Heal a Protruding Disc? You Bet You Can!

    Despite what you may have heard, so let me be very clear when I say this, it is absolutely possible to heal a herniated or protruding disc. That’s correct, I said heal... something that invasive surgery can't do and avoid long-term physical therapy for those of us seeking purely relief from pain.

  Why haven't you heard this statement before? It's simply because most health care professionals, chiropractors and physical therapists base their therapy on the diagnosis or problem (i.e., herniated disc), in place of addressing the reason of the diagnosis / condition (e.g., a muscle imbalance of some form).

  Essentially, once you figure out that something or some things have caused your disc to herniate, slip, bulge or otherwise become dysfunctional, you will be able to concentrate on that reason and choose alternative rehab options that will 1) correct the problem, 2) decrease the pain, and 3) protect the disc from herniating again.

  Also, with some certainty on what a herniated disc is, and what causes them, we can next analyze the methods of healing them.

The "What" and "How" of Herniated and/or Slipped Discs

  Dismally, the term "herniated disc" is mysterious. If you've ever been told you have a slipped disc, a prolapsed disc, a bulging disc, a ruptured disc, or even degenerative disc disease often... they're fundamentally the same thing. The terminology just depends on whom you're talking to.

  Technically, a herniated or swelling disc develops when the outermost part of the disc begins to reduce in strength and the inner soft part begins to press outward. Many individuals don't even know they have a herniated or slipped disc until the herniation touches the nerve and many experts like DR. John Sarno even question whether herniated discs produce most of the back pain they are believed to.

  Despite all that, numerous studies illustrate that you may have a herniated or bulging disc and NOT have back pain.

  Researchers do show that, the two most run-of-the-mill reasons for a disc to herniate are injury and muscle imbalances. Muscle imbalances are also called "postural dysfunctions." These dysfunctions put abnormal stress on the disc that will produce greater wear and tear over time. In the course of time, the weak spot will give way and make contact with the nerve, bringing you pain.

  The most important thing to gather about herniated discs is that, barring trauma, they do not arise overnight. You may become symptomatic very quickly, but it takes a long time for conditions to be right for the nerve to be put under ample pressure to cause pain. And even if the herniation is a result of trauma or accident, the treatment objective should be the same — to decrease pain and help healing.

The Seeming Contradiction

  Not only that, I wanted to also tell you that simply because you have a herniated disc, does not mean that it is causes your pain. In essence, it has been learned that many back pain sufferers live their entire life with bulging or slipped discs and never know it!

  Why am I telling you this? Because I don't want you to be afraid of this diagnosis / symptom. Once you believe that herniated discs are not going to kill you and may in fact not even be hurting you... you will release your fear based stress and anxiety about them, that might be the source for your pain — or at least contributing to it.

  A multitude of back pain and sciatica sufferers have herniated discs, muscle imbalances, trigger points... Unfortunately, some of us experience more pain than others. Some of us have received one diagnosis and others of us received another diagnosis. The physicians don't essentially know the exact interrelation between your back pain and its cause. That is why we at the Healthy Back Institute take a pro-active, multi-corrective therapeutic approach.

  This means, we know your back pain hurts and we know it can be caused by various things. In addition, we know that even though you have received a certain diagnosis, it may not be what is basically causing your pain — even though the problem is there. We therefore recommend a comprehensive and holistic approach to fixing the muscle imbalances that — taken together — are creating health concerns for you.

Our Healing Model

  There are more than a handful of surgical procedures for a herniated disc, all of which have two main purposes: to take pressure off the nerve and to stabilize the joints. After all, these almost never work for people. Why? Because most mainstream therapeuticss purely address the symptoms of the issue and fail to address its underlying cause.

  For example, even if you surgically remove a part of the disc that's putting compression on the nerve, the same muscles imbalances and dysfunctions still exist and they will continue to place that stress on your muscles, spine and spinal discs.

  That is why is why so many patients who have surgeries end up having numerous surgical processes... because surgery does NOT do anything to concentrate on the imbalances that are producing the dysfunctions, which lead to the bulges, herniations and other disc issues.

  And as I previously stated, you do not have to live with this pain or go through needless surgery or years of therapy to "fix" it. You see, your herniated disc is a physical problem, and so it requires a physical solution.

  To establish the proper stage for long-term healing and preventive maintenance of your discs, you MUST consume sufficient water every day. Actually, your spinal discs are composed of about 70% water, and lack of water in the discs creates a narrowing of the space between vertebrae and eventual compression of the spine and/or spinal nerves. This produces pain. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water each day will do wonders for your discs and for your total body system. It is vital that you drink ample water and stay hydrated.

  Other areas that must be monitored are your standing, sitting, sleeping postures. Improper posture might cause compression of spinal column and nerves and over time, muscle imbalances — one of the hidden reasons for protruding or slipped discs. Physical posture is so essential in terms of correction and prevention, and maintaining tabs on your negative emotions will go a long way to assisting you maintain a healthy posture.

  Furthermore, creating space (or decompressing) the spine is another key factor in healing herniated discs. Decompressing the spine with the utilization of an inversion table, inversion boots, lying backward over an inflated Swiss exercise ball... will stretch the spine, ease stress, enhance oxygen amounts and also blood flow. All of these things assist to promote healing of a herniated disc... while continued use is a powerful preventive measure.

  Another discovery that is not commonly known is pain that is blamed on a herniated disc is often caused by Trigger Points. These are tiny, mine-like constrictions in muscle fibers that produce agonizing pain and compress nerves. Finding a way to administer self Trigger Point Therapy everyday, immediately followed by and combined with Muscle Balance Therapy to bring back balance and proper work of the muscles and joints, is a great way to relieve these issues.

  Psychologically, learning how to care for oxidative stress, worry and anxiety will do wonders to reduce the stress-related muscle contractions that can lead to trigger points and disc herniation. Learn to take time for your self and relax. There are self-hypnosis programs available, or you might merely take time to listen to easing music.

  Far-infrared heat can assist immensely with stress. It is deep penetrating and dramatically increases the blood flow to the area in question and relaxes tight muscles for very speedy pain relief and improved mobility.

Conclusion

  While a herniated disc is a complicated condition, it is possible to heal it. Most people get the best results when they combine therapy approaches. For example, Inversion Therapy can be very effective, yet it will typically work even better when combined with Muscle Balance Therapy.

  Try some of the different methods mentioned above, mix and match them. Every person is unique, experiences pain differently, and the reason for their pain is different than others'. Take some time for yourself. Invest in yourself. Get to know your problem, your body and your pain. With this knowledge you will be able to design your own self-healing system based on our self-guidance.