How to Ease Your Herniated Disc Pain

Your spinal discs cushion your spine. When everything works correctly, they act as shock absorbers, sparing you from pain and discomfort. However, when a spinal disc herniates, it can become a source of chronic back pain or neck pain.

With the correct care, you can ease your back pain and recover from a herniated disc. Board-certified neurosurgeon Dr. Beejal Y. Amin can help. Dr. Amin treats new and existing patients from his locations in Hinsdale and Woodridge, Illinois. In this blog, Dr. Amin provides expert advice on easing herniated disc pain.

Why are herniated discs painful?

Herniated spinal discs suffer structural damage. Healthy spinal discs consist of a hard outer coating surrounding a gel-like interior. When a disc herniates, the outer shell ruptures, and the inner material spills into the spinal canal.

There isn’t a lot of extra space in your spinal canal, so disc material usually puts painful pressure on your spinal nerves. Depending on where the herniated disc is in your spine, you could suffer from back pain, neck pain, or pain in your limbs. You may also notice tingling and muscle weakness in the affected part of your body.

It’s hard to keep on living your life without addressing your spinal problem. Dr. Amin walks you through your treatment options, including approaches you can try at home. In many cases, symptoms improve after 3-4 months of recovery time.

Relieving herniated disc pain

While some herniated discs require surgical treatment like a microdiscectomy or a discectomy and fusion procedure, Dr. Amin advises starting with the most conservative, least invasive treatment approach that’s likely to work for you.

Lifting and twisting motions can aggravate a herniated spinal disc, so you may need to rest for a day or two or focus on gentle physical therapy movements. Strengthening your back and core muscles takes pressure off your spine, reducing the intensity of your symptoms, and low-impact exercise releases endorphins that reduce your vulnerability to pain. 

Conversely, taking a short break from physically stressful, repetitive work or hobbies may help your symptoms improve.

Try over-the-counter pain relief medications, anti-inflammatory medication, or muscle relaxants for pain control. Dr. Amin also provides epidural steroid injections, both as a diagnostic tool and for pain relief. You may also benefit from using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit to prevent nerve pain from reaching your brain and being perceived.

You can use cold therapy with an ice pack to reverse inflammation in the first few days after starting to feel herniated disc pain. After a few days, you may experience better results when you switch to heat therapy to relieve muscle spasms in your back.

If your pain gets worse at night, try a sleeping position that keeps your spine correctly aligned and free from pressure. To improve your sleep quality, place a pillow between your knees when sleeping on your side, or under your knees when sleeping on your back. Don’t try to sleep on your stomach, as that position shifts your spine out of alignment.

You can recover from a herniated disc and manage your pain symptoms with the right support. Reach out to Dr. Amin for herniated disc care.  To schedule your initial consultation appointment, call Beejal Y. Amin, MD, today or book online.