A herniated disk occurs when pressure is placed on your spine that causes the inter-vertebral discs to squeeze unevenly. This causes the discs to bulge outward. Your discs are essentially composed from two layers. The surface layer is tough and thick, the inner layer is soft and gel-like.
If the issue causing the disc to bulge is not fixed, it could cause a complete disk herniation. When this occurs, the inner layer of the disc basically pushes through the outer layer.
Bulging or herniated discs may be unpleasant because as the disc pushes away from the backbone, it can put stress onto the nerves around the backbone, like the sciatic nerve or sacrum pain, and set off a significant amount of agony. (See Sacrum Pain for more info)
Here are a couple of tips you can do to help with a herniated disk.
The 1st is painkillers. I'm sure that painkillers are actually only consealing the discomfort without taking care of the base issue, but sometimes you only need to reduce the pain you're experiencing in order to pull through the day.
What's critical though is to avoid using painkillers that are NSAID's (Non-Steroidal Anti inflammatory Drugs) like aspirin or ibuprofen. These will actually cause internal bleeding and other major problems if they're used for a long time.
As an alternative try using natural painkillers that rely on what are termed systemic enzymes. Not only do these help relieve discomfort and reduce inflammation, but they also are much safer for your body in the longer term.
Another thing you should do is get physical therapy or do exercises to help balance the muscles in the torso and back. One of the explanations that a disk may bulge or herniate is perhaps because there is too much pressure on it.
Often, you can scale back the pressure on your spine by making absolutely certain that the muscles in your lower back and torso are powerful and can support your backbone. This will allow you to stand taller, have better posture, and take plenty of pressure off your inter-vertebral discs.
You might also want to think about inversion therapy. It may look strange to hang inverted, but the process of using an inversion table can noticeably cut back the pressure on your spine and back.
When you try inversion therapy, it is important to progress slow and work your way up to a full inversion.
The advantages are not only a drop off in back pain, but also better circulation and over all benefits from stretching and exercise.
As a last resort, surgery may be required. But surgery should only be considered only after other means have been fully considered and tested without any results.
One common procedure is referred to as a discectomy, where the herniated disk is removed from the backbone all together.
This kind of surgery can be really extreme, and many individuals that experience back trouble surgery for similar conditions report that their discomfort didn't improve in the long run.
If you found this helpful, also check out my other articles on: herniated disc treatment and pain in buttocks.
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