Coping with the pain due to a herniated disc or a bulging disc can be one of the most frustrating things a person can go through.
Not only is herniated disc pain one of the most difficult types of pain to relieve, it also interferes with a person’s life more than most health conditions because of the parts of the body that are affected.
As a back pain sufferer, you’re not alone.
Did you know that over 80% of the population will suffer with a disabling episode of back pain at some point in their life? This comes out to be over 13 million people per year, or over 36,000 people per day!
In addition to that, 1 out of every 3 people will suffer with a disabling episode of neck pain at some point in their life. And cervical disc conditions (especially a neck herniated disc) lead to more disability than any other neck condition.
What’s scary is that over 50% of people who experience an episode of neck and/or back pain will develop permanent pain that can not be alleviated by traditional medical treatments.
I think we’ve all heard the old adage, “It’s the little things in life that are important.”
If you’re like most people I know, you probably didn’t really appreciate that statement until you began to experience the limitations that came about because of your herniated disc.
Little things like sleeping, bending over, cleaning, playing sports, riding in a vehicle comfortably, etc.
The good news is there is an answer! Unfortunately, most doctors don’t completely understand how a bulging disc causes pain, so most of the back disc treatments that are recommended are ineffective (including back disc surgery).
If you’ve already been to a GP, you understand exactly what I’m talking about.
For example, did you know that the medications that are used to treat herniated disc pain are only effective about 30% of the time? In addition to this, these medications usually make a person incredibly drowsy and often leave them unable to function.
And what happens when you stop taking the medications? The pain is right back again, only this time, it’s usually worse. Why? The medication doesn’t actually heal what’s causing your pain it only numbs the pain so it feels better.
This leads a person to believe their bulging disc is healed, when in actuality, the pain is just being dulled so you don’t feel it. So you do all the things you shouldn’t do (because you think it’s better), and the disc actually becomes worse.
If that’s not enough to concern you, one of the more serious concerns about these medications is the long-term effect on the body. These medications are very toxic to the liver and kidneys, and can cause very serious, permanent damage to these organs.
When medications don’t work, the next step is usually physical therapy and regular visits to a pain clinic. Usually the success rate here is slightly higher, but the problem with both of these methods is that they usually only provide temporary relief.
The treatments you receive at a pain clinic are probably the most deceiving of all. The good news is that they usually provide relief from the pain (usually with cortisone injections, nerve blocks, epidurals, and other back disc treatments that are more invasive).
However, once they wear off (and they do wear off), the result is the same as the medications the condition usually gets worse, because you think it’s better since the pain is gone. Usually these treatments become less and less effective, and you’re left with the same problem you had to begin with.
Finally, back disc surgery is the last stop. There’s a reason doctor’s don’t usually recommend surgery first its success rate is the worst of all. The medical journal “Spine” published a study that reported the success rate of herniated disc surgery to be only 16%!
And, if that’s not bad enough, the majority of the people who experienced relief following the surgery had the pain come back within 5 years following the surgery. What do you do then? More surgery?
If it didn’t work the first time, what do you think the likelihood of it working the second time will be?
As you can see, the traditional treatment methods that are available for a herniated disc just don’t measure up.
I have seen far too many people go through this process with no long-term results. Not only is this process a waste of time for many, but you can end up spending hundreds, even thousands of pounds going through this whole process!
There’s nothing more frustrating and depressing than experiencing pain, going to doctor after doctor, and not getting a single answer!
And, of course, then there’s the fun of going through all that expensive, uncomfortable, and time consuming testing that you have to go through the MRI’s, X-rays, EMG’s (which are probably more painful than the pain you’re suffering with to begin with), etc.
To make matters even worse, when the pain doesn’t go away with these treatments, all of a sudden you become the culprit yes, it must be all in your head.
But don’t worry there is a solution that will not only alleviate your pain completely, but will actually heal your herniated disc so you don’t have to worry about the pain coming back again.
We have to adopt a combined multi-disciplinary approach to the treatment and the most significant part of this treatment is YOU!
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 re-injury to your back and reduce the risk of disability from back pain.
Proposed Combined Treatment Plan.
1. Education 2. Rest 3. Pain Relief 4. Exercise
Education: Ask your GP to recommend a physical therapist. A physical therapist can liase with your GP and 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. You must also learn how to take care of your back, which may include training in pain and symptom control.
Rest: Initially your GP 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:
Non-prescription and prescription pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Muscle relaxants.
Corticosteroids.
Opioids.
Antidepressants.
Exercise: You must keep active and use exercises, as recommended by your 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.
*It is also fair to point out that a herniated disc can heal on its own as the jelly like material (nucleus) inside the disc is broken down and absorbed by the body, a process called resorption. However the whole healing process can be readily advanced by this “Multi-Disciplinary Approach” were you, the patient plays a pivotal role in the treatment.
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Good advice, however! Your three relief method seem sound in theory however, when your someone like myself, (and many others), youve done months of pt, done enough core to be a pilates instructor, and went through plenty or rest, with still pain then you make sure, that you consider, more conservatively a chiropractors. An make surgery last resort however don't take it off table, it's only not effective if you mantain the safe regiment that you did when you first hurt your disc, meaning: if you workout then went running then lifted then took a pilates class, dont run and lift, that day etc.