After you are first diagnosed, your doctor will watch your symptoms throughout the treatment process. If you're responding well to the early treatment attempts, your doctor may then suggest something next on the list. If resting the tired muscles does not work for you, then next you might try ice and heat applications. The combination of ice and heat treatment can help ease muscle pain and spasms. Many people find that ice and heat therapies ease discomfort from their herniated disc.
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When you have tried these things with no success and your condition is still getting worse, then your doctor will progress to the next stage of treatment which is usually physical therapy. Therapists are trained to work your muscles in a way that will not cause more damage to the area but can actually help remove pressure and swelling in the joints. In addition to this physical therapy and sometimes after the therapy if it is not working, your doctor may also prescribe certain mediations to help ease your pain and discomfort. These usually include pain killers, anti-inflammatories and more. Oral steroids or epidural steroid injections are used in many extreme cases where other medications and treatments are not working.
Oral steroids such as Prednisone and Mderol can act as anti-inflammatory as well and reduce inflammation. Typically doctors will try to avoid surgery and will try all other methods first. During surgery, the herniated disc will be removed. You will then need to recover from this surgery before resuming normal activities.







