Herniated disc treatment

Why do you get a herniated disc?

The discs are usually 70% water, but with age the amount of water decreases and the discs become drier. Less water and therefore drier discs are a cause of ‘age degeneration’, i.e. age-related changes. Therefore, there is an increased risk of disc herniation at older ages. When discs find it harder to hold water, they dry out and as a result become more fragile. When the disc is brittle, the shell can crack, causing the nucleus to bulge and press on the spinal cord. The nucleus also presses on the nerve roots that run between the vertebrae, causing pain, numbness, tingling or muscle weakness. Pain and symptoms can vary depending on where the herniated disc is located. For example, if it is in the neck, numbness may extend to the shoulder, shoulder, arm, hand and fingers. If the herniated disc is instead in the lumbar spine, the pain can radiate down the leg and all the way to the toes, as the sciatic nerve gets pinched, which is called sciatica. The most common disc herniation is in the lumbar spine – lumbar disc herniation. This is because the lumbar spine is less stable as it is not supported by the thoracic spine. It is also possible to get herniated discs in the neck and thoracic spine.

Herniated discs can also affect young people, the most common cause being trauma, an injury they have suffered. Smokers are a target group that can be at risk of herniated discs because nicotine impairs flow and circulation in the body by constricting the vessels. Nicotine therefore also affects recovery. In general, it can be argued that a less healthy lifestyle, obesity, smoking and age can increase the risk of disc herniation. Herniated discs can be caused acutely by an injury, or more insidiously after a prolonged misalignment. The most common is that it is insidious and gradually gets worse. We often misalign and overload our backs during heavy lifting or use the body unilaterally, which results in the vertebrae and discs being more compressed on one side. The result can eventually be a herniated disc.

A herniated disc is usually single-sided but it can also be double-sided so that pressure occurs on nerve roots on both the right and left sides.

Herniated disc – does walking help?

Walking helps and eases herniated discs. Herniated discs heal after a few months to six months, on their own. As it heals, the bulging centre dries out. One thing that favours healing is mobility, whereas sitting still is not beneficial for the healing of herniated discs. Avoid strenuous strain on the back and do not jump or run. Gentle movement with walking is usually good as it stimulates flow and nutrient supply to the discs and thus also stimulates healing of the disc. As the herniated disc is located in the lumbar spine, where nerve pressure can affect muscle function in the legs and feet, there may be a risk of tripping. Here it is important to pay attention to the steps and take it easy so that you do not fall and get new injuries.

Exercises for herniated discs

If you have a herniated disc, there are exercises you can do to facilitate and promote the healing process. For example, stabilising core and balance exercises are effective, as they strengthen the abdominal muscles and the small stabilising muscles of the back, the multifidus, which relieves the spine and discs. If you are very sedentary, your hip flexors can become shorter, which in turn causes more problems and puts strain on your lumbar, thoracic and even cervical spine. Therefore, it is beneficial to do stretching exercises for the hip flexors and constantly reflect on your posture. Stretching exercises can be, for example, lunges, sun salutations or yin yoga, where slow stretching exercises are practised.

Herniated disc sleeping position

How should you sleep if you suffer from a herniated disc? Maybe you toss and turn without finding a position that works without pain? Lying straight on your back or on your stomach is usually painful. When you lie on your stomach, some vertebrae are compressed more, which can be painful. Instead, lying on your side in the fetal position is much more gentle, as you round and relieve your back more. You may also want to place a box or pillow under your knees when lying on your back, so that your legs and hips are bent at a 90-degree angle, so that your back is pressed down against the surface.

Herniated disc with nerve involvement

Herniated discs can have external effects if certain nerves are pinched, which in turn affect different organs in the body. In the case of a herniated disc, nerves that exit between the vertebrae can become trapped and this can have knock-on effects on other parts of the body. If the nerve is pinched, its signal may be disrupted. Depending on where the herniated disc is located, different problems can occur. Signals to/from different organs can be affected, causing problems with movement and other functions, as well as affecting sensation in different areas.

Should you have surgery on a herniated disc?

Surgery for a herniated disc is usually not an option in the first place, unless the situation is considered to be very serious. If the pain is severe and long-lasting, or affects the control of stool and bladder, then surgery of the herniated disc may be necessary. However, every person who suffers from a herniated disc should initially try treatment before any surgery. It should be remembered that the nerve can be damaged in the long term if it is exposed to long-term pinching, so it is important to try to treat and do your own exercises and movements to mitigate future effects on nerve functions.

The reason why surgery is not prioritised as the first choice is that operations entail risks, including through the anaesthesia process. In addition, connective tissue and fascia are affected as there is scarring after an operation. Furthermore, surgery always causes stress that will affect the flow of the fascia, i.e. the fluid around all cells, and it also affects the collagen network. The whole body will be subjected to stress and an operation is always irreversible. Trauma and scars are created in the fascia, which makes it more difficult for the body to recover and heal afterwards. Therapists testify that it is more difficult to treat someone who has undergone surgery than someone who is injured or ill but has not had surgery. For these reasons, the option of surgery is considered a last resort, after trying all exercises and fascia treatments to no avail.

Treatment of herniated discs

Treatment of herniated discs can be formulated as “it’s about helping the body heal”, while an operation says rather that “the body is broken – let’s fix it”. There are effective treatments to take for herniated discs. It is possible to strengthen the body through movement such as walking and by ensuring that the body is loaded as balanced and even as possible so that the discs are relieved. The herniated disc can occur due to an oblique load, overload or trauma and it can be exacerbated by short hip flexors or a rotation in the pelvis. Then the body responds by trying to balance out the imbalance and further skewed load and imbalance develops, a vicious circle. The basic treatment of fascia clinics consists of balancing the body, releasing the pressure that is in the body due to the extra load that the body has taken on to compensate for an injured area. The body will try to rebuild and strengthen other areas to deal with the weaknesses that the herniated disc entails.

The purpose of the treatment is to regain the optimal balance that the body should have by releasing tension so that the load on the back and joints is distributed evenly. It is important to try to find out the root cause of the imbalance and herniated disc and then fix it. This is done while facilitating and removing the pressure that the body has accumulated to overcome the herniated disc.

The treatment is very pleasant and gentle and does not hurt. The FasciaClinics have treated thousands of people with herniated discs, who have been helped and it is definitely worth trying before considering surgery. The treatment can be time-consuming as there is no quick solution, especially if you have been walking with imbalances and misplaced loads for many years before the herniated disc occurred. It then requires several treatments to maintain “straightness” and balance, as posture and balance are essential to avoid slanting the vertebrae and discs.

It is important to remember that a pinched nerve can be damaged and function impaired if the pinching continues for a long time, so it is important to try to treat and do your own exercises and movements to mitigate the impact on nerve function.

Herniated disc lumbar

If you have a herniated disc in the lower back, it can cause pain in the lower back. The lumbar vertebrae are the five vertebrae that are located after the thoracic vertebrae and go down to the sacrum, which consists of five fused vertebrae. A herniated disc in the lumbar spine can cause a radiating pain with tingling and numbness that radiates down to a leg and all the way down to the toes, so-called sciatica. You may experience loss of sensation and impaired muscle function. There is also a risk that you will have problems with digestion and control of bladder or stool.

For more causes of low back pain , see separate article.

Herniated disc neck

Herniated discs in the upper part of the neck can cause you to experience pain in the neck and towards the head. If the herniated disc is located in the lower part of the cervical vertebrae, down between C6 and C7, you may experience pain in the shoulder, scapula, arm, hand and fingers.

Herniated disc in the thoracic spine

A herniated disc in the thoracic spine can create problems with pain and tingling at the shoulder blades, lungs and also affect breathing.

For more causes of back pain see separate article.