Try to avoid high-impact activities that cause your pain to flare up. However, be mindful of resting too much — prolonged immobilization can end up causing more pain, stiffness and inflammation.
Stay active with low-impact activities like swimming or yoga as much as you can tolerate without experiencing too much pain. Ice and heat. Alternate ice and heat packs several times a day to soothe pain, swelling, inflammation and stiffness. For mild to moderate pain, an over-the-counter pain medication like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be effective.
Cortisone injection. A corticosteroid injection can temporarily reduce inflammation and irritation around compressed nerves in the spine. While the effects of an injection are short-term, it gives your body time to start the healing process and gives you a break from pain and discomfort. Physical therapy. Your doctor may recommend a course of physical therapy to help you strengthen your back muscles and joints.
A therapist can also show you stretches to relieve pressure in the spine and reduce your pain. Integrity Spine and Orthopedics Treats Spine and Joint Conditions Integrity Spine and Orthopedics offers several services to treat a range of spine and joint conditions.
Keep Reading Are Bone Spurs Painful? Request An Appointment Below. Herniated disk The rubbery disks that lie between the vertebrae in your spine consist of a soft center nucleus surrounded by a tougher exterior annulus.
Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Herniated disc. American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Accessed Aug. Herniated disc. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; Levin K, et al. Acute lumbosacral radiculopathy: Treatment and prognosis. Herniated disk. NCS is similar, but it measures how well your nerves pass an electrical signal from one end of the nerve to another. These tests can detect nerve damage and muscle weakness.
X-rays view the bony vertebrae in your spine and can tell your doctor if any of them are too close together or whether you have arthritic changes, bone spurs, or fractures. It's not possible to diagnose a herniated disc with this test alone. Conservative nonsurgical treatment is the first step to recovery and may include medication, rest, physical therapy, home exercises, hydrotherapy, epidural steroid injections ESI , chiropractic manipulation, and pain management.
Self care : In most cases, the pain from a herniated disc will get better within a couple days and completely resolve in 4 to 6 weeks. Medication : Your doctor may prescribe pain relievers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications NSAIDs , muscle relaxants, and steroids.
Steroid injections : The procedure is performed under x-ray fluoroscopy and involves an injection of corticosteroids and a numbing agent into the epidural space of the spine. The medicine is delivered next to the painful area to reduce the swelling and inflammation of the nerves Fig. Repeat injections may be given to achieve the full effect. Duration of pain relief varies, lasting for weeks or years.
Physical therapy: The goal of physical therapy is to help you return to full activity as soon as possible and prevent re-injury. Exercise and strengthening exercises are key elements to your treatment and should become part of your life-long fitness.
Surgery for a herniated lumbar disc, called a discectomy, may be an option if your symptoms do not significantly improve with conservative treatments. Surgery may also be recommended if you have signs of nerve damage, such as weakness or loss of feeling in your legs. Microsurgical discectomy : The surgeon makes a 1—2 inch incision in the middle of your back. To reach the damaged disc, the spinal muscles are dissected and moved aside to expose the vertebra.
A portion of the bone is removed to expose the nerve root and disc. The portion of the ruptured disc that touches your spinal nerve is carefully removed using special instruments. Minimally invasive microendoscopic discectomy : The surgeon makes a tiny incision in the back. Small tubes called dilators are used with increasing diameter to enlarge a tunnel to the vertebra.
The surgeon uses either an endoscope or a microscope to remove the ruptured disc. This technique causes less muscle injury than a traditional discectomy. Clinical trials are research studies in which new treatments—drugs, diagnostics, procedures, and other therapies—are tested in people to see if they are safe and effective.
Research is always being conducted to improve the standard of medical care. Information about current clinical trials, including their eligibility, protocol, and locations are found on the web. Gore S, Nadkarni S. Sciatica: detection and confirmation by new method. Int J Spine Surg. Published Dec 1. Inflammation in intervertebral disc degeneration and regeneration [published correction appears in J R Soc Interface.
J R Soc Interface. Slipped disk: Overview. Updated Jun 1. Lumbosacral Disc Injuries. In: StatPearls [Internet].
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