Home Remedy and Exercise for a Herniated Disc & Exercise

A herniated disc causes immense pain and discomfort for the unfortunate sufferer. If the injury affects the cervical (middle to upper back) region, it can lead to back problems; if it instead affects the lumbar (lower back) region, it can also cause pain and swelling in the legs. Most doctors recommend that you try a number of nonsurgical treatments before you consider getting surgery.

Topical Treatments and Medicines

• Apply ice to the affected area for several minutes every hour. According to "Disabled World," you should begin to feel relief after three or four applications. If you feel this is not enough, "Disabled World" claims there are soothing prescription-strength gels for relief of pain. Single applications can provide four to five hours of relief.

  For oral treatments, first try anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and COX-2 inhibitors. If these are not strong enough, ask your doctor if he can prescribe an oral steroid treatment.

  For extremely serious pain, consider getting an epidural injection. This option is very effective but will require you to make regular visits to a physician.

Physical Therapy

• If you want to help your condition with exercise, buy a therapy ball, and spend four minutes a day bouncing on it gently. This will force more blood into your disc and shorten your recovery time in the long run. "Disabled World" also claims that it will help nutrients enter your spine.

  You can also consult a chiropractor or physical therapist for help. If you suffer from a cervical herniated disc, writers at "Spine Health" say that manual traction will help open up the cervical area, where the nerve leaves the spine canal, thus lifting pressure from your nerve centers. For a lumbar herniated disc, a chiropractor can help nudge painful nerve roots away from your injury. This is called chiropractic manipulation, and it can lead to many hours or days of relief.