updated: 12/05/2019
A herniated disc is one of the most common diseases of the spine in people who overexert themselves physically. A herniated disc has a negative impact on the quality of life and work of patients. This disease often causes severe pain and, if left untreated, it may cause serious complications that affect movement, such as muscular atrophy, urinary incontinence, loss of mobility, and paralysis of limbs. Luckily, you can find multiple natural home remedies to deal with a herniated disc problem. Keep reading to get these natural home remedies for herniated disc pain relief.
- Natural home remedies for upper back pain
- Home remedies for fibromyalgia pain relief
- Natural home remedies for knee pain
What A Herniated Disc In The Spine?
The spine has 24 vertebrae that extend from the neck to the waist. Located between each of these vertebrae are discs structured like solid fibers arranged in a circular shape. These discs contain mucoprotein gel. Discs have the function of holding the vertebrae together, acting as joints to allow the spine to perform flexibly, and acting as shock absorbers to protect the spine from injury. Discs are located all along the spine, soherniations may occur at any location of the spine. However, the two most common sites are the neck and the lumbar spine.
When the spine is injured due to strong impact, the disc is weakened and may be torn. The mucoprotein in the disc will escape and can enter the spinal canal or press on the nerve roots, causing severe pain. If this condition persists, it may cause complications that affect the health and well-being of the person.
What Are Common Causes Of Herniated Discs Of The Spine?
Other causes of herniated discs include:
- Age
The intervertebral discs of people 35 years of age and older often lose their flexibility. They become dry and fibrous, and may be damaged more easily. When this happens, some of the mucoprotein in the disc pushes out through a tear in the outer fibrous tissue and can compress the spinal cord or the nerve roots, causing pain. The older you are, the more likely you are to discs degeneration.
TrueRemedies Partner Solutions
Need a Help from the Leading Expert Online, Available 24/7?
They’re all here and ready to answer your questions online or by phone. Keep asking questions until you get the answer you need.
- Injury
During labor, the spine may be subjected to lesions that cause disc herniation. Frequent carrying of heavy loads can injure the spine, leading to disc herniation.
Sitting Or Standing In One Position
Sitting or standing in the same position for long periods of time causes poor blood circulation to the spine and discs resulting in fibrosis and disc injury.
- Weight And Height
According to one study[1], people with too much body weight put too much pressure on their spine, thereby damaging the discs and nerves in their backs. In addition, people with a height of 170 cm or more for women and 180 cm or more for men are also at a higher risk of contracting the herniated disc disease.
- Smoking
Smoking cigarettes not only causes many serious diseases of the internal organs but also affects the bones and joints. Cigarette smoking lowers oxygen levels in the blood and results in loss of important nutrients to the tissues, increasing the risk of disc herniation.
- Genetic Factor
People with weak disc structure may have a genetic predisposition to disc herniation.
What Are Common Symptoms Of A Herniated Disc?
A herniated disc often causes pain in the spine and nerve roots. Pain often recurs. Patients may experience dull or severe pain. Herniated discs in different sites along the spine cause different types of pain.
For example, a herniated disc in the neck causes painful symptoms in the neck. The pain may radiate to the shoulders and arms causing numbness and sometimes causing loss of sensation in the hands. You may also have symptoms such as dizziness, sore eyes, and headaches.
If you have a herniated disc in the lumbar spine, low back pain and intercostal pain (pain in the ribs) are likely. Sometimes the pain from the waist radiates to the buttocks and feet, causing numbness. This can make the patient unable to walk.
- Feeling Of Numbness
Along with pain is a feeling of numbness in the affected area. Symptoms of numbness are due to nerve root compression.
- Muscular Atrophy
In advanced cases, the muscles of the arms or legs of the patient may atrophy, making it difficult for the patient to move or work.
- Other Symptoms
A herniation of a disc in the spinal column may cause deviation or distortion in the spine and also limit certain movements, such as twisting of the neck, head, knees, and torso. Some people may even experience bladder or bowel incontinence.
When To See A Doctor?
If you have any of the signs and symptoms mentioned above, consult your doctor. It is very important to have a doctor assess your condition. In addition, if you experience muscle atrophy or loss of sensation in your arms and/or legs, see your doctor immediately. These symptoms indicate advanced disease.
Top 6 Natural Home Remedies For Hernia Pain
1. Exercise: Pull – Ups
Pull-ups are a simple physical exercise that brings great benefits to the spine, neck, and waist. It is also an effective way to prevent spinal disease, especially the common back pain of office workers[5].
Pull-up workouts keep your vertebrae stretched, releasing pressure on the nerves, and enhancing the blood circulation of joints, so you will reduce your chances of developing herniated discs or degeneration of the vertebrae.
Doing pull-ups also helps to improve health, develop biceps, develop shoulder muscles, and reduce the risk of diseases due to motor inactivity such as high cholesterol, diabetes, and gout.
For patients with herniated disc disease, this is a way to help treat their disease and improve health. You can do this simple exercise at home. Do 5 pull-ups twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. Each pull-up should take about 15 seconds. You should not exercise too much because this can make your condition worse.
2. Slow Down The Degeneration Process
The spinal system is basically composed of two parts: the spine and the disk[6].
When the spine is degraded, it does not have the necessary firmness, so the pressure that must have suppressed on the spine suppresses completely on the disk. Thus, slowing the spinal degeneration is an effective treatment for spinal disc herniation.
The trend nowadays is to supplement certain foods to restore cartilage to joints, thereby reducing pain and slowing down the degeneration process[7].
Here are some foods that can help support the joints:
- Meat, Fish, And Tubular Bone
Meat, fish, and bone are classified as healthy joint foods. They are foods that contain very high levels of protein. From fresh meat, fish and tubular bone, you can process foods rich in nutrients. These foods help keep the joints strong.
- Tomato
Scientific studies have shown that tomatoes contain many of the nutrients which are necessary for the body[8]. These nutrients work to prevent aging and degeneration and strengthen the joints. In particular, tomato seeds may also replace aspirin, which has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Soy
Scientific studies have shown that soy protein has the potential to stimulate the growth of cartilage cells, especially in men[10].
- Milk
According to one study, greater milk consumption was associated with slower progression of osteoarthritis in women[11].
- Green Vegetables And Fruits
Green vegetables, such as cabbage, contain vitamin K1 that may help to increase bone density, which is good for people with osteoarthritis[12] [13]. Fruits such as avocado, papaya, lemon, and grapefruit are high in vitamin C, which stimulates cartilage growth.
3. Reduce Stress
High stress levels can make any kind of pain worse. To keep your mind relaxed, you can apply some of the suggestions below:
- Drinking Green Tea
Green tea is rich in the antioxidant EGCG and is low in caffeine content. Green tea may help prevent cardiovascular disease and refresh the mind[15] [16].
- Sunbathing
Sunbathing for about 10 minutes per day helps increase the vitamin D content of the body and helps you improve your mood and your sleep quality, thereby bringing about mental recovery.
- Deep Breathing
Deep breathing helps reduce stress. Sit up straight and inhale through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold for 3 seconds and then exhale for 1 second. Continue for 10 minutes.
- Journaling
Every day, spend 10 minutes writing a diary to look back on what has happened in life and work. Doing so will increase the vitality of the spirit[17].
- Listening To Music
Listening to music has a positive effect on mood[18] [19]. Listen to your favorite songs to recharge yourself when you feel tired.
- Using Essential Oils
Mint, orange, and grapefruit essential oils all work to relieve stress[20]. You can also use any essential oil you like to spray the room to help your spirit become comfortable.
4. Exercises
Many people think that when they have pain from a herniated disc or back pain, they need to take a rest to recover. However, rest is not the only right way to treat such pain. Experts recommended that you should take a rest for the first few days when the pain starts, but then do exercises to help you recover faster. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise (walking, cycling, or swimming) every day improves circulation, nourishing the spine to keep it healthy.
In addition, the practice of yoga is not only good for health but also especially good for patients with herniated discs[24].
5. Adequate Sleep
Sleep is important to our health. Getting enough sleep reduces the pressure on the spinal column and the nerves that are affected by pain[25]. Patients should place a pillow or towel on the lower back or neck (depending on the location of the herniated disc).
6. Weight Loss
Being overweight makes people more prone to spinal injury, including herniated discs[27] [28]. Therefore, for people with obesity, the application of safe weight-loss measures is essential to support the course of treatment. Limit intake of protein, starch, and fatty foods. Eating fruits and vegetables is very good. Also, drink plenty of water and limit your intake of alcohol. Consult your doctor for a safe and effective weight loss schedule.
These are home remedies for hernia pain that have been tested for safety and effectiveness by many people. Choose some of them and alternate them in your treating to see how effective they are. Also, let us know if you have other home remedies for herniated disc pain.
