It is highly preferred with medical and physical therapy methods in the treatment of lumbar hernia, which is a common ailment that can be seen in almost everyone. On the other hand, surgical treatment is required in some lumbar hernia disorders, albeit at a low rate. Today, surgical treatment has become easier at a rate of 80% that does not require hospitalization.
Bed Rest
The first treatment method for patients with the first stage of discomfort is bed rest. Cartilage located between the vertebrae contains a high percentage of water when torn. Thanks to rest, the body absorbs water and the volume of the cartilage decreases. This also reduces the pressure on the nerve. Bed rest for more than 4 days does not scientifically provide additional benefit to the patient.
Drug Treatment
Some analgesic-anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxant drugs can be used after or in addition to bed rest. These drugs both relieve pain and help dissolve the edema around the torn cartilage. It may be inconvenient for people who have finished bed rest to continue to use muscle relaxant drugs. Because doing business with relaxed muscles causes more load on the spine. This means your hernia is growing.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is applied to resolve edema and spasm caused by hernia. The purpose of the exercises applied in physical therapy is to balance the load of the spine on the bones by making the back and abdominal muscles stronger. The duration of the exercises is short at first and increases day by day. It is not recommended for patients with a lot of leg pain or patients with numbness and loss of strength in their feet.
Surgical Treatment
Surgical treatments are applied for patients with advanced disease. If the person’s pain persistently negatively affects his daily life or if there is a progressive loss of feeling and strength in the foot, surgical treatments come to the fore. With the surgery, the pressure of the cartilage on the spinal cord and nerves is removed. Discectomy, microdiscectomy and endoscopic discectomy techniques are used in surgeries. After surgical treatment, patients can return to their normal lives in a short time. In addition, the possibility of recurrence of hernia in the future is minimized by these treatments. With the combined use of the endoscopic and microsurgical methods we apply today, the possibility of recurrent hernia is almost eliminated.
