How to take care of a slipped disc injury?

A slipped disc injury can be very painful and unbearable. However, in most cases, it will get better on its own, within six-eight weeks if proper care is taken to speed up your recovery. Slipped disc Rochester says that a number of people often mention about having a slipped disc, but it doesn’t mean that your spine has actually slipped. A slipped disc injury refers to the damage caused to one of the discs which sit between each of the bones in your spine. When the disc is damaged, the soft gel-like inner pad of the disc squeezes out through a weak point in the torn outer layer, which causes a bulge and gets pressed on nearby spinal nerves. These results in severe pain with symptoms that radiates down the leg to arm commonly referred to as sciatica. Slipped disc, also known as disc herniation, can occur in any disc in the spine but the two most common forms are lumbar disc and cervical disc herniation.

Slipped disc Rochester says that during the first 48 hours, a severe pain may occur due to the release of inflammatory chemical mediators which is a result of torn outer layer of the disc, even in the absence of spinal nerve compression. This is the basis for the use of anti-inflammatory medication for pain associated with disc herniation. Your early treatment may include taking painkillers, anti-inflammatory medication and rest to give time for the body to reabsorb the herniated part of the disc. Always consult your physician before taking any medication.

Do cold therapy since it would help in reducing the swelling and pain cause due to slipped disc. Use an ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel for no more than 10 minutes, every 2-3hrs. Three days after the injury start using heat packs to relax your muscles. The combination of cold and hot packs has been very beneficial in recovering from such injury.

Slipped disc Rochester suggests that once you start getting better, start exercises which are good of slipped disc injuries. They will help you in getting back in shape and returning to your normal routine. It’s always better to start them under the supervision of a physiotherapist. They will advice you exercises that are beneficial for speedy recovery. Once you have learned them, start practicing them in home. Ask your physiotherapist that what should be the frequency of these exercise since over stretching can cause further injuries.

You must not rest excessively and avoid activities. Studies have shown that it is important to remain active and participate in activities as long as it’s not hurting. Slipped disc Rochester says that you must take care in activities such as bending, lifting, twisting or sudden jerks. Avoid all of the above to protect your back and over stressing them.

Follow the above things to have an easy walk through during the injury and accelerate your recovery.