Acupressure, massage, and acupuncture are all options for pain relief from a bulging or herniated disc. These treatments should be discussed with a practitioner of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This title may seem confusing. Although alternative medicine and complementary medicines follow similar methods, they differ in that complementary treatments are used alongside conventional medicine.
Traditional acupuncturists use extremely thin needles to insert into specific points on your meridians. This is done in order to open up Chi channels known as meridians. You may be more comfortable and less pain if you explore other methods. You might want to consider these options for a herniated disc:
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice that believes everyone has an energy force called Chi. Your body can experience pain or illness if the Chi is unbalanced or blocked. Traditional acupuncturists use extremely thin needles to insert into specific points on your meridians. This is done in order to open up Chi channels known as meridians.
The practitioner will likely place multiple needles based on your diagnosis. They are usually left in place for between 20-40 minutes. Acupuncture may also trigger the release of endorphins in the bloodstream. Endorphins, which are your body’s natural pain relief agents, can be described as your body’s pain killers. Their release reduces the pain perception.
The Gate Control Theory could also play a part in the effectiveness of acupuncture at reducing pain. Because the nerves are limited in their ability to handle multiple signals simultaneously, pain signals travel slowly from the injury site to the spinal cord to the brain. Acupuncture generates faster signals that crowd out slow-moving pain signals and thus blocks out the pain.
Acupressure: It is not surprising that acupressure is similar to acupuncture. Both ancient techniques restore energy flow through the body by stimulating certain meridian points. Acupressure does not use needles, but instead relies on the fingers, hands and elbows to apply pressure. Acupressure can be used by anyone of any age, but it is not recommended for pregnant women or those with high blood pressure.
Massage: Regular massage can provide chronic low back pain relief. Massage involves manipulating your back tissues by stroking, kneading and manipulating them. These movements increase blood circulation, which provides more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. Additional blood helps to remove waste products that can build up over time.
Although massage isn’t a proven treatment for herniated discs, it is generally safe and without side effects. Massage may not be the right choice for you if there are any conditions such as osteoporosis or deep vein thrombosis.
There are over 100 different types of massage. For example, a Swedish massage uses long strokes to affect the superficial layers of your muscle. Deep tissue massage, on the other hand, uses slow pressure and direct pressure to relieve muscular tension and soothe deep layers. Your massage therapist will help you determine the best massage to reduce your pain.
Before you begin any new medical program, tell your doctor if you have any other health conditions than the pain caused by your herniated disc. These treatments work best when combined with traditional medicine.
Steps to Treat Herniated Discs
Consume a Collagen/Bone Broth diet
First, your body needs to be given the nutrients it requires to heal the area. This is why I recommend the “collagen diet”. To heal and repair damaged tissues and discs, your body requires collagen. Collagen is found in bone broth or bone broth liquid protein powder.
Regular consumption of bone broth is the best thing you can do. The number one dietary tip you can make is to drink bone broth on a regular basis. Either make your own bone broth or order frozen liquid bone broth online. You may even be able to find it at your local grocery store. It’s important to eat two to three portions per day for treatment of herniated discs.
Every day, I recommend making a large crock pot soup. You can combine chicken, celery and carrots with some organic chicken broth. This will give you the nutrients you need in order to heal your stiff neck, low back, or any other area you may have a herniated disc. Consuming high-antioxidant foods such as blueberries can help you get more antioxidants.
This is the ideal diet for treating herniated discs:
Breakfast: A smoothie made with collagen protein powder, or bone broth protein powder, blueberries, coconut water, and possibly some anti-inflammatory herbs such as ginger root.
Soup/stew with bone broth for lunch/dinner
Consume Beneficial Supplements
A collagen protein, or a bone broth protein powder, are the best supplements to heal a herniated disc. These contain the amino acids glutamine and glycine as well as proline. These amino acids are essential for collagen production and healing damaged tissue.
These supplements can also be beneficial in treating herniated discs:
- Supplement with Omega-3 fish oil — 1,000 to 2,000 mg per day — or fish roe
- MSM supplement, which is a sulfur-containing supplement, aids in joint repair
- Glucosamine, chondroitin
- Curcumin (curcumin) and turmeric (curcumin), are anti-inflammatory herbs that help repair and heal damaged tissue.
Practice Egoscue
You can make lifestyle changes to help your herniated discs heal. Egoscue is one of them. Egoscue can be considered a form of physical therapy. However, it is not the same as any other physical therapy. Egoscue is a method that can help you to restore your posture. This is essential for treating herniated discs, so make sure to look for Egoscue near you. An Egoscue practitioner will prescribe an exercise program that is tailored to you. This will help you to improve your posture and prevent a herniated disc. Make sure to see an Egoscue practitioner.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy, a form of regenerative medicine, is also something I highly recommend. Prolotherapy uses platelet rich plasma (PRP)injections to repair damaged tissue.
Herniating a disc can often be caused by a ligament injury or lower back pain. The ligaments then become loose. This is similar to when you injure or tear your ACL. These ligaments can then become loose and the muscles will have to compensate. Spasms can result, which can cause pain. A lot of the time, the pain caused by a herniated disc is not due to the disc herniation. It’s caused more by nerve-root compression in the muscles and other tissues.
You should incorporate prolotherapy into your herniated disc treatment plan. It helps to repair muscle tissue. Prolotherapy is a treatment that requires between three and eight treatments. If you follow the protocol, you will experience remarkable results.
Egoscue can help to retrain muscles, while PRP will help to retrain ligaments and tendons. If you want to heal a herniated disc completely, you need to train all three.
Corrective Chiropractic Care
Corrective chiropractic care is a great option for a herniated disc. But be careful with improper adjustments. Believe it or not, many chiropractors perform a type of adjustment that can cause your ligaments and other tissues to become looser. Corrective chiropractic care corrects the spinal curves.
Herniated discs can also be caused by a “military neck” or a loss of curve. You may also have a spondylolisthesis, which can cause instability in your cervical spine and lumbar spine. You must seek corrective chiropractic care if you wish to heal.
Learn more about Herniated Discs
You may be curious about the differences between a herniated and bulging disc.
A herniated disc is more like a disc opening, spilling its inners out and a bulging disc is the disc protruding outward. Herniated discs, also known as ruptured discs or slip discs, are more common than bulging discs. Bulging discs are less common than herniated discs and can be overlooked more often because they cause less pain. However, every person is different.
A bulging disc can be due to pressure, which causes the disc to stretch. On the other hand, a herniated disc is caused by a crack in the tough outer layer cartilage. A herniated disc is one in which the disc’s inner cartilage, which is softer, can move through the crack to touch the surrounding nerves. This is similar to a bulging disc.
A herniated disc can also be a sign of or symptom for other issues, such as:
- Spinal stenosis
- Piriformis syndrome
- Nerve pinched
What are some of the Conservative Treatments Recommended by Doctors?
In the medical world, natural and conservative are often used interchangeably. However, not all conservative treatments can be considered natural. To relieve pain and inflammation, conservative treatments still include injections and medications. For mild to moderate severity, there are some conservative options:
- Medications-Ibuprofen, Motrin
- Exercise-Yoga, Pilates
- Exercises for strengthening the back muscles using physical therapy
- The heat-to reduce muscle spasms, and increase blood flow
- Cold to reduce inflammation and pain sensation
- Injectable medication-Steroid injections to reduce inflammation
These treatments may relieve back pain, but they don’t always heal the herniated disc. Most spine doctors believe that the herniated disc will heal within a few weeks. If you are experiencing pain that persists for a long time, is conservative treatment the best option?
What are some natural treatments for herniated discs?
Some natural treatments may be more effective than the conventional ones. Let’s take a look at some treatments that are more unique. The following are natural forms of treatment:
- Natural pain relief creams that reduce pain without the use of traditional medication
- Inversion therapy reduces pain by creating space and taking pressure off the nerve and disc.
- Lemon juice and water change the pH of the blood to deliver more nutrients to the disc.
- Improve your diet to improve your body’s ability to heal.
- To decrease hormone stimulation, reducing stress can increase muscle contraction, increase inflammation, and increase your pain.
- To reduce the risk of a herniated disc, lose weight
- Far infrared heat penetrates deeply into muscles and tissues to alleviate pain
Natural pain relief creams, which are made from plants and don’t contain medications, are non-medicinal. Different types of herbs are used to alleviate pain. Natural pain relief creams can be made from herbs such as willow bark, which is a precursor of aspirin.
Inversion therapy is a popular treatment. Inversion therapy inverts the position of your body. Inversion therapy is a treatment that inverts your body’s position. Instead of having your head higher than your feet, the inversion table lowers your head below your feet. Inversions relieve pain by removing pressure from the spine. This treatment does not heal herniated discs.
Water with lemon juice can be used to balance your blood pH. Acidic environments can cause muscle contractions. This also reduces the body’s ability to exchange waste products and supply nutrients to the affected areas. Muscle contractions cause more pain and don’t allow muscles to relax. The inhibition of the body’s natural healing process is not a benefit. Water with lemon juice may be beneficial but it takes time for the body to heal. Your pain may also decrease with relaxation.
Although it may not seem like a good way to heal a herniated disc, increasing your intake of fresh fruits and veggies can help your body get the nutrients it needs to heal. This treatment does not relieve your pain.
Stress can lead to muscle tension, as you know. Cortisol, a stress hormone, can be released when there is too much stress. Cortisol and other stress hormones can cause inflammation to increase, which can lead to pain. Reducing stress can help your cortisol levels return to a baseline, reduce inflammation, and decrease pain. But will it heal your herniated disc? It is unlikely.
This natural treatment will reduce your chances of developing a herniated disc. It is difficult to lose weight. It is unrealistic to expect that you will lose enough weight in order to heal the injury or ease the pain from a herniated disc.
Far-infrared heat can be a powerful treatment that many people have never heard of. Normal heat is effective in decreasing inflammation and increasing circulation but doesn’t penetrate deep. Far-infrared heat penetrates deeper into the muscles and tissues beneath the skin. Far-infrared heat has been shown to be safe and effective in treating back pain. It was found to reduce back pain by half in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. This study is not supported by most healthcare providers. A herniated disc can cause back pain, but it could heal on its own. It may take weeks or even months for your body to heal.
