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The mainstay of treatment for herniated disks is an initial period of rest with pain and anti-inflammatory medications, followed by physical therapy. Under this regimen, over 95% of people will recover and return to their normal activities. A small percentage of people do need to go on and have further treatment which may include steroid injections or surgery.
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MEDICATIONS
For people with an acute herniated disk caused by some sort of trauma (like a car accident or lifting a very heavy object) and immediately followed by severe pain in the back and leg, narcotic pain relievers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) will be prescribed.
If there is also an element of back spasm, anti-spasm drugs, also called muscle relaxants, are usually given. On rare occasions, steroids may be administered either by pill or directly into the blood with an intervenous line (IV).
Long-term pain control is usually limited to NSAIDs, but occasionally narcotics are used as well (if the pain does not respond to NSAIDs).
For people unable to do physical therapy because of pain, steroid injections into the back in the area of the herniation can be very helpful in controlling pain for several months. This allows a vigorous therapy program to be initiated which will usually control pain for the long-term.
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