors are things that increase your risk of having a herniated disc.

Risk factors that you cannot change Getting older. Being male. Having a history of back injury, previous herniated disc, or back surgery. Risk factors that you can change Your job or other activities. These may include: Long periods of sitting. Lifting or pulling heavy objects. Frequent bending or twisting of the back. Heavy physical exertion. Repetitive motions.

Exposure to constant vibration such as driving. Not exercising regularly, doing strenuous exercise for a long time, or starting to exercise too strenuously after a long period of inactivity.

Nicotine and other toxins from smoking can keep spinal discs from absorbing all the nutrients they need from the blood, making disc injury more likely. Smoking also increases your sensitivity to pain. Being overweight. Carrying extra body weight especially in the stomach area may put additional strain on the lower back, although this hasn't been proved. But being overweight often also means being in poor physical condition, with weaker muscles and less flexibility.

These can lead to low back pain. When To Call Call or other emergency services immediately if: An injury causes numbness or weakness in one or both legs.

Call your doctor now if: You have a new loss of bowel or bladder control. Leg pain is accompanied by persistent weakness, tingling, or numbness in any part of the leg from the buttock to the ankle or foot. Leg pain or intermittent weakness, tingling, or numbness lasts longer than 1 week despite home treatment. You have back pain that either won't go away or builds in intensity over a few weeks. A back injury is work-related, and symptoms don't improve in 2 to 3 days.

Back pain is accompanied by pain during urination or blood in the urine. You have back pain that is worse when you are resting than when you are active. You notice a gradual increase in problems with bowel or bladder control. Watchful waiting Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach. If you have pain, numbness, or tingling in one leg that gets worse with sitting, standing, or walking without any obvious leg weakness : You may try a brief period of bed rest—usually no more than 1 to 2 days—then gradually begin activities if the pain is manageable.

Take short walks. Avoid movements and positions that increase pain or numbness. Who to see For diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of a herniated disc, you may see: A family medicine doctor. An internist. A chiropractor. A physical therapist. A physiatrist a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation. A rheumatologist. A neurologist. For diagnosis and surgical treatment of a herniated disc, specialists include: A neurosurgeon.

An orthopedic surgeon. Exams and Tests Your doctor will do a medical history and physical exam. We can use stretching techniques to ease the muscle spasm and then we use our hands to move the joints, to mobilise them.

A herniated disc is not purely about the spine. As an Osteopath, I look at the hips and the whole body. If one part of the body is not moving properly, this can mean that certain movements and thus additional forces pass through the back e.

That puts excessive forces on the discs and they can herniate. So we look at those imbalances and work on them. Once we get movement back in the spine and start to address structural imbalances, simple exercises to strengthen the muscles will help to support the spine and ease pressure on the disc.

That creates an environment for the body to heal itself and repair the injured disc. Disc herniation usually occurs at a specific level. The spinal segments are extremely strong and if they become stiff over a long period of time, it can be difficult to take the pressure off the disc and get the segment moving again.

IDD Therapy is a mechanical tool which allows us to decompress and mobilise targeted spinal segments. It was developed to address the failings of earlier traction treatment and the key with IDD Therapy is it works at the specific spinal segment. Then using computer-controlled pulling forces, IDD Therapy directs a pulling force to a targeted level to gently open the space between two vertebrae and to relieve pressure on the disc and nerves.

At the same time, the system gently oscillates the forces, meaning the soft tissues are both stretched and mobilised. The combination of decompression and mobilisations helps to take the pressure off the disc and restore mobility. The treatment forces applied are progressively increased as the body adapts. The good news is IDD Therapy is extremely comfortable and suitable for people of all ages.

Some patients even go to sleep! IDD Therapy is combined with manual therapy and exercise and patients have a course of treatments over a six week period. The aim is to relieve pain and create a platform for long term healing. IDD Therapy is suitable for most patients with an unresolved herniated disc.

The exceptions being if people are pregnant have metal implants in their spine or they have severe osteoporosis. If a patient has severe weakness in their legs or the herniated disc is causing incontinence, then we would refer them immediately to a consultant. Surgery is a last resort to treat a herniated disc when manual therapy and IDD Therapy have not brought about change. When the pain is so severe and unresolved, or if the nerve pain is causing weakness in the leg, then surgery can be carried out to remove the part of the disc pushing on the nerve.

Surgery can relieve the leg pain instantly, however it is not given routinely because there are risks and it does not address the underlying causes of the compression, immobility in the spine and weakness. Hence it is so important to have full rehab when a patient undergoes surgery for a herniated disc. If weakness and a lack of movement contributed to the disc herniation, it goes without saying that certain lifestyle changes will make a big impact on preventing a recurrence of the problem.

Gentle activity like walking helps, or specific exercise classes to stay flexible and strong, such as pilates may benefit. Of course, we want people to be more aware of their posture and hydration. Most people fully recover from a herniated disc and it is important people get the right advice from a registered professional. The goal of most practitioners is to help people out of pain and onto a path of long term wellbeing.

Great article! I enjoyed it my back still hurts of course, but, what? I currently have a herniated l5 s1 that is causing numbness in my legs and lots of pain. I see my spine doctor in 4 days and i am hoping he will give IDD therapy a shot. I would rather not have surgery but at this point i just want whatever works. Thank you for the hope of something other than surgery!! Have the same issue as You. Just wondered how you are now. I have booked a course of 20 IDD sessions and had my 8th today.