I have a spinal hernia, at the L 2-3-4 vertebrae, I have been living with great pain everyday for two months. I can’t get up, or only limping to the toilet at most, but by the time I get back, my hips and legs are hurting a lot. I can only lie on my stomach. I need to take two to three kind of painkillers several times a day. Doctors recommend surgery, which I am very afraid of. Is there an alternative solution to this, is it possible to be cured at all?
Dear Madam!
Disorders of the spinal disc are very common today. This is primarily due to our improperly loaded spine, from our sitting lifestyle and poor posture, and secondarily to our eating habits. It is said that this disease was not even known at the beginning of the last century, and when a spinal hernia was first operated, it was thought that a tumor would be found. Surely stress and mental strain also play a role, but often poorly chosen or poorly performed sports activities can also be a cause. Most of the time – I would say in time – there are warning symptoms. If we don’t understand and change our lifestyles from these signs, then more serious problems will come. Symptoms often do not typically appear on the spine. There may be pain in the hips, thighs, legs, or even headaches or pain in the toe, from which only a skilled person will know that there may be a problem with the spinal disc or with the functioning of the nerves that are pressed by the discs.
The most important thing, of course, is to make a diagnosis, which, in addition to a physical examination, can be done almost exclusively with an MR or CT scan. It should be noted, however, that these tests can often be misleading, as a completely different pose may result in a completely different result compared to a shot taken in a relatively rigid straight posture. As I understand it, you have already had such an examination, and from this you know “for sure” that the case of the disc, which provides flexibility between your vertebrae, is not only bulged, but also torn, and the gel-like stock in it has flowed out. This rupture certainly occurs because the disc is under too much pressure due to poor posture and the constantly pressuring body position, and because its connective tissue is weakened due to its nutrition. First thing to do is to change these. The compressed and overloaded spine should be relieved with certain decompression exercises, posture improvement, which is best learned with the help of a competent specialist, a physiotherapist well trained in such troubles (I recommend visiting the www.porckorongsérv.hu website, searching for a specialist based on the site’s advice).
Such a problem can be healed by only lying, of course, if we take medications and muscle relaxants to relieve pain or inflammation on the basis of a conservative medical recommendation, then this healing method may have fewer complaints, but essentially, we do not heal any sooner than if we do not take anything, because these drugs only mean symptomatic treatment. The disadvantage of this method, apart from the side effects of the drugs, is that because they do not strengthen the surrounding muscles, the disease can return in a similar or even more severe form after a short or long break. Conservative treatments almost always include surgery when more severe symptoms are observed. Since I see the effectiveness of natural remedies in my practice on a daily basis, I still recommend that only if all the ropes are torn, after long, ineffective treatments (such hardly occurs), should surgery be considered. Surgery does not solve the situation of the complaint of poor posture, but preserves it and makes future correction impossible for the spine.
Non-surgical solution of spinal hernia is decompression physiotherapy, therapeutic massage in local and reflex areas, acupuncture, pancakarma basti and abhjanga treatments, anti-inflammatory herbs (such as curcuma, Boswelia, cannabis CBD oil, comfrey and ashwaganda), weight correction with fasting regimens, dietary changes, infusion of tissue-strengthening vitamins and minerals, and anti-inflammatory enzyme preparations, possibly in tablet form. Spinal hernia in most cases can be solved with these methods without surgery. Effective alternative solutions bring relief in the complaints in days.
Source: Naturopathic Magazine – Doctor answers box
Dr József Tamasi
