Repairing Guides

how to repair a bulging disk

by Dr. Merlin Dooley Jr. Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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  • Chiropractic manipulation. This common form of alternative care treats bulging discs by manually realigning the spine to restore functionality and reduce pressure. ...
  • Massage therapy. In addition to relieving muscle tension, massage can increase blood flow and circulation to help reduce muscle soreness or soft tissue injury.
  • Restorative yoga. Yoga can both stretch the muscles to relieve tension in the spine and strengthen the muscles that support the spine, promoting better mobility.
  • Pilates. Similar to yoga, Pilates is a form of exercise that concentrates on strengthening the body with an emphasis on core strength, flexibility and posture.
  • Acupuncture. This ancient Chinese form of physical therapy uses small needles to stimulate specific points in the body, which causes the nervous system to provide temporary pain relief.

Herniated/bulging/slipped disk: The procedure is called microdiscectomy. The surgeon removes the part of the disk that's pushing on a nerve. There are two ways to do this. In the traditional method, the doctor makes an inch-long cut and detaches the muscles on one side of your back.Jan 23, 2016

Full Answer

How long does it take for bulging disc to heal?

Traditional treatments for bulging discs include options such as:

  • Using anti-inflammatory medication to temporarily relieve the pain that occurs due to a bulging disc. ...
  • Steroid injections
  • Muscle relaxants
  • Surgical interventions

Is there a cure for a bulging disc?

With proper exercise and healthy spine habits, a bulging disc rarely requires surgery. In fact, it can typically be treated at home and can usually heal on its own within 6 to 12 months. The most important thing is to give the bulging disc the opportunity to heal by: Changing the movements and habits that put unhealthy loads through the disc.

How dangerous is a bulging disc?

When bulging discs do cause pain, it is because of the following scenario: a spinal disc bulges causing the shock-absorbing function of the disc to be disrupted. The weight that is usually distributed evenly through the disc by daily activities (walking, sitting, and bending over) is now distributed in an uneven pattern, putting unhealthy pressure on the affected disc and the surrounding discs, joints, and ligaments.

How to fix a bulging disc no surgery?

  • Walking. Physical activity can enhance blood circulation and promote healing. ...
  • Driving. We instruct our patients not to drive for 24 to 48 hours after their surgery, which means they need to arrange to have a family member or friend drive ...
  • Lifting. ...
  • Sitting. ...
  • Working. ...

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Can a bulging disc heal on its own?

A herniated disk is also known as a slipped, ruptured or bulging disk. It's one of the most common causes of neck, back and leg pain. Most of the time, herniated disks heal on their own or with simple home-care measures.

Can you reverse a bulging disc?

A bulging disc is reversible and repairable without surgery if you get treatments that target damaged tissues holistically. The best non-surgical treatment for a bulging disc is the NSD Therapy® method which incorporates a combination of chiropractic, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation.

What is the fastest way to heal a bulging disc?

How to heal a herniated disc quicklyAlternate applying heat and cold.Stay as active as you can. Take walks to avoid becoming too stiff from resting too often.Try alternative treatments like acupuncture, massage, or chiropractic.

How do you fix a bulging disc at home?

Start with ice to relieve inflammation. Apply an ice pack to your lower back for the first couple of days after the pain starts. On day three or four, switch to heat. Use a heating pad or an over-the-counter heat patch to help relax the muscles.

Is walking good for a bulging disc?

If you have a herniated disk, walking on a treadmill can serve as an important part of your treatment. Done properly, walking on a treadmill can help reduce pain, enhance recovery and prevent further disk problems.

Is a bulging disc permanent?

Disc bulges are not permanent. The disc is a fluid filled structure and therefore has the capacity to heal, resolve and be re-absorbed.

What makes bulging discs worse?

The pain from a herniated disc usually is worse when you are active and gets better when you are resting. Coughing, sneezing, sitting, driving, and bending forward may make the pain worse. The pain gets worse when you make these movements because there is more pressure on the nerve.

What causes a bulging disc to flare up?

In addition to natural wear and tear, other factors that can contribute to a bulging disc include repetitive movements, strenuous lifting, twisting of the body, bone spurs pushing against the disc, and many other degenerative conditions.

Can chiropractor fix bulging disc?

Yes! Chiropractic care is the preferred treatment method for many patients suffering from a bulging disc. It is non-invasive and does not require drugs or injections of any kind. Chiropractic can help provide you with improved mobility, decreased pain, and overall better quality of life.

How long does a bulging disc take to heal?

Most (80-90%) cases involving bulging or herniated discs will heal within 2-4 months. This of course depends on the severity of the injury, as well as your age and overall health. An important difference is that a herniated disc is a permanent injury that usually results in chronic, recurring pain.

Can a bulging disc get worse?

Do disc bulges get worse over time? Unfortunately if disc bulges are left untreated, and if the abnormal spinal stresses that caused them continue, they will often worsen over time. For the disc bulge or herniated disc to have any possibility of recovery, the instigating stress must be minimized.

How do you sleep with a bulging disc?

The optimal sleeping position for a herniated disc is on your back. Lying on your back keeps your spine in a neutral position so you have less chance of pinching the nerve. For added comfort, nestle a small pillow or rolled-up towel under your knees and lower back.

Can a bulging disc heal after 2 years?

After 2 years: 76 people out of 100 who had surgery had no symptoms or almost no symptoms. This means that 24 still had some symptoms. 69 people out of 100 who had non-surgical treatment had no symptoms or almost no symptoms.

How long does it take for a bulging disc to heal without surgery?

For most people who develop back pain — whether it is because of a herniated disk or due to another problem — symptoms often go away within six to eight weeks. During that time, you can take steps to ease discomfort.

Can chiropractor fix bulging disc?

Yes! Chiropractic care is the preferred treatment method for many patients suffering from a bulging disc. It is non-invasive and does not require drugs or injections of any kind. Chiropractic can help provide you with improved mobility, decreased pain, and overall better quality of life.

Common Symptoms of a Bulging Disc

When a bulging disc causes nerve compression, there are a variety of symptoms that can develop and cause once-routine daily activities to become a chore.

Diagnosis of a Bulging Disc

If you have a bulging disc, you should consult your doctor or a spine care specialist about whether you need treatment for your condition. There are a variety of different doctors who treat conditions of the spine, so make sure you find the one that is right for you. Options include:

Bulging Disc Repair: Conservative Treatments

The goal of conservative bulging disc treatment is to relieve the excess pressure on the disc so it can potentially return to its natural shape and perform its role as a shock absorber for the spine.

Alternative Treatments to Repair a Bulging Disc

Though their clinical effectiveness is still up for debate, alternative treatments are yet another possibility to consider when trying to repair a bulging disc. Popular options include:

Surgical Treatments to Repair a Bulging Disc

If you have attempted conservative treatment for several weeks or months and your symptoms haven’t responded, you may need to consider your surgical options.

How to get rid of disc bulges in lower back?

With most bulging discs in the lower back, you want to try an extension based exercise program (Mckenzie method is a popular one). [5] This can reverse the direction of the bulge and push the fluid back into neutral alignment. Also, working to strengthen your core is important.

What is a bulging disc?

To understand what a bulging disc is, we must first understand the anatomy of the spine. Put simply, the spine is made up of individual vertebrae stacked on top of each other. Between each vertebrae is an intervertebral disc that provides a cushion so the vertebrae don’t rub together. The discs between the vertebrae, ...

How is a bulging disc different from herniated disc? and which is worse?

Now that we know what a bulging disc is, let’s discuss disc herniation.

How to tell if a disc is bulging?

What are the Symptoms of a Bulging Disc in the Lumbar Spine? 1 At times NO symptoms at all. [2] [7] 2 General Low back pain. [4] 3 Pain can travel down the leg if it pinches on a nerve. [4] 4 Decreased lumbar lordosis (lower back curvature becomes flattened). [6] 5 Muscle spasm [4]

How to relieve back pain from piriformis?

Exercise #1: Lying Figure-4 Stretch ( For Piriformis) In the early stages of a disc bulge, your body’s natural response is to tighten up and protect the spine and buttocks area. Because of this, one of the the simplest things you can do yourself to relieve radiating back pain caused my a disc bulge is stretching piriformis muscle.

What is the best approach to a musculoskeletal problem?

Seeing a primary musculoskeletal care provider is the best approach if your symptoms are not resolving. This includes DO/MD/DC/DPT.

Does a bulging disc hurt?

[1] [3] * It is important to note that a bulging disc doesn’t always touch the nerves , and for many a bulged disc doesn’t even produce any pain at all. [2] [7] However, it could progress ...

Why do my vertebrae bulge?

Bulging disks occur when the spongy disks between the vertebrae become compressed and bulge out. A common cause of bulging disks is aging. If this degradation continues, it can lead to a herniated disk. Herniated disks can cause pain, numbness, and mobility issues.

What is the term for the spongy disks that make up the spine?

A bulging disk occurs when the spongy disks between the bones in the spine become compressed and bulge out. A series of interlocking bones, called vertebrae, make up the spine. These vertebrae provide support for the spine and enable the back to bend and move. Between each vertebra is soft tissue, known as a spinal disk, ...

Why does my spine bulge?

Bulging disks result from a reduction of gel in the disk center. Less gel causes the disk to become compressed and start to bulge. The gel in a spinal disk naturally wears away over time. A bulging disk is usually the result of aging, but it can also be due to spinal injury, such as the result of a car accident.

How do you know if you have a bulging disk?

The symptoms of a bulging disk depend on its severity and location in the spine. Some people may experience no initial symptoms. However, with further disk degeneration and herniation, a person may have the following symptoms: back pain that worsens with movement, such as sneezes. spasms in the back muscles.

What is a herniated disk?

Sometimes, the outer layer of the disk breaks down and causes a herniated disk. A herniated disk, also known as a ruptured or slipped disk, is when the gel-like center leaks out through a tear in the disk’s exterior wall.

What is the soft tissue between vertebrae?

Between each vertebra is soft tissue, known as a spinal disk, which prevents bones from rubbing against each other. The disks also act as shock absorbers to prevent damage during movement. Each disk contains a tough outer later with gel in the middle. This gel may decrease with age, become compressed, and push out.

What is the pain in the back?

back pain that worsens with movement, such as sneezes . spasms in the back muscles. weakness and numbness in the legs and feet. reduced mobility in the legs, knees, and ankles . decreased bladder and bowel control. difficulty walking.

Why do my discs tingle?

Growing pressure around a disc and poor posture are two common reasons why discs can start to bulge. When a normal disc experiences accumulating pressure, it starts to expand abnormally outward where it can come into contact with sensitive neural tissues. Eventually the bulging disc protrudes into the spinal canal, which is what triggers the sharp pain or tingling sensation that’s associated with disc problems. ( 11)

What causes a bulging disc in the spine?

A bulging disc is a very common occurrence that results in a spinal disc compressing against an adjacent nerve root. The disc essentially pushes out of its normal place and starts impinging on nearby nerves of the spine, sometimes causing pain.

What are the symptoms of a bulging disc?

The type of pain caused by a bulging disc is a clue to where the abnormal disc is located: 1 Lumbar bulging discs most often cause pain in the buttocks, legs, feet and abdomen. 2 Cervical bulging discs most often cause pain in the head, neck, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, hands and fingers. ( 10) 3 Thoracic bulging discs cause pain in the hands, chest, back and abdomen.

How long does it take for a bulging disc to heal?

( 2 ) Luckily for many people, disc problems heal within several months (sometimes as little as within one month) and pain will subside, especially if you take steps to lower swelling and inflammation.

What can a physical therapist do for a bulging disc?

If pain from a bulging disc makes it hard to move around or work normally, a physical therapist can assign specific exercises and stretches to improve your range of motion, strength and flexibility.

Why does sitting for long periods of time cause back pain?

Sitting for prolonged periods of time can cause bulging discs and back pain to become even worse, since staying inactive weakens muscles and puts more pressure on the spine, especially if you’re overweight.

Where do bulging discs occur?

Although bulging discs are most likely to develop in the back (estimates show that about 90 percent of bulging discs occur in the lower back, or lumbar area), they can also affect other parts of the body when the abnormal disc comes into contact with nerves that connect to the hips, buttocks, legs, neck and feet.

How to heal a bulging disc?

One of the things your body needs to heal a bulging disc is to increase the space between the vertebrae, which can encourage the bulged nucleus to return to its proper place. This also helps to rehydrate the disc, which promotes the natural healing of the area. This “space increasing” will also relieve your lower back pain.

What is the best treatment for a bulging disc?

In my experience, natural treatments such as infrared therapy and spinal decompression do a better job of healing the bulging disc, instead of just hiding the pain.

What is the difference between a herniated disk and a bulged disc?

Bulging is considered part of the normal aging process of the disk. A herniated disk, on the other hand, happens when a crack in the tough outer layer of cartilage allows some of the softer inner cartilage to “escape” out of the disk.

How long does it take for a back inversion table to work?

Inversion Therapy. The first option is by using a high-quality inversion table. An inversion table brings a dramatic pain relief in as little as 10 seconds (for some people). Regular inversion allows your back muscles to relax, your spine to elongate, and create space for your discs.

What are discs made of?

They’re made out of an outer layer of tough cartilage that surrounds softer cartilage in the center.

Why do you invert your back?

Regular inversion allows your back muscles to relax, your spine to elongate, and create space for your discs. This space is vital to the discs’ ability to naturally realign, rehydrate, and return to health – providing flexibility, shock absorption, and improved posture.

Can you do spinal decompression at home?

This process is called spinal decompression (or back traction). It relieves the pain and allows your body to heal itself naturally – Faster. No medication, no surgery. And you can do spinal decompression at home – by yourself, whenever you need it.

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