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The
goals of treatment for a herniated disc are to:
-
Relieve
pain, weakness, or numbness in the leg and lower back caused by pressure on
a spinal nerve root or the spinal cord.
-
Promote
a return to normal work, recreation, and other activities.
-
Prevent
reinjury to your back and reduce the risk of disability from back pain.
Because
inflammation usually fades over time, about 50% of people with a herniated disc
in the low back recover within 1 month. And within 6 months, most people
recover.1
Only 10% of people with herniated disc problems that cause noticeable symptoms
eventually have surgery.2
Often a herniated disc heals on its own as the jellylike material (nucleus)
inside the disc is broken down and absorbed by the body, a process called
resorption. For this reason, nonsurgical treatment is typically recommended
before surgery is considered.
Nonsurgical
treatment
Nonsurgical
treatment is intended to help you return to your daily activities and usually
includes:
Education
. Learn how to take care of your back, which may include training in pain and
symptom control. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy. A physical
therapist can provide treatment with physical or mechanical means-such as
through exercise or heat-and teach you exercises to do at home to strengthen the
muscles that support your lower back.
Rest
. Your doctor may recommend a short period of rest or reduced activity followed
by a gradual increase in activity.
Pain
relief . Some people
can deal with pain without medicine if they know there is a good chance it will
go away on its own. However, you can use medicine to control pain and
inflammation. Pain medicines include:
Exercise
. Keep active and use exercises, as recommended by your doctor or physical
therapist, to help you return to your usual level of activity. Core
stabilization exercises can help you strengthen the muscles of your trunk to
protect your back.
Surgery
Surgery
is eventually the treatment for about 10% of people who have a herniated disc.
Surgery can be a good choice for people who have nerve damage that is getting
worse, or severe weakness or numbness, or if pain is not improved after at least
4 weeks of nonsurgical treatment.1
The most common and effective surgery for herniated disc is discectomy, in which
disc material is removed through an incision. Discectomy is done mostly to
relieve pain and other symptoms in the leg. It is not done if the herniated disc
only causes back pain.
Many
people are able to resume work and daily activities soon after surgery. In some
cases, your doctor may recommend a rehabilitation program after surgery, which
might include physical therapy and home exercises.
What
To Think About
Pain
management counseling can help you develop mental skills for coping with and
reducing chronic pain.
Teens
and young adults rarely develop herniated discs, but when they do, nonsurgical
treatment based on rehabilitation and anti-inflammatory medicines usually helps
to relieve symptoms.3
Reference from Healthwise
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