Are there non-surgical herniated disc treatments?

For people dealing with the pain of a herniated disc, it may feel like surgery is the only way to reduce your pain. However, there are non-surgical herniated disc treatments available, and these treatments can offer many benefits. For example, manual therapy from a physical therapist can provide three benefits to herniated disc patients. 

1.   Relaxes muscles

One benefit manual therapy can have as a non-surgical herniated disc treatment is relaxing back muscles. In some cases, the damage to your disc may have come from overly tight back muscles. For instance, one or more of these muscles could have been strained while playing sports. They could also have been injured in a car accident. 

Damage to the muscles often leads to the creation of scar tissue, and this tissue can cause muscle tightness and prevent it from moving normally. Tight muscles can also pull the spine out of alignment. This abnormal alignment can increase your risk of a herniated disc and other back problems. With manual therapy, a physical therapist can perform movements designed to break up scar tissue. In turn, this can decrease muscle tension, realign the spine and help decrease the pressure on herniated discs. 

2.   Releases endorphins

The relaxation of muscles with manual therapy also helps this non-surgical herniated disc treatment provide another benefit — the release of endorphins. Endorphins are naturally produced by the body, and they are your body’s natural pain relievers. They can also help to improve your mood, which can help fight the mental stress of a herniated disc. 

3.   Increases blood flow

Manual therapy, a  non-surgical herniated disc treatment, can also help increase blood flow. Coupled with increasing your endorphin production, increased blood flow can be very beneficial because it allows the body to get more endorphins to the painful disc faster. Improving blood flow also helps the injured disc get more oxygen and nutrients, potentially leading to faster healing. 

Find out about other non-surgical herniated disc treatments offered by Advent Physical Therapy

Manual therapy can be effective for treating herniated discs, but it’s far from the only non-surgical option available at Advent Physical Therapy. Our treatment plans are designed to include multiple therapy techniques, and this allows us to more effectively target the specific symptoms you’re experiencing. A few of the other techniques we may include in your herniated disc treatment plan are: 

• Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
• Pelvic floor rehabilitation
• Cupping

Are you ready to start treating your herniated disc pain? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.