What some may call a ‘slipped disc’ is known as a herniated disc in medical terms. The symptoms of this herniated disc cause agonizing pains in the lower lumbar area of the back, all because a tiny piece of the fragmented disc has broken off and is now pressing on a nerve attached to the spinal cord. This article will discuss the herniated disc treatment options that are available at the various stages of the condition.
When your doctor diagnoses this condition, especially if the back pains worsen, your age and regular schedule of activities will be considered. An immediate change will be made to your regular activities to allow for enough rest to alleviate the pain. Mild treatment will be recommended at first, and depending on how the symptom are presenting, further treatment may be necessary.
Sometimes, a herniated disc will sort itself out, given time, by the splinter of disc moving away from the nerve. If this happens, then it is recommended that all activities, practised up until now, should be modified to prevent further stress on the lumbar region and risk the re-occurrence of the herniation happening again. For pain relief and painful muscle spasms, icepacks and heat treatments may help. Gently physical therapy with lumbar stabilization also helps the spine muscles to stabilize which lightens any load placed on a herniated disc and the spine itself. When the muscles of the spine are strengthened further risks of problems with the spine and vertebrae are less likely to occur.
Muscle relaxants for severe pain in the form of injections and narcotics are sometimes used as short term pain treatment. Reducing the inflammation by using anti-inflammatories is a treatment most often used for disc herniation.. Cortisone is injected directly into the nerve area, which is effective. Treatments for this condition vary accordingly. Immediate surgery for herniated disc will only be recommended if there is a neurological deficit caused by symptoms of cauda syndrome and the treatment used to date has not been effective. All of these treatments should be thoroughly discussed with your chiropractor and doctor.