Back Problems: How to Deal with a Herniated Disc

If you have a herniated disc, you may experience excruciating pain. It is important to know there are things you should do when you have a herniated disc. Doing these things can reduce the pain and help you heal from the herniated disc.

If you are just resting to help your herniated disc, you may be causing even more problems than you are helping with. Try to do a little activity to help yourself start healing. Just laying down to rest will not allow it to heal properly and could actually make it worse for you. It can be tempting to relax and spend your time in a position that doesn’t cause pain, but it won’t help you. Even if you are spending the majority of the time reclining after the herniated disc, do what you can to try and get up walking around to help it out.

Locations like Southwest Florida Neurosurgical & Rehab Associates can help you find the best treatment for your herniated disc. The treatment doesn’t always have to involve surgery and you can get the help you need from treatment centers. Many specialists don’t even have to perform surgery to help your herniated disc. Talk with one to find out about your treatment options.

Cold therapy will work better than heat therapy for herniated discs. While the cold may not do anything to actually treat the disc, it is more effective at helping you manage the pain that comes from a herniated disc. Just be sure you are using protection between you and the cold compress. If you don’t, you risk getting frostbite in the area where you have the compress applied.

While resting all the time won’t help your herniated disc, taking it easy will help you start feeling better. You can rest for some time, but you also need to make sure you are still moving so you don’t get stuck with a stiff back. Consider taking a short walk around the block. Don’t go back to running marathons right away, but try to move as much as you can without hurting.

There are different things that can happen as a result of a herniated disc. Do what you can to help heal the disc to avoid all these things. You can also take steps that will help you avoid a herniated disc altogether.