What Are the Treatments & Alternative Medicine for a Bulging Disk?

A disk is the soft gel-like stuff that protects and cushions the vertebrae. A bulging disk occurs when a disk pokes through a crevice in the spine, and it can be very painful. Traditional medicine usually suggests surgery to relieve the pain and discomfort, but surgery is not always an option for everyone. Fortunately, there are more natural and less invasive treatment possibilities for a bulging disk.

Acupuncture

• Acupuncture is one alternative therapy that can be used to treat a bulging disk. Acupuncture has been practiced successfully for hundreds of years in Asia and is gaining ground in the United States and all over the world. The practice of acupuncture requires the insertion of long thin needles in order to affect the energy centers of the body in a positive fashion. In the case of a bulging disk, acupuncture can be used in the short term to help manage the pain. However, unless you are willing to make acupuncture a regular part of your life, it is only good as a short-term solution.

Massage

• Like acupuncture, massage is best used as a pain relief method. It is good for pain relief associated with a bulging disk because it relaxes the muscles in the body and since people have a tendency to tense up when they are in pain, massage can be helpful. When used in conjunction with other alternative treatments and therapies such as spinal decompression, massage can be one way to actively treat a bulging disk.

Spinal Decompression

• Spinal decompression is a nonsurgical treatment that has been used to successfully cure disk-related pain problems. Some have found it to be an effective cure for bulging disk. The oldest form of spinal decompression is called inversion and has been practiced for thousands of years all over the world. Inversion is when someone is suspended upside down. These days, this form of spinal decompression is really only used as a fitness method. Modern spinal decompression is done with machines by doctors and chiropractors in their offices, making this more convenient and easier to access than surgery options.