How Long Does Physical Therapy Take For A Herniated Disc
The initial treatments that a PT utilizes in the acute stages of a disc herniation may provide some immediate symptom relief, but it can take some time before physical therapy leads to significant and lasting improvement.
One study found improvements in pain and overall function after six weeks of physical therapy for a lumbar disc herniation. That said, the improvements did not equal those of surgical intervention until the 12-week mark.
Can A Herniated Disc Heal On Its Own
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In most cases, a herniated disc will not cause pain for more than six months 90% of the time. If your doctor believes you are suffering from pain or discomfort, you will most likely be advised to take an over-the-counter pain reliever and limit activities that cause pain or discomfort.
Because of the disc material, nerves in the area can become inflamed. As a result, the nerve can experience significant pain, as well as a burning sensation. Herniated discs typically cause numbness in the legs, most notably the sciatic nerve. If a hole in the discs outer ring remains, a sudden movement may cause more disc material to herniate, increasing the risk of another flare-up. The surgery is usually minimally invasive, allowing for the preservation of a large portion of the healthy disc.
When choosing a Chiropractor for a herniation, you should be aware of a few important considerations. You should consult with a Chiropractor who specializes in herniation treatment to ensure that your discs are not damaged. Make an appointment with the chiropractic to discuss your specific symptoms as well as any treatments he or she may recommend. Finally, you should carefully review the Chiropractors treatment recommendations, which can include exercises, adjustments, and medication.
How Can I Avoid Getting A Herniated Disk
It’s not always possible to prevent a herniated disk. But you can reduce your risk by:
- Using proper lifting techniques. Dont bend at the waist. Bend your knees while keeping your back straight. Use your strong leg muscles to help support the load.
- Maintaining a healthy weight. Excess weight puts pressure on the lower back.
- Practicing good posture. Learn how to improve your posture when you walk, sit, stand and sleep. Good posture reduces strain on your spine.
- Stretching. Its especially important to take stretching breaks if you often sit for long periods.
- Avoiding wearing high-heeled shoes. This type of shoe throws your spine out of alignment.
- Exercising regularly. Focus on workouts that strengthen your back and abdomen muscles to support your spine.
- Stopping smoking. Smoking can weaken disks, making them vulnerable to rupture. Consider quitting smoking.
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Electronic Pulses Block Pain Signals
Using the best tens unit for back pain means the electrode pads deliver electronic pulses to nerves. During a treatment this feels like a tingling or similar kind of sensation. It is from this transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for back pain where signals get blocked. Normally these signals travel to the brain in an attempt to alert it that something wrong is happening
Instead, the brain releases good feeling endorphins, which are natural pain killers produced in the body.
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Assessing A Herniated Disc
Finding a disc herniation on a magnetic resonance imaging scan does not automatically mean that you will be in pain. However, this issue can lead to a variety of symptoms.
A herniation in the lumbar spine may or may not cause you to have low back pain, depending on its location. It can also lead to pain in the buttocks, legs, or feet if the disc material makes contact with one of the spinal nerves in this region. If pinching or nerve compression occurs, you may have weakness, tingling, or numbness in your legs.
A herniated disc in the cervical spine can cause pain or spasm in the neck and shoulder blade . If the condition progresses to the point where the herniation pinches a nerve in the region, the pain may shoot down one of your arms and cause numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arm, hand, or fingers.
Thoracic disc herniations are rarer, and their symptoms are a bit more diffuse. Most commonly, a herniation in this area causes abdominal, upper back, or lower back pain. The symptoms can also shoot down into one or both of your legs and lead to weakness in the extremity.
Because of the wide variety of locations where symptoms can occur, a physical therapist needs to begin with a thorough assessment. In addition to asking you about the origins of your condition, a PT will examine your spine to assess your mobility and the location of your pain.
Theresa Chiechi / Verywell
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Get Help Eliminating Your Disc Pain Problems In Anchorage
At Better Health Alaska, weve provided help for over 15,000 back pain cases over our 20+ years in service. So if you want fast, safe, and effective treatment for your bulging discs, herniated discs, or disc degeneration, schedule a same-day appointment with the trusted Better Health Alaskas chiropractor in Anchorage today.
What Does Lower Back Herniated Disc Pain Feel Like
Bulging disc pain in the lower back can present as a burning or stinging feeling, and you might even get these unpleasant sensations in your legs as well as your back. Youre likely to feel pain the most acutely when seated because sitting increases spinal compression by up to 40%.¹
Other lower back herniated disc symptoms include numbness or shooting pain when you cough or sneeze.
Though a herniated disc can be intensely painful, some lower back disc hernias will not cause significant pain .³
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What Is A Tens Machine
A TENS machine is a therapy device that provides low levels of electric current to relieve joint and muscle pain.
The current feeds through connected wires between the machine and electrode pads which are placed on the skin covering the painful area.
TENS machines range in size and can be plug-in or battery-operated.
Although commonly used for back pain, TENs machines can also be used for a wide variety of muscle and joint pain located just about anywhere on the body.
How Do TENS Machines Work?
There are a few theories about how TENS machines work to combat pain.
If the pads are strategically placed across sensory nerve fibers, then the electrical pulse can block pain information thats usually sent to the brain.
Another idea is that electrical impulses contract muscle tissue to improve circulation.
Lastly, a low voltage setting can release endorphins which counteract pain.
Is It Useful For Back Pain?
Although the use of TENS treatment dates back to the 1960s, there is very little empirical evidence that TENS actually works for back pain.
Researchers first theorized that TENS treatment works under the gate-control theory. Electrical impulses travel along nerve fibers, closing a gate mechanism for pain in the spinal cord.
If this is true, then pain will stop during TENS treatment but immediately return after the treatment is finished.
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Secrets To Get Rid Of Herniated And Bulging Disc No One Tells You
Low back pain. If you have it, you really want to find out how you can get rid of it now! Today! We can certainly understand why.
Low back pain is the #2 reason people go to the emergency room and the #1 reason for filing disability claims. Lets face it, no matter what the root cause, whether a diffused disc bulge or sciatica, back pain hurts. It interrupts your life, and its easy to become frustrated when it seems like you cant do anything because your back hurts.
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What Are The Benefits Of Using Tens
Reviews suggest that TENS is effective for osteoarthritis, postoperative pain, painful diabetic neuropathy, and some acute pain conditions. Below are the situations in which TENS can help:
How Often Can You Use A Tens Unit Can You Use A Tens Unit Too Much
Because of the low-risk treatment of TENS units, you can use them for as long and as often as needed. Professional doctors and physical therapists usually recommend pain treatment sessions of 30 minutes at a time with 20 minute break periods in between.
If over-used some soreness may occur while having the settings up too high can lead to uncomfortable muscle twitching. Some have reported a burning sensation to the skin when over-treating the affected area.
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What Are The Symptoms
Symptoms of a herniated disc vary greatly depending on the location of the herniation and your own response to pain. If you have a herniated lumbar disc, you may feel pain that radiates from your low back area, down one or both legs, and sometimes into your feet . You may feel a pain like an electric shock that is severe whether you stand, walk, or sit. Activity such as bending, lifting, twisting, and sitting may increase the pain. Lying flat on your back with knees bent may be the most comfortable because it relieves the downward pressure on the disc.
Sometimes the pain is accompanied by numbness and tingling in your leg or foot. You may experience cramping or muscle spasms in your back or leg.
In addition to pain, you may have leg muscle weakness, or knee or ankle reflex loss. In severe cases, you may experience foot drop or loss of bowel or bladder control. If you experience extreme leg weakness or difficulty controlling bladder or bowel function, you should seek medical help immediately.
The Enigma Of Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. It’s also a little strange as far as ailments go.
When you twist your ankle, you generally have pain that slowly goes away as the injury heals. Not so with back pain. Relief doesn’t seem to be linked to healing because the pain is usually unrelated to an injury. In fact, back pain often diminishes over time, even when there is an underlying problem like a herniated disc or arthritis, says Dr. James Rainville, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School.
Adding to the mysteries of back pain is the fact that people tend to report more back pain in their 40s and 50s than they do as they get older. But back degeneration generally increases over time, so logically, people should have more pain not less as they age.
In addition, as many as 80% of adults report at least one episode of back pain. The other 20% never experience back pain at all. But it’s not because their spines are normal. Imaging tests on these pain-free folks show as much degeneration in their lower spine as everyone else has, says Dr. Rainville. The question is, why don’t these changes seen on imaging cause them pain?
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The Difference Between A Herniated Disc And A Bulging Disc
While you might hear people refer to a slipped disc, this is not an accurate term since a disc cannot actually slip out of place. When most people talk about a slipped disc, they are referring to a herniated disc. Sometimes this is also called a ruptured disc.
Between the bones of the vertebrae of the spine are small cushions that are filled with a jelly-like substance. These cushions prevent bones from rubbing against one another and act like miniature shock absorbers.
As we age, these cushions become harder and less flexible. When too much pressure is put on the spine, these discs can bulge out from between the vertebrae, touching a nerve. The nerve reacts by sending pain signals to the brain. This is called a bulging disc.
If the pressure remains intense or if the bulging disc is damaged enough times, the outer layer of the disc can split, allowing some of the softer inside material to squeeze out. This also touches on a nerve and causes intense pain. When this happens, it is called a herniated disc. A full explanation is discussed here.
As you can imagine, a herniated disc usually causes much more intense pain since it is usually larger in scale and can have more of an impact on the nerve root.
Are There Complications With A Herniated Disc
Unfortunately, if left untreated, a severely herniated or slipped disc can lead to permanent damage of the nerve. It can cut off the feeling aspect of the nerve, causing you to lose bowel or bladder control.
You could also suffer from a complication called saddle anesthesia. This means you would lose feeling in areas where a saddle would touch, such as your inner thighs, the bottom portion of your buttocks, the rectum, and the backs of your thighs.
This is why a diagnosis and treatment plan should begin right away.
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How Are Slipped Discs Diagnosed
Your doctor will first perform a physical exam. They will be looking for the source of your pain and discomfort. This will involve checking your nerve function and muscle strength, and whether you feel pain when moving or touching the affected area. Your doctor also will ask you about your medical history and your symptoms. They will be interested in when you first felt symptoms and what activities cause your pain to worsen.
Imaging tests can help your doctor view the bones and muscles of your spine and identify any damaged areas. Examples of imaging scans include:
Your doctor can combine all these pieces of information to determine what is causing your pain, weakness, or discomfort.
Risk Factors For Herniated Discs
Herniated discs can be caused by several things, and Risk factors that can increase your risk of a herniated disk include:
- Smoking. Its thought that smoking lessens the oxygen supply to the disk, causing it to break down more quickly.
- Weight. Excess body weight causes extra stress on the disks in your lower back.
- Occupation. People with physically demanding jobs that require repetitive lifting, bending, and twisting also can increase your risk of a herniated disk.
- Sedentary lifestyles. Prolonged sitting postures, whether in an office or vehicle, have a greater risk of back problems.
- Genetics. Some people inherit a predisposition to developing a herniated disk.
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What Problems Cause Herniated Discs
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There are many problems that can cause herniated discs, but the most common is degenerative disc disease. This is when the discs in your spine begin to break down and collapse, which can put pressure on your nerves and cause pain. Other causes include injuries to the spine, such as car accidents or falls, and lifting something heavy.
A herniation of the disc occurs when all or part of it is forced into a weakened part of the spine. The most common condition is a lower back pain, hip pain, and leg pain. You should rest for a few days before taking pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications to treat a ruptured disc.
Treatment For Disc Problems
Most disc problems will resolve with time, regardless of treatment, just like soft tissue sprains in other parts of the body. Short-term bed rest for a few days may help in the initial management of severe sciatica. However, most people can stay active, with some restrictions, according to their level of pain. Appropriate pain relief and allowing the person to stay active within their pain limits is usually the best approach.
Some treatments used for pain relief include:
- gradually increasing activity levels within pain limits
- an exercise program designed to improve strength, flexibility and fitness
- a short-term trial of massage, spinal mobilisation or manual therapy
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids
- pain-relieving medications, such as paracetamol.
Sciatica pain may be treated with an injection of anti-inflammatory steroids into the area of the affected spinal nerve. In severe cases of sciatica caused by a large disc protrusion, pain may be relieved by surgery to trim the protruding disc. This may be done to relieve pressure on the affected spinal nerve.
In severe cases of degenerative disc disease, surgery may be considered to remove the disc and fuse together the two vertebrae on either side.
However, severe cases of both sciatica and degenerative disc disease are uncommon.
Remember, most disc problems resolve without specific treatment.
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A Common Cause Of Neck Back And Leg Pain: Herniated Disks
Herniated discs are commonly thought to be the source of neck, back, and leg pain. Shin herniations can usually be treated at home, or they can be treated on their own. It may take four to six weeks for the disk to resolve, but with time, the problem is usually resolved. There is no guarantee that a herniation of the vertebrae will fully heal, but with treatment, it can shrink, dry out, or disappear.
