While not all herniated discs are symptomatic, disc herniation can cause uncomfortable symptoms. You may experience lumbar pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in the arms or legs, pain that radiates down your limbs, and more. But you do not need to take the pain lying down. Before and during your treatment, you can take steps to ease your discomfort. Here are five tips and tricks to help you manage your Herniated Disc pain and promote faster healing.
Use OTC Topical Pain Relievers for Targeted Relief
If you are experiencing mild back or neck pain from disc herniation and resting is not helping, over-the-counter medications can offer targeted relief. Topical medicines like patches and creams can come in handy, allowing you to self-treat flare-ups at home without a prescription. Other herniated disc medications you can try include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Aspirin, naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil). These OTC drugs alleviate pain and inflammation, allowing you to go about your day and better participate in other treatments like physical therapy.
Use the McKenzie Method to Shift Your Pain
When a herniated disc affects the nerves in your spinal cord, you may experience numbness, pain, tingling or weakness in your legs and feet. This can make walking, sitting, and sleeping difficult. The McKenzie method is a specialized treatment that shifts pain from your legs to your lower back, where physical therapy can help alleviate it. The treatment is usually provided by a trained specialist who performs a set of exercises to relieve pressure on your sciatic nerve. After a few sessions, they can teach you how to continue these exercises at home for convenient pain relief.
Add an Extra Pillow to Your Bed to Ease Pressure
Lumbar pain from a herniated disc may worsen when you lie down because your spine becomes unstable. You can solve this problem and relieve pain by using a pillow to stabilize your spine when you sleep. If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees to keep your back naturally curved. If you sleep on your side, place the pillow between your knees to balance your hips and avoid drawing your spine downwards. Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
Get a Myofascial Massage to Alleviate Muscle Tension
Myofascial massage or release is a type of manual therapy that uses gentle, sustained pressure to release tension from trigger pain areas in your spine. Your physical therapist can teach you how to perform a modified version of the therapy at home. Usually, you use a massage cane or lacrosse ball to apply gentle, sustained pressure to the tender areas in your back for 1 to 2 minutes. You may temporarily feel a slight increase in pain, but the pressure should help loosen your joints and muscles.
Soak in a Mineral Thermal Bath to Relieve Inflammation and Pain
Another simple way to alleviate pain from disc herniation at home is through an Epson salt bath. Mineral baths address inflammation, a key cause of pain in disc herniation. Prepare a warm bath in a tub with Epsom salts and soak in it for about an hour. The magnesium in Epsom salt is anti-inflammatory and will help relieve your pain as the buoyancy of the water eases pressure on your spine.
Wrapping Up
Like treatment, these tricks are not a one-size-fits-all answer to herniated disc pain. What works for one patient may not work for you. As such, always consult a spinal specialist about incorporating these practices into your current treatment for the best results.