Lower back pain is a common problem, especially for people of older ages. A study done by the American Chiropractic Association showed that approximately thirty-one million United States citizens experience back pain at any one time. This makes most employees miss work, which further affects the economy negatively. Jocelyn Idema, DO, a Pittsburgh board certified orthopedic spine surgeon, offers a wide range of neck and back pain treatment.
Below are tips for treating a herniated disc:
Right diet
When your body detects a herniated disc injury, it immediately starts to repair itself in a process known as disc resorption. This is very dependent on your nutrition. For your immune system to work as required, you have to adopt the right diet. Doctors recommend that you:
· Avoid smoking completely since it will slow down the healing process.
· Drink plenty of water throughout the day
· Eat protein foods to maintain a healthy spine and prevent further injury. It is advised you go for the better quality foods that are all-natural. Avoid packed meats.
· Take more collagen for your body to repair and heal the damaged disc. The source could be from natural foods or vitamins found in shops. You could also source it from making bone broth at home naturally or buying it online.
The diet on its own will not heal your spine, but it will make sure you are strong to avoid any more severe injuries. You can speak to your doctor about supplement drugs to take.
Practice Egoscue
This is a lifestyle change that will help you restore the right posture. You should combine this form of therapy with the right diet to get significant effects. The specialist will advise you on the right exercises to keep a proper posture. Research has shown that having upper crossed syndrome or lower crossed syndrome could increase the chances of developing a herniated disc. This is mainly because the two conditions increase the pressure exerted on the discs.
Exercise regularly
Rest is essential to give your body some healing time. However, too much of it can result in stiffness, decreased immunity, and muscle weakness slowing down the healing process. Therefore, specialists recommend that you balance between rest and some simple exercises. Low impact exercises you can try include:
· Hiking
· Walking
· Swimming
· Riding a stationary bike
Do not over-exercise. Bending too much or lifting very heavy objects will harm your spine. Let the activity be controlled and slow.
Seek Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is a form of regenerative medicine that uses platelet-rich plasma to repair your damaged tissue. Sometimes when you have a herniated disc, the pain you experience may result from the nerve root compression within the tissues. PRP injections will help repair those muscle tissues and alleviate your pain. For you to feel the effect, you have to attend a couple of sessions; mostly three to eight.
Surgery
Sometimes, nutrition, exercise, and therapy may not work to heal your herniated disc. Therefore, when the condition becomes severe, surgery may be required. Specialists at Steel City Spine and Orthopedic Center offer minimally invasive surgery to boost the success rate and reduce recovery time. Book an appointment for any back or neck problem.
