4 Ways To Get Relief From Herniated Disc Pain

Health & Medical Blog

If you have chronic back pain, the first important step is to find out the cause of your pain. Back pain has many causes, and a herniated disc is one of them. Once you know you have a herniated disc, you can find targeted treatments that may help much more than simply taking pain pills to get relief. You may need to go to a back pain management facility to find the latest treatments. Here are four ways to help back pain from a herniated disc.

1. Maintain Good Posture

A herniated disc presses against a nerve in your spine and causes pain. The way you hold your body when you walk, sit, or sleep can cause the disc to press harder against the nerve. An important part of your back pain management could include learning how to maintain good posture and learning the best sleeping positions to relieve pressure on the spinal nerve. Your doctor may send you to a physical therapist for this since you may need to strengthen your muscles to improve your posture.

2. Rest And Exercise

You may need to rest often to relieve pressure on your back. Your doctor might also recommend learning exercises that strengthen your back and stretch it for improved flexibility. The doctor at the pain clinic will want to know how long you've had symptoms since the pain from a herniated disc often goes away after several weeks of proper treatments.

If you've been struggling with pain for several months, and you've tried physical therapy, losing weight, and over-the-counter pain relievers with little relief, your doctor may recommend more intensive treatments.

3. Back Injections

If your pain interferes with your ability to work and enjoy life, your doctor might consider back injections. These injections contain a local anesthetic for pain relief and a corticosteroid to decrease inflammation. The injection is given through your back to the area of the herniated disc.

You should receive instant pain relief from the anesthetic and long-term pain relief from the steroid. You might need more than one injection, and your doctor will probably want you to take physical therapy treatments too.

4. Back Surgery

In some cases, back surgery is needed for a herniated disc that won't heal on its own. This could involve removing the portion of the disc that presses against the spinal nerve or removing the entire disc. If you have disc surgery, you may need a spinal fusion too that fuses two vertebrae together to keep your spine stable after having the disc removed. 

For more information about back pain management, contact a local company. 

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