Methods for herniated discs: Advantages and Disadvantages
By: Ana Serrano
Introduction:
Today we will see the 12 methods and tools that are most commonly recommended by doctors, as well as their real advantages and disadvantages in each case.
Vertetrac – Spinal decompression belt
Vertetrac is the combination of a decompression system and a traction system. It is used to treat injuries and disorders of the spine, including: back pain, scoliosis, sports injuries, herniated discs and sciatica. Three-dimensional traction forces relieve pain with horizontal, vertical, and diagonal decompression.
Advantages:
- Asymmetrical and symmetrical adjustments can be made for different spinal treatments.
- With several applications it gives a remarkable therapeutic effect.
- And that the use of this device is safe, as long as you adjust it correctly.
- Effective for stretching the lower back
Disadvantages:
- Its zone of action is only the lumbar area
- Some people find them uncomfortable to wear.
- The help of an expert person is needed to place them.
Investment:
A decompression belt like Vertetrac can cost more than $800 USD
Where to buy?
On the official page of the distributors: https://meditrac.co.il/products/vertetrac/
Cordus & Sacrus Method
Cordus and Sacrus are non-invasive tools that, despite their simple appearance, manage to improve some problems of the spine, including sciatica, herniated discs, scoliosis, low back pain, among others. Its high therapeutic decompression effect is due to micro-traction and to the fact that it manages to relax the deep paravertebral muscles, which the fingers of spine specialists cannot reach. Easy for personal use.
Advantages:
- Comprehensive therapy with which you improve all areas of your spine: sacral, lumbar, dorsal, cervical.
- The pain decreases from the first use.
- With several applications it helps reduce disc herniation
- Provider offers 100% refund if it didn’t work for you
Disadvantages:
- If you hate reading manuals, this is not your case
- You must have some patience and perform a certain number of sessions if you are looking to correct the problem.
- You should not be prohibited from performing the back massage
Investment:
The price of Cordus or Sacrus starts at $89 USD
Where to buy?
Get it at www.cordus.com
Inversion Tables
Inversion tables use the traction method: stretching along the spine, and according to the providers, with continued use they increase the space between each of the vertebrae, a function that can be useful in the treatment of vertebrae. herniated discs. It is a natural and non-invasive method.
Advantages:
- Relieves back pain and muscle contractures.
- Effective for stretching the spine.
- With several applications it gives a remarkable therapeutic effect.
- You have a month to return the money if it did not work for you
Disadvantages:
- It does not usually provide good results when the hernia is already advanced.
- You stay upside down for a while and this becomes very annoying for some.
- This type of spinal stretching can cause spinal instability
Investment:
The price of inversion tables depends on several factors: quality, security, guarantee, etc. The most basic ones are at $130 USD and the most complete ones can reach $320 USD.
Where to buy?
On Amazon you can find a wide variety of inversion tables, from the simplest to the multifunctional. In addition, on pages of this type you can know the negative opinions of users and choose the most appropriate one.
Electrical Stimulation Therapy
Both methods, TENS and NMES, work from electrical current in order to relieve different areas of the body. Each act in a different way and have various purposes: The TENS method helps to stimulate the nerves, blocking pain signals, NMES stimulates the nerves in the muscles, causing contraction and artificial exercise.
While the TENS device is primarily used to block acute pain, the NMES method is useful for strengthening and reducing pain in the muscles.
Advantages:
- Analgesic and non-invasive method
- Unlike pain relievers, which carry a risk of abuse, addiction, and side effects, TENS is a safer treatment
- If it is not effective, you can return it within the first 30 days
Disadvantages:
- Low effectiveness for chronic pain (more than 3 months) according to studies by the American Academy of Neurology.
- Additional expenses: You must change the patches after 15-20 sessions.
- It could cause disturbances in the sensitivity of the skin.
Investment:
US$ 30 for a personal electrostimulator until to US$ 50
Where to buy?
Mercado Libre / EBay
Chiropractic for herniated disc
This method consists of a chiropractic specialist correcting the vertebral deviation and reducing the pressure on the affected nerve through a series of massages and controlled twisting. It is one of the most popular methods and at the same time one that generates the most confusion, because the treatment can be very gentle or very aggressive, so much so that it can become dangerous. The result depends a lot on the specialist.
Advantages:
- It is one of the least invasive treatments for herniated discs.
- It can help correct the problem early.
- Helps relieve pain from the first session.
Disadvantages:
- It does not usually give good results when the hernia is already advanced.
- There is the risk of falling into the hands of a bad “specialist”.
- Specialists who really manage to improve herniated discs are scarce.
- The sessions have to be consecutive or else the problem will return.
Investment:
The price of a herniated disc chiropractic session can vary greatly. Considering that it is always carried out with a specialist endorsed by medicine and not by a scammer, the economic range can range from $20 USD to $70 USD per session.
Where to schedule?
Search the internet, so you can find the best option for you.
Nubax – Spinal Decompression Seat
This device is very similar to the other devices that use the traction method and increase the space between the vertebrae. The idea is to decompress the nerves to relieve pain. The operation is similar to inversion tables, with the difference that you do not have to stay upside down.
Advantages:
- Pain is usually relieved during use
- It is effective for stretching the spine.
- You have a month to return the money if it did not work for you
- It can be applied as a supportive treatment for people who are waiting for surgery.
Disadvantages:
- There is no correct position, each person adjusts it according to how they feel, which can have a consequence.
- This type of spinal stretching can cause spinal instability
Investment:
This device has a cost of $309 USD
Where to buy?
On their official page, they ship worldwide. https://nubax.myshopify.com/
Ozone therapy for herniated disc
It consists of injecting ozone directly into the affected lumbar disc, since the biomedical properties of this element help reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Ozone treatment alone has better results in terms of pain relief and disability improvement than steroid injections.
Advantages:
- It is a very effective treatment to relieve pain in serious cases.
- The sessions are fast and the relief is immediate.
- Ozone is a treatment endorsed by many professionals.
Disadvantages:
- Specialists who really manage to correct herniated discs are scarce.
- The injections can be painful.
- They could cause side effects such as nausea, headache, and fatigue
- The sessions have to be consecutive or the pain will return
Investment:
The price of a single session of ozone therapy for herniated disc can range from $50 USD to $70 USD
Where does it apply?
There are numerous clinics and specialists who apply this type of method. It’s up to you to find the clinics and doctors with the best opinions and those that are most affordable to your situation.
Acupuncture for herniated discs
It is a very controversial technique, as some experts say that it really works and others that it is only a placebo effect derived from suggestion. It consists of placing needles in certain energetic pressure points to stimulate blood supply and relieve inflammation.
Advantages:
- Many patients report feeling relief.
- It is not a particularly expensive method.
Disadvantages:
- It is a minimally invasive treatment.
- An error in the placement of the needle can have consequences for your health.
- Sessions should be repeated at least once a week.
Investment:
Each acupuncture session can cost between $25 USD to $35 USD.
Where does it apply?
There are many clinics specializing in this type of therapy and Chinese medicine. It is up to you to look for several options to avoid falling for a scam and inform yourself before going to a specific one.
Therapeutic Exercises
It is a series of regular and constant exercises for both stretching and strengthening the spine and the muscles related to it, such as the abdominal muscles, the buttocks or the hip, which produces relief from sciatic pain at the time of relaxation and strengthens the spine.
Advantages:
- With several applications it gives a remarkable therapeutic effect
- You can do them from home or in rehabilitation centers.
- They help reduce pain and can prevent relapses.
- They favor the exchange of nutrients within the discs
Disadvantages:
- The supervision of a specialist is required to perform the exercises, at least in the first stage.
- A high level of motivation and will is required to achieve results
- The improvement is long-term and requires several sessions.
Investment:
From $50 USD to $250 USD per session on average per hour, depending on the specialist
Where to buy?
planochiropractor.net, brooklyndisccenter.com, spineandjoint.com
Pilates and yoga for herniated disc
Low-impact exercise that strengthens the muscles of the abdomen and lower back is always, at the very least, a positive auxiliary strategy in cases of herniated disc and sciatica. Both yoga and pilates fall into this category.
Advantages:
- The pain subsides naturally.
- The muscles surrounding the spine are strengthened, which protects against future complications.
- Improves the patient’s quality of life.
Disadvantages:
- It does not usually give good results when the herniated disc is already advanced.
- You must hire a professional trainer specialized in sports medicine.
- If not done properly, yoga or pilates can increase the risk of spinal damage.
Investment:
From $30 USD to $60 USD for eight or twelve monthly classes.
Where is it practiced?
Gyms, salons, studios… There are many places where you can find this type of activity. You should always meet the instructor to tell him about the situation of your back and thus you will know if that place is the right one for you.
Therapeutic swimming
As with the previous disciplines, swimming can help reduce pain as long as it is done with the correct technique and the appropriate frequency. It does not work to correct herniated disc.
Advantages:
- It is a very low impact exercise for the joints and bones.
- The pain subsides naturally.
- Swimming has many additional benefits for health and mobility.
Disadvantages:
- In some cases it does not usually give any relief.
- You must have the instruction of a professional in therapeutic swimming.
- Swimming without professional supervision aggravates the condition.
Investment:
From $35 USD to $60 USD for eight or twelve monthly classes.
Where is it practiced?
There isn’t usually access to many public pools, and there may not be any nearby gyms near you that have a pool. If you are lucky and have the opportunity to practice this activity, make sure that the instructor is qualified to attend to your personal case, since there are swimming styles that can aggravate the problem.
Steroid injections for hernias
Steroids injected directly into the affected area cause significant and long-lasting deswelling, causing pain to subside and slowing the progression of the condition.
Advantages:
- Very effective in treating pain and inflammation in acute cases.
- Ideal for allowing the patient to start a rehabilitation exercise program.
- They can be applied immediately in case of emergencies.
Disadvantages:
- Frequent steroid use has very negative effects
- Although the relief is lasting, it attacks only the symptom, not the problem.
Investment:
A single injection of steroids for herniated discs can cost between $55 USD and $80 USD
Where does it apply?
These must be applied in a specialized center, we recommend that you look for several options near you online, that you compare prices and opinions of other patients.
Surgery for herniated discs
It is the most radical treatment and is only recommended when none of the above has given positive results, so it is usually only necessary when the condition has been allowed to progress too much without proper care.
Advantages:
- The damaged disk is repaired.
- There are chances of regaining 100% mobility.
- Relief is usually quick.
Disadvantages:
- It is a very invasive intervention.
- Recovery is long and painful.
- There is a risk that the problem will come back.
- It only repairs the damaged disk, it does not remove the real cause of the problem.
Investment:
Depending on whether or not you have health insurance, a herniated disc surgery can cost you more than $5,500 USD
The conclusion..
Doctors estimate that more than 90% of complications in patients with herniated discs or sciatica could have been avoided if the appropriate treatment had been used in time.
Therefore, the best option if you have enough money and availability of schedules is to treat the herniated disc in a specialized clinic, where they carry out the necessary studies and different treatments, guiding you through the entire process. You just have to make sure that the reputation of the clinic is good and that you are not being charged for unnecessary and annoying treatments. Sometimes surgery is the only option to solve the problem.
If you are looking to solve your problem in the comfort of your home, the solution may be to purchase a Vertetrac device or more versatile Cordus/Sacrus tools and, ideally, add some therapeutic exercises. On some occasions, tools such as Nubax or inversion tables can work well for you, also in combination with exercise. All these tools are endorsed by specialists and are used in his practice for the treatment of herniated discs.
Success and good health…