When a patient is first diagnosed with a herniated disc, treatments will likely take the form of conservative (non-surgical) methods. A doctor may prescribe physical therapy, over-the-counter NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), gentle stretching, low-impact exercise, cold compresses, and heat therapy, among others. More targeted pain management techniques may become necessary if your symptoms to do not subside with these conservative treatments. If this is the case, your doctor may suggest prescription narcotics, corticosteroid injections, analgesic pain patches, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).
Alternative Treatments
Some patients choose to supplement their prescribed treatment regimen with alternative herniated disc treatments . Although not always condoned – or at least not touted – by the mainstream medical community, many patients have found relief from herniated disc symptoms with holistic approaches, including:
- Acupressure
- Acupuncture
- Yoga
- Chiropractic manipulation
- Herbal remedies
If you do decide to add any type of alternative therapy to the treatments your doctor has prescribed, be sure to tell your doctor so that you can avoid negative side effects or dangerous drug interactions.
Surgical Herniated Disc Treatments
Surgery for a herniated disc is reserved for rare cases when individuals are simply not able to find relief with conservative treatments. Surgery is aimed at relieving neural compression being caused by the ruptured disc, though the various types of surgeries will approach this goal in different ways. If you would like to learn more about minimally invasive decompression procedures, contact Laser Spine Institute. As the world’s leader in endoscopic spine surgery, we’ve helped tens of thousands of people find relief from back and neck pain without the invasiveness that is associated with open spine operations.
