The resulting pain from a herniated disc can be a nuisance at first and lead to debilitating pain if left untreated. Fortunately, there are alternatives to the conventional treatment options for herniated discs. The initial diagnosis will come from your doctor with a physical examination, sometimes followed by a CT scan, EMG, MRI or X-rays.
Table of Contents
- What is a Herniated Disc?
- Conventional Treatment Options for Herniated Discs
- Holistic Herniated Disc Treatment Options
- The Benefits of Holistic Herniated Disc Treatment Options
- Combining Conventional and Holistic Treatment Options for Herniated Discs
What is a Herniated Disc?
A herniated disc occurs when the soft, gel-like center of a spinal disc pushes out from weakness in its tougher exterior casing. This can irritate nearby nerves, leading to pain, numbness, or weakness, often in the arms or legs. They can be caused by age-related deterioration, injury, or strain and may require intervention and treatment options.
Conventional Treatment Options for Herniated Discs
Conventional treatments for a herniated disc generally focus on relieving symptoms and improving mobility before turning to surgery. The first line of treatment often includes rest, heat and cold therapies, and the use of pain relievers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and inflammation. Sometimes selective nerve root block injections that pause the pain signals from the spine to the brain or epidural steroid injections that block the pain in the nerve roots.
Physical therapy is commonly recommended to strengthen the muscles around the spine, improve flexibility, and promote healing. These treatments aim to manage the pain and allow the body to heal naturally. If these methods fail to provide relief or if the disc causes severe nerve impairment, surgical options may be considered like:
- Microdiscectomy: This procedure removes a small portion of a herniated disc to relieve pressure on nearby spinal nerves and reduce pain.
- Lumbar Laminectomy: In this procedure, part of the vertebral bone is removed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.
- Spinal Fusion: This permanently connects two or more vertebrae in the spine to eliminate motion between them.
- Artificial Disc Replacement: A damaged spinal disc is removed and replaced with a synthetic disc to restore normal spacing and alleviate pain.
- Endoscopic Foraminoplasty: This procedure widens the foramen nerve canal to relieve pressure on nerves caused by a herniated disc.
Holistic Herniated Disc Treatment Options
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic spinal manipulation is one of the most popular treatment options for herniated discs. By realigning the vertebrae to reduce pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, chiropractors can enhance spinal mobility and alignment, helping to relieve pain, numbness, and tingling.
Spinal Decompression Therapy
Decompression therapies are widely used herniated disc treatment options. This method gently stretches the spine to create additional space within the spinal canal, suctioning and healing spinal discs by improving nutritional exchange. This approach uses an advanced motorized traction table to relieve pain and improve blood flow.
Biologic Treatments
Biologic treatments offer a patient non-surgical treatment options for herniated discs. Donated regenerative tissues focuse on restoring the disc’s function and alleviating pain through the body’s natural repair mechanisms which adds to and stimulates the patient’s own proteins for cell growth, repair and cell responsiveness.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy, specifically deep tissue massage targets the deeper layers of muscle using slow, firm strokes. The reduced muscle tension helps herniated discs with improved circulation, reduced inflammation, and alleviated muscle spasms.
Nutrition and Supplements
Adopting healthy lifestyle habits are effective herniated disc treatment options. Opting for foods that promote healing and reduce inflammation, such as certain fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats, can help alleviate pain and discomfort. This is called functional nutrition.
Medical Weight Loss Programs
Medically supervised weight loss programs are great treatment options for patients struggling with added body weight and having herniated discs. Patients can achieve a healthier body weight, which can alleviate pressure on the affected discs and surrounding structures. This reduction in weight often leads to decreased pain and improved mobility enabling better healing.
The Benefits of Holistic Herniated Disc Treatment Options
Traditional treatment options for herniated discs may sometimes focus on addressing pain without fully exploring its underlying causes. In recent years, holistic treatment options have gained traction for their effectiveness in managing and treating various forms of pain by addressing the patient’s whole body and lifestyle. Unlike invasive surgeries, holistic treatment options for herniated discs can start during your initial visit, with many patients reporting longer-lasting and more successful outcomes.
In addition to their high success rates, holistic and non-surgical treatment options come with minimal side effects and risks. Surgical procedures carry the risk of infection and unforeseen health complications, and recovery times can extend for weeks or months, and patients often need strong medications, which can lead to the risk of addiction and withdrawal.
Combining Conventional and Holistic Treatment Options for Herniated Discs
For patients should always first pursue an integrative approach that combines holistic treatments for spinal stenosis with conventional methods. Holistic treatments focus on pain relief, inflammation reduction, enhanced healing and even and stress management. An integrative medical approach that treats the patient as a whole often yields better outcomes than relying on a single treatment.
Contact Aligned Medical Group to Find the Right Herniated Disc Treatment Options for You
Aligned Medical Group boasts a team of highly skilled medical professionals who specialize in a range of non-surgical treatments. We collaborate to understand, diagnose, and holistically treat each patient. Our goal is to achieve the best possible outcomes for each patient. Contact Aligned Medical Group today to schedule a consultation and discover how you can alleviate your pain!