Conservative treatments for
a lumbar herniated disk
Combining treatment options for a lumbar herniated disk
Within the first six weeks it is probably reasonable
to try different medications, modalities and
therapies to try to alleviate the pain and give
the disk herniation time to heal. With time the
body can resorb the disk herniation, and if the
symptoms start to abate within the six-week period,
continued conservative treatment for the herniated
disk is warranted.
At the very least, at the onset of pain from
a herniated disk it is usually considered reasonable
to start with a couple of days of bedrest followed
by slow mobilization.
Chiropractic and exercise for a herniated
disk
If the pain is severe and/or if symptoms
persist for 2 to 4 weeks, a trial of either chiropractic
or osteopathic treatments, and/or exercise and physical
therapy is warranted. The goals of chiropractic/osteopathic
manipulation and physical therapy are to reduce
pain and to allow the patient to return to a
normal level of functioning.
Medications for a herniated disk
Medications may also help reduce the pain
from a herniated disk, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAID’s) can reduce the inflammation
caused by the disk herniation.
Epidural steroid injections for a herniated
disk
Either oral steroid medication or an epidural injection may achieve
a stronger anti-inflammatory effect, although their use is a little riskier,
and neither has been clearly shown to change the natural history of whether
or not a patient will need surgery. Approximately 50% of the time, an epidural
steroid injection will provide pain relief that may last from one week up to
one year. Up to three epidural injections may be done in a one-year time frame
(at least two weeks apart).
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