Have you been told you have a herniated disc, or maybe you just suspect you do? You have decided you don’t want to have surgery but want to heal your herniated disc naturally? Is it possible? What other treatments are there that could heal your back?
There are thousands of internet searches monthly on this topic. More and more consumers want to use the natural method of healing. But sometimes the conservative treatments recommended as a natural course of therapy can take weeks, if not months, to heal. As a result, many people suffer from pain for longer than necessary.
What are Some of the Conservative Treatments Recommended by Physicians?
The terms conservative and natural are often interchanged in the medical community. But not all conservative treatments are natural. Conservative treatments still use medications and injections to relieve pain and inflammation. Some conservative treatments offered for mild to moderate severity are:
- Medications-Ibuprofen, Motrin
- Exercise-Yoga, Pilates
- Physical therapy-specialized exercises to strengthen back muscles
- Heat-to reduce muscle spasms and increase blood flow
- Cold-to reduce inflammation and the sensation of pain
- Injectable medications-Steroid injections meant to reduce inflammation
All these treatments can relieve your back pain but don’t necessarily heal the herniated disc. Many physicians in the medical field that treat the spine believe the herniated disc will heal itself within a few weeks. But is conservative treatment the best route for you if you have pain for longer than needed?
What Are Some Natural Treatments Available for Herniated Discs?
Again, some of the natural treatments will compare to the conservative treatments available. However, let’s look at treatments that are different. Some other forms of treatment which are considered natural are:
- Natural pain relief creams to reduce pain without having to use traditional medications
- Inversion therapy creates space and takes the pressure off the disc and nerve to decrease pain.
- Water with lemon juice changes the pH of your blood to send more nutrients and oxygen to the disc.
- Improving your diet to increase the nutrients your body needs to help in healing.
- Reducing your stress levels to decrease the stimulation of hormones may increase muscle contraction, intensify inflammation, and cause an increase in your pain.
- Losing weight to reduce your risk of a herniated disc.
- Far infrared heat penetrates deep into the muscles and tissues to relieve pain.
A brief discussion of each of these natural treatments may explain how they work. But none of these treatments are proven to heal or relieve your back pain, associated with the herniated disc, any faster than conservative treatments.
Natural pain relief creams are plant-based creams that don’t contain any medications. They use different types of herbal remedies to relieve pain. Herbals like willow bark, which is a precursor to aspirin, are used in natural pain relief creams.
Many patients have heard about inversion therapy. Inversion therapy is a treatment that inverts your body’s position. So instead of your head is higher than your feet, an inversion table drops your head down below your feet. This inversion takes the pressure off the spine and is believed to increase the space for the herniated disc, which relieves pain. However, this treatment doesn’t heal a herniated disc.
The use of water with lemon juice attempts to balance the pH of your blood. Acidic environments cause muscles to contract. It also inhibits the body’s ability to exchange waste products and provide nutrients to the affected area. Muscle contractions causes more pain and don’t allow the muscles to relax. And the inhibition of the body’s natural healing process isn’t a benefit either. While water with lemon juice can be beneficial, it takes time to heal, and your pain may or may not decrease just with the relaxation of the muscles.
Changing your diet doesn’t seem like an effective treatment to heal a herniated disc, but increasing your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables gives your body the extra nutrients you need to promote healing. One downfall of this treatment is that it does nothing to relieve your pain.
You know that stress levels can cause muscle tension. Elevated stress can cause the release of cortisol, a stress hormone. Excess cortisol, along with other stress hormones, intensify inflammation and can increase the level of your pain. Reducing stress allows your cortisol level to return to your baseline and can reduce inflammation and pain. But does it heal your herniated disc? The true answer is probably not.
The next natural treatment is effective at reducing your risk of having a herniated disc. Losing weight is not an easy task. And losing enough weight at the time of injury to heal or relieve the pain associated with a herniated disc is an unrealistic expectation.
Far-infrared heat is a treatment many of you have never heard about. Normal heat, while decreasing inflammation and increasing circulation, generally doesn’t penetrate deeply. Far-infrared heat penetrates deep in the muscles and tissues underneath the skin. Studies completed on the use of far-infrared heat show, in double-blind placebo-controlled studies, that it is a safe and effective treatment and back pain was reduced by 50% at 6 weeks. Most healthcare providers are skeptical of this study as the back pain from a herniated disc could resolve on its own without this therapy, and your body must heal itself which still can take weeks or months.
Ozone Disc Procedure at Alternative Disc Therapy in Caldwell, New Jersey
One of the most natural treatments for herniated discs is ozone. Ozone is a naturally occurring gas in the earth’s atmosphere. Ozone has been used for 100 years in medical treatments.
The ozone injection procedure for treating disc herniations is an outpatient injection procedure. It involves an injection of ozone into the affected disc or discs. The ozone injection procedure for herniated discs was introduced in the 1980s and has a higher than surgery success rate with no known complications. Dr. Bleiweiss pioneered the ozone injection procedure in the US.
Ozone therapy is used in countries like Italy, Germany, Spain, and Argentina, just to name a few. In a study involving 6,665 patients in Italy, Spain, and Argentina, 75% of the patients treated for disc herniations retained the benefit of ozone therapy for 10 years.
Dr. Warren Bleiweiss and the staff at Alternative Disc Therapy use the ozone injection procedure routinely for herniated discs. Dr. Bleiweiss treats his patients in a way that reduces or removes their symptoms and promotes fast recovery. His treatments are centered around you, and your unique physiology and condition. There are no cookie-cutter treatments at Alternative Disc Therapy.
For more information on the ozone injection procedure and the treatment of herniated discs, call Alternative Disc Therapy today. Call (973) 403-3334 to schedule your appointment or use the convenient online form. Alternative Disc Therapy and Dr. Bleiweiss also offer telemedicine visits. Get the help you need as soon as possible.
