If you are experiencing sharp or burning pain in your lower back or neck, accompanied by radiating numbness or tingling in your arm or leg – and possibly also weakness in muscles that serve these areas – you may have a herniated disc.

This condition occurs when a crack develops in a spinal disc’s tough exterior casing, so the soft center of the disc pushes through the crack – and this soft material sits there, continuously irritating a nearby nerve in the spinal cord. The crack can occur as a result of an accident, injury, or simply wear and tear over time.

Whatever the cause, a herniated disc can result in symptoms that include pain in your extremities, sciatica, and loss of mobility. The good news is that most herniated discs heal on their own, and relief can be felt within a few weeks.

However, there are many common activities that can inflame the disc and worsen the pain, making the crack take longer to heal. Let’s talk about how best to live with a herniated disc, and where you can go in Caldwell for effective back pain relief.

Ways to Manage Herniated Disc Pain

Depending on the severity of your herniated disc pain and the treatment recommended by your pain doctor, there are certain steps you can take to minimize your discomfort and prevent further injury. These include:

• Sleeping on your back or side, rather than on your stomach
• Wearing flat or low-heeled shoes to relieve pressure on your spine
• Carrying weighty objects close to your body
• Keeping your back straight and bending with your knees and hips when lifting an object, as opposed to bending over and lifting
• Placing your feet on a footrest when sitting, so that your knees are higher than your hips
• Perching one foot on a small stool or footrest when standing for a prolonged period of time

It is also key to avoid certain activities that can exacerbate your herniated disc pain, such as:

• Sitting too much and for too long – This puts extra stress on your spinal disc, especially if you slouch forward. You can minimize pain in your back by standing up, moving around, and lying down when possible. If you must sit often, do so while sitting up straight with your shoulders rolled back toward the chair. You can also use a small pillow to support your lower back. Take breaks often, during which you can walk short distances.
• Doing household chores that involve bending your back – Anything that involves bending down, carrying heavy baskets, lunging forward repetitively, or frequently reaching for items will put considerable pressure on your lower back. This includes laundry, vacuuming, gardening, and sweeping. Ask a friend or loved one to help you out with these tasks until your back is healed, or use a laundry or cleaning service.
• Feeding a pet – Bending down to fill a bowl with food or water can put pressure on your herniated disc, so it is best to buy specialty pet bowls with a long built-in handle to avoid bending. Ask your veterinarian if you don’t know where to buy items such as these.
• Strenuous exercise – Avoid high-impact activities, such as running or jumping, that cause repetitive stress on your back. Also stay away from toe-touching exercises, squatting, sit-ups, or other movements that require significant bending of the back and can worsen your pain. Instead, stick with low-impact or no-impact exercises such as swimming, walking, or using a stationary bike, all of which help to increase blood flow, nutrients, and oxygen throughout the body, improving healing and helping to reduce your back pain.

Nonsurgical Treatment for Herniated Discs

There are effective ways to treat painful disc herniation without surgery. One of these methods is ozone disc injection treatment.

Ozone disc injections work to shrink the herniated portion of a disc, thereby relieving pressure on your spinal nerve. Unlike surgery, an ozone disc injection does not reduce the disc’s height or otherwise alter the normal anatomy of the disc, but rather it improves the long-term health of the disc by:

• Stimulating the cells in the outer covering of the disc to heal
• Signaling your own body’s stem cells to mobilize to the area and repair the tear
• Improving the cells’ ability to cope with oxidative stress
• Enhancing blood flow to the spine
• Decreasing inflammation
• Increasing lymphatic drainage

Herniated Disc Specialist in Caldwell, New Jersey

Not only has Dr. Warren Bleiweiss been a pioneer in the ozone disc injection procedure here in North America, but he has also been routinely performing ozone disc injection treatments for more than a decade with reliably positive outcomes. In fact, patients come from all over the United States and Canada for this in-office treatment for back pain, because it has been proven to be as successful as surgery – but with none of the surgery-related risks and complications, and with no downtime.

If you are suffering from back pain or a herniated disc and want to know about the treatments that would work for you, call our practice today at (973) 403-3334 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bleiweiss or fill out our appointment request form online now. For our patients’ convenience, we also offer telemedicine appointments. We look forward to seeing you here!

 

 

 

Sources

Managing herniated disc pain – https://www.tenethealth.com/healthy-living/corporate-content/living-with-a-herniated-disc

Activities to avoid with herniated disc – https://www.spine-health.com/blog/everyday-activities-avoid-herniated-disc