By Jesse Cannone

Many patients who hear a diagnosis of a herniated disc immediately
question whether spinal surgery is in their future. Whether or not
surgery is the right option should be discussed with one’s doctor.
However, most patients can find back pain relief using more
conservative treatments.

The most common school of thought on treating herniated discs focuses
on treating pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone injections, hot
packs, ultrasound, and therapeutic exercises fall in this category.

While pain relief is important, the weakness of this approach is it
fails to address the underlying cause of the herniated disc: why did
it herniate in the first place? Ignoring the cause leads to repeated
doctor visits for pain treatment. As pain worsens over time, surgery
becomes a presented option.

A better approach is to understand the reason for the herniation and
correct the problem. Not just mask the symptoms with pain killers.

Why a disc herniates

Outside of trauma, herniated discs do not happen overnight. They occur
from long term uneven pressure on the disc due to postural
dysfunctions caused by muscle imbalances.

Think of a jelly donut. If someone places a lot of pressure on one
side and less on the other, the jelly is likely to bulge out the
opposite side from the pressure. With enough pressure, the jelly will
break through the donut. On the other hand, if the same amount of
pressure was placed evenly across the entire donut the jelly might
compress but would likely stay intact inside the donut.

Similarly, when muscle imbalances create improper hip and spine
posture, the spinal discs between the vertebrae are unnaturally forced
to sustain more weight and stress on one side than the other.
Eventually, the disc wears down leading to a bulging, herniated or
even a ruptured disc.

Non-surgical alternative treatments for herniated discs

There are at least five significant actions one can take right at home
to help treat and reduce back pain from a herniated disc. Each is a
superior alternative treatment to spinal surgery in most cases.

Reduce inflammation by increasing fluid intake (preferably by drinking
clean water), improving eating habits, and reducing excess fibrin with
proteolytic enzymes when possible.

Stop pain spasms, improve blood flow and increase range of motion with
heat and cold therapy. The most effective and safe form of heat
therapy is Far Infrared Heat (FIR).

Decompress the disc using inversion therapy. Excellent inversion
tables can be purchased for this purpose for just a few hundred
dollars.

Eliminate referred pain caused by trigger points which are a form of
tiny muscular contraction knots.

Correct postural dysfunctions through stretching and exercise
targeting specific muscle imbalances to eliminate the underlying root
cause of your disc herniation.

Jesse Cannone is co-founder of the Healthy Back Institute and author
of “The 7 Day Back Pain Cure”. Get the facts on what’s really causing
your pain here http://www.losethebackpain.com/conditions.

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