Which Herniated Disc Treatment Can I Use?

As with any health condition, it is important to evaluate all the different treatments available to determine which option is the best for you. In the case of bulging disc treatment, several options exist and all options have advantages and disadvantages.

Medical intervention typically involves utilizing medication that is meant to decrease swelling and mask pain, whether taken orally or injected into the area of the disc herniation. If this does not provide adequate pain relief within the desired length of time, herniated disc surgery will usually be recommended to either remove the offending portion of the disc or to remove a portion of the vertebra to allow the nerve and disc more space.

The greatest advantage to medical intervention as a herniated disk treatment is generally quick relief of pain and symptoms. The disadvantages to this treatment option are that the problems which produced the disc herniation in the first place are not addressed and as a result many times these problems will either not resolve or will return later, and the fact that the risk of side effects are relatively high. Also, especially in the case of herniated disc repair or especially replacement disc surgery, you are significantly limited in pursuing other treatment methods once you have undergone surgery if further problems develop in the future. Also, herniated disc surgery recovery my keep you from being able to perform home and work duties for a period of several days to even a few weeks.

Physical therapy for herniated disc may be recommended to improve movement in the low back and assist in stretching and strengthening of the muscles in the lower back and pelvis. The advantage of physical therapy is in its ability to train you in exercise for herniated disc to help provide proper care of your back and spine, encouraging you to develop habits that will not only provide you benefit in the short term, but also for years to come. Also, it carries with it few if any side effects and can be utilized along with other methods of treating herniated discs without conflict. The disadvantage to physical therapy treatment is that by itself it may not be effective in getting to the root of the problem, so herniated disc recovery may be slow or incomplete.

Acupuncture and herniated disc are becoming more commonly associated with one another, especially in regard to herniated disc pain relief. The advantage of acupuncture is that it is a safe herniated disc natural treatment. There are few if any side effects to treatment so you are not limited in pursuing other options in healing your herniated disc. Acupuncture's main disadvantage is that it may not effectively deal with the damage within the joint, allowing symptoms to persist or return.

Perhaps one of the most popular natural disc herniation treatments is chiropractic care designed to restore alignment of the spine and alleviate pressure on the nervous system. The main advantage to this herniated disc treatment method is that it is also quite safe and effective in providing not only short term but also long-term relief of disc herniation pain and symptoms. A chiropractor can also make herniated disk exercise, stretching, strengthening and postural recommendations which can help improve your overall health. The disadvantage to this option is that it may take time for your symptoms to go away.

Nutritional therapy may be beneficial assist bulging disc treatment as well. Supplements which have been shown to strengthen and improve joint function, such as Glucosamine HCl, Chondroitin Sulfate, MSM and GLA, to name a few, can help strengthen the outer portion of the disc. Over time this may help your body restore the herniated portion of the disc and keep the disc healthy if used regularly.

For reasons yet unknown, you may respond better to one or a combination of herniated disc treatments then to others. It is important to set your expectations at a reasonable level. It will take time for your body to heal from any injury or health problem. In the case of disc herniations, regardless of what area of the spine is involved it may take a few weeks to achieve herniated disc pain relief and several weeks to up to a couple of months to effectively resolve the problem.

It is wise to use the more conservative methods of treatment first, including chiropractic care, nutritional therapy, physical therapy and acupuncture. If these options don't provide you the benefit that you are looking for in a reasonable time frame, you can still use more aggressive forms of treatment including medical intervention. When you go to aggressive forms of care first, many times you are no longer able to get benefit from less invasive measures, so your options become limited. It is never wise to put all of your eggs in one basket.

Not sure if what a disc herniation is or if you have one? Check out disc herniation information and disc herniation symptoms.