How is a herniated lumbar disc treated?
Non-operative treatment for the first 4-6 weeks: Except in a few special circumstances, initial treatment for herniated discs should be conservative. People with back pain and sciatica are treated alike, with emphasis on pain relief and early mobilization. Fortunately, herniated discs improve without surgery about 80% of the time. It usually takes four to six weeks of conservative treatment before a patient can resume normal activities. One research study investigated the results of conservative versus operative treatment for herniated discs. It showed that surgical patients did better when checked at 1, 2 and 4 years. After ten years, however, the two groups were doing equally well, indicating that eventually the pain associated with herniated discs resolves on its own. • Narcotic pain medicines: If the first few days are extremely painful, narcotic pain medicines are often prescribed. Some of these are safe for short periods, but have worrisome side effects when used for a long perio
