How to Fix a Herniated Disc

Fixing Herniated DiscsFixing a bulging or herniated disc means different things to different people. Usually it either means a) help me stop my back pain, or b) help me fix the herniated disc. The end result may be the same but the perspective is critical.

If you simply want to mask the back pain you could take one of the many non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, get repeated cortisone shots, or beg your doctor for another pharmaceutical drug alternative. While you might reach the perceived goal of ending back pain, you of course have not addressed the real problem.

On the other hand, if you choose to fix a herniated disc by actually treating the underlying cause as well as the symptoms you’ll have a greater likelihood of both ending the pain and preventing its recurrence. That’s where this article will focus.

First, understand that outside of cases of trauma a herniated disc does not occur overnight. It may seem like you “threw your back out” all at once, yet it was a process of weakening over time that allowed your disc to suddenly become noticeably problematic. What you may find surprising is many have a herniated disc without pain. It’s when the disc or inner material from a herniated disc press against a nerve that pain results.

What causes a herniated disc ?

Simply put, herniated discs are primarily caused by uneven pressure. Think of driving a car that’s out of alignment. The tires wear unevenly due to more pressure being present on one edge. Keep driving without fixing the problem and sooner or later you’ll experience a blowout on the worn side.

The effect on spinal discs is similar. Uneven pressure caused by muscle imbalances cause the less-pressured side of the disc to bulge or rupture, squirting the jellylike interior through the fibrous disc membrane into the spinal column. Picture stomping one end of a jelly donut — the jelly would be pushed out the other side.

There are of course other contributing factors like hydration, nutritional imbalances and excess stress and negative beliefs to name a few.

How to fix a herniated disc

Clearly the first step to fixing a herniated disc is to remove this uneven pressure. One highly effective method of removing spinal pressure you can do right at home is called spinal decompression.

By using an exercise ball or other device, negative pressure is used to pull the vertebrae towards the head instead of towards the feet. One of the most effective tools for achieving this effect is with an inversion table, which uses gravity to gently relieve disc pressure. This negative pressure has been known to allow a herniated disc to return to its normal position by itself.

Once you have relieved the initial pressure you will still need to address the underlying root cause of compression: muscle imbalances. Using a muscle balance therapy self assessment or consulting with a provider versed in this course of treatment you will identify specific muscle imbalances leading to uneven spinal pressure. Then you will use exercises targeted to strengthen weak muscles and stretches for overused and tight muscles to reverse these imbalances.

By relieving the pressure on the herniated disc and correcting the underlying muscle imbalances you will have either fixed the herniated disc or gone a long way towards improving the condition.

And don’t forget, you can’t ignore the other causes mentioned earlier. In order to get true lasting relief you have to find the combination of treatments that address all of your underlying causes.

Filed Under: Herniated Disc
Written By:  Updated:
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Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, MFT

Jesse is the co-founder and visionary CEO of The Healthy Back Institute®, the world-leading source of natural back pain solutions. His mission as a former back pain sufferer is to help others live pain free without surgery and pharmaceuticals.

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12 thoughts on “How to Fix a Herniated Disc”

  1. James says:

    The consequences that cause the disease can lead to death, and so this disease is painful and people suffering from it suffers greatly by the constant pain caused by taking medications that are opioid narcotics such as Lortab, Vicodin, hydrocodone, which are very effective in suppressing the pain that causes the disease, we hope that people care and know findrxonline adequately informed as well as notes on your site.

  2. Fred Lucken says:

    My problem is a little more indepth, I have had surgery 3 times on a prolapsed disc.
    They tell me my disk is fixed, the problem I now have is scare tissue holding onto nerves that run to my gron and right knee and leg. I can not sit for more than 10 min, I can not sit to go to toilet, I stand all day with a few lay downs.
    I travel in the car laying down.

    What do you think might help me?

    I am running out of time and money, my insurance is finishing soon.

    They wont let me work in any form due to the weakness (I am a security officer for a hospital).

    Please help

    Cheers Fred

  3. Sam says:

    I take painkillers for my back pain, the best known this findrxonline are vicodin and hydrocodone are opiates to treat my illness, so I recommend always do the necessary consultation to avoid taking medications or analgesics that do not help overcome the pain.

  4. Admin says:

    Thank you for your queries,

    While they do monitor and read this blog you would be best asking your query to the helpdesk using the following link, where personal questions are answered.

    Our Customer Support
    http://losethebackpain.com/contact-us/

    They will then be able to discuss your specific query and situation with more privacy than is available on a public blog.

    Thank you.

  5. ANDRE MARCOUILLER says:

    my sister in law has five herniated disc on the bra line hope you know what i mean you know middle of her back and they tell her that inverted table will not fix it what do you say waiting for an answer,thank you ,andre

  6. Noreen DuBois says:

    I order your book Lose the Back Pain, I have 3 Herniated Disc S-1 L-4 and L-5 the S-1 is the one that Burns in my Butt and Both Legs. What pages iun the book should I be doing??? Need you Help so Bad please let me know what exercise will help me to stop the BURNING IN MY LEGS AND BUTT and the PAIN.
    Thank Yoiu Very Much
    Noreen.

  7. Admin says:

    Hi Noreen,

    Thank you for your query.
    While they do monitor and read this blog, for specific advice and to get help with using the system, you would be best to send your query to the helpdesk using the following link, where personal questions can be discussed with more privacy than on a public blog.

    Our Customer Support
    http://losethebackpain.com/contact-us/

    Thank you.

  8. Admin says:

    Hi Sheila,

    If you feel you would like to discuss your situation with them please please submit your query to the helpdesk using the following link where personal questions are answered.

    Our Customer Support
    http://losethebackpain.com/contact-us/

    Thank you

  9. Sheila Warner says:

    I have herniated discs.I experience pain in my lower back and right hips. I have read the book.I also have high blood pressure and glaucoma so I cannot use the inversion table.What are my options?

  10. Bradford Tawwater says:

    Thanks for your blog. I know a little bit about the topic but am always glad to come across more information.

  11. Alex Dean says:

    My husband believes that he has a herniated disc, and now we don’t know what to do. It’s good to know that one way to possibly relieve the back pain is to consult with a provider to help with a muscle balance assessment so that we can discover an exercise to strengthen his muscles. This is great to know so that hopefully we can prevent this from happening again to him. We will keep this in mind as we look at the different options!

  12. Admin says:

    Hi Alex,

    Thank you for your comment. We would like to help and feel that a good starting point for you and your husband would be to get a copy of our back pain book -The 7 Day Back Pain Cure. It has lots of information to understand and educate yourself about back pain better, including the role of muscle imbalances. You will find useful information and education about the back and treatment options and pain relief methods you can consider. It has a lot of other useful information you will find helpful as well when dealing with back pain. Increased knowledge on your part will help you to be more educated, proactive and tackle this. Please read more about the book and its contents via the link below. We wish you all the best.

    https://losethebackpain.com/products/7-day-back-pain-cure-book

    Thank you
    Admin (The Healthy Back Institute)

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