Physiotherapy as a Treatment Option for Slip Discs

What Is a Slip Disc?

A slipped disc is a condition in which the gel-like disc between the vertebrae slips out and comes in contact with the surrounding nerves and spine. It causes pain in the Back, legs, hips, neck, or buttocks. In addition, slip disc may cause muscle weakness, tingling, or numbness.

What Are the Effects of Slip Discs?

• Severe radiating lower back pain.

• Muscle spasm.

• Leg pain, sciatica.

• Numbness and pins and needles.

• Deviation of the spine and trunk.

• Weakness of legs.

• Difficulty in walking or pain during walking.

• Pain intensifies during bending, lifting, sitting, and coughing or sneezing.

• Balance problems.

How to Manage a Slipped Disc?

Management of slipped discs includes multidisciplinary care. Treatment involves medications, physiotherapy, physical exercises, and surgery. The type of treatment required depends on the severity of the condition.

What Is the Role of Physiotherapy in Curing Slip Discs?

1. Physiotherapy plays a major role in the management of slipped discs.

2. Physiotherapy helps in reducing pain, stiffness,s and muscle weakness.

3. It also helps in conditioning the body to prevent further damage.

4. Physiotherapy for curing slip discs includes active and passive treatment techniques.

Passive physical therapy treatments.

The treatment for slip discs using physiotherapy usually starts with passive techniques. Once the symptoms are reduced, the physiotherapist includes active techniques to keep the body fit and free from further injury. Some of the passive physical therapy treatments include:

1. Deep Tissue Massage - Herniated disc causes muscle spasms and tension in the affected area. Deep tissue massage helps in relieving these spasms and tensions by using deep pressure in the affected area.

2. Hydrotherapy - Hydrotherapy involves physiotherapy techniques and mild exercises in warm water. The effects of hydrotherapy include:

• Relieves pain.

• Strengthens and relaxes muscles.

• Increase circulation

• Improves function.

1. Hot and cold therapy has many benefits, and physiotherapists alternate both therapies according to the patient's condition and symptoms.

• Heat increases blood flow to the area affected, which in turn helps in faster healing of the target area. Increased blood flow also increases oxygen supply and speeds up waste removal.

• Cold reduces the blood supply, decreasing pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms.

1. TENS - Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation or TENS is a device that uses mild electric currents in the affected area to stimulate the muscles. It helps in relieving pain and muscle spasms. The mild electric currents are given through small electrodes placed on the skin.

2. Traction is a manual technique by gently stretches the spine, relieving pressure in the affected vertebrae. The disc slip is reduced when gently pulling apart the bones, and the pain decreases. It can be performed in the lumbar or cervical spine.

Active physical therapy treatments

Active physical treatments are done after the pain and discomfort subside. It aims to improve flexibility, posture, core stability, strength of the muscles, and joint movements.

• Core Stability Exercises - The abdominal (core) muscles help the back muscles support the spine. Healthy and strong core muscles are vital to prevent extra pressure on the back muscles. Physiotherapists suggest active exercises to strengthen core muscles.

• Active Hydrotherapy - This includes aerobics in the water.

• Flexibility Exercises - Flexibility exercises like yoga and stretching prepare the body for aerobic exercises. It also relieves stiffness.

• Muscle Strengthening Exercises - Strong muscles give great support to the spine.

• Physician Activities: Aerobic activities like walking and cycling.

• Motor control exercises.

• Traditional Chinese methods like acupuncture, acupressure, and cupping.

• Postural correction.

What Are the Procedures That Should Not Be Done for Slipped Discs?

Correct physiotherapy techniques help a lot with slipped discs. But when not done properly, it may worsen the condition. Therefore, physiotherapy procedures for regular neck and back pain should not be done in case of a slipped disc. Some of the things that should not be done include:

• Stretching exercises should be done very mildly or avoided in the early stages of treatment.

• Hot and cold therapy should be alternated. Using only hot therapy should be avoided.

• Strengthening exercises should only be done after other procedures correct the slip disc.

• Procedures that involve twisting or rotating the spine should be avoided.

Can Physiotherapy Alone Cure Slipped Discs?

• Physiotherapy is one of the main parts of treating slipped discs. But physiotherapy alone cannot give a cure in all cases.

• Physiotherapy can cure the symptoms of the slipped disc when done in combination with other treatment procedures like chiropractic and newer technology.

• Surgery is required for severe cases not cured by physiotherapy and medications.

• In cases where surgery is required, physiotherapy is major in optimizing recovery after surgery.

• Thus, the answer to can physiotherapy alone cures slipped discs is a no. However, physiotherapy, in combination with other treatment procedures together, helps in curing slip discs.

Why Is Physiotherapy Alone Not Sufficient to Cure Slip Disc?

• The best way to treat slipped discs is to find and address the cause.

• Diagnosis is the first step, identifying all the causes of slipped discs.

• Physiotherapy alone will not be able to address all these causes.

• Mostly, physiotherapy aims to help in muscle relaxation and strengthen the muscles.

• Muscle spasms and weakness are common issues related to slip discs, but these are not the major ones.

• Some major issues related to slipped discs are not relieved when physiotherapy alone is done.

• Below are some of the more serious issues related to slip discs, which are challenging when treated only with physiotherapy.

  • Compressions and impingement of nerve roots.

  • Degenerative disc disease.

  • Spinal cord compression and displacement.

  • Degenerative arthritis.

  • Misalignments of vertebrae.

Conclusion

The specific treatment plan for slip discs will vary for every case, depending on the severity of the condition. Usually, the initial treatment is conservative, and surgery is the last option. However, even after the symptoms are gone, following the exercises to strengthen the muscles regularly is important. Maintaining normal body weight is also essential to cure slipped discs.