Can You Heal a Herniated Disc?

Chad Madden, owner of Madden Physical Therapy, explains questions surrounding herniated discs and sciatica.

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Madden Physical Therapy
5425 Jonestown Road
Harrisburg, PA 17112
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[concoctionbox]

I had a herniated disc at L5 back in 2008 and had a microdisectomy surgical procedure. The same thing happened again in 2010, same procedure. As of about a month ago I am having the same pain again. It gets to the point where you feel like you are literally losing your mind. I am glad to hear that with time and exercise it can heal. I do not want to have a 3rd surgery.

[sevati]

Yes, Mr Madden is "correct" you can heal herniated disc. I myself had herniated disc to the point that ended up at Hospital unable to walk. I was told i needed surgery and i refused but did get an epidural steroid injection so i was able to walk. I then went in for physical therapy and with combination of stretches and exercise I was able to regain full movement and strength on by back. Its been 6 yrs, no surgeries and no back problems i continue doing the stretch exercises.

[elvisto]

I have watched many youtube videos about my herniated disc problem, this is the best description with pictures i have seen. brilliant.thank you.

[manut]

Thanks for spreading a bit of hope of recovery . :)

[layoh]

You really take your time and work with your patients to get them better. Most don't, get in pop! pop! And they send you out. I'd like to find a doctor like you in WA.

[Ryan_]

im close to wanting to die because of my herniated disc. where i worked before they did nothing for me and laid me off for almost 3 months before finding a job position with same company now at the store. :( hurts everyday and it screws up my mind mentally im heartbroken ive tried loosing weight and done stretches and still in pain.

[velvetskies]

I'm going through it y'all. L4-L5-S1. Sometimes just wanna jump off a building. Can't do anything with this debilitating pain and stiffness. Want to try IDD therapy.. has anyone tried it?

[equinoxeparabellum]

Brilliant. Well explained. I have a herniated disc L2 L3. I dont have pain in my legs but I do have genital pain and both legs are numb and weak. I have been advised to initially rest but now exercise, walking, swimming. I was told be careful bending forward but bending back too much could pinch the nerve.

[baljeetd]

I fixed my sciatica - easily & for free: I had a bulging disc at L4 / L5 causing shooting pains down my leg. Semi-crippled. No amount of osteo, chiro or swimming helped. Then I STUMBLED ON A MAGIC SOLUTION: I rode my bike -> INSTANT RELIEF!

Being a road race type bicycle, it caused me to stretch out, so my spine gradually opened up day by day ... after a year, I reversed an entire adult life of back issues. TRY IT!

[TheAngelin]

i have a L-4, L-5 bulgy disc. some nights my legs feed is on fire. should i get surgery ?

[Vos_Ceez]

Aside from stretching, strengthening my core really helped for my aching back.

[jurgajanone]

Million thanks for this video.
It was my starting point in getting rid of sciatica pain caused by hernia in my L5/S1. My left leg was going numb, but I was too lazy to exercise and too poor to pay doctors for questionable help.
You know what I did? I started sleeping on a small pillow under my back. That helped me to keep my spine in your recommended position at night. After like 3 months I got used to pain in my back and got rid of pain in my leg completely. My posture has changed also.

[vanessadavy]

That was the BEST explanation I've heard.From doctors to physical therapists and everything I have read on the interent wasn't as useful or as direct as this was. Had I gone to YouTube all time ago, I would have spared myself from the poor quality of life. Thinking only exercise would help relieve the pain or that AWEFUL epidural. I was just told we can help relieve the pain. What a crock! Thank you so much for explanation it has helped me understand more deeply on a future for myself.

[elisabethjean]

I had the worst pain I've ever had because a herniated disc in my neck (C5 and C6). I was losing hope for life, and even being able to function in anyway. I was in so much pain that I would just cry all day, hoping for the night to come so I could knock myself out with enough Ambien. I am starting to feel better after over 3 weeks of this pain. I wanted to say what I did to help in the healing process, lots of prayer, prayer from people that I don't know. I also bought a neck traction that pulls your vertibrates apart. I used it for about 10 minutes two times now, and the pain has gone from a 10 to about a 4. I am in much better spirits because of it. My next suggestion would be to get a decompression table, or decompression machine to put you upside down with the help of someone so you can get things pulled apart so the disc can go back into place.

[TinekeWilliams]

I leaned back with a heavy rain soaked plank above my head and felt it go between L4 and L5. My specialist says no back extensions. My back hurts and it runs through from my buttocks down to my calf. Am at the end of my tether. Approaching my old age I was looking forward to a fit old age and now at 69 feel crippled and in constant pain. Physio was like a plaster on the pain and now going through chiropractic jumbo mumbo. They out a T shaped bar end on my disk and shoot it. really weird but after 12 my neck feels wonderful but my back and leg the same

[ftlty]

Hi Chad.
I am a bodybuilder who trains with weights 4-5 days a week.I was doing bent over rows and a sharp pain in the left side of my lower back has occured.This is about the 5th time when this is happening, usually once about 6 months.The previous injuries were from deadlift exercise, probably i was tilting my pelvis.But this time has been 3 weeks and i can't bend forward or tie my shoes.In the past i have done a lot of stability, activation to get past the injury and now i am doing the same.

[chrisali]

I'm 20 and have pretty bad pain from an L4-L5 central disc herniation it hurts dead center of my back at the herniation down my sacrum to the tail bone. With 6 weeks of physical therapy and 6 weeks of chiropractic sessions I have eliminated most, of my leg pain.however for the last 11 months I have been in pain EVERY second of it. The pain in my lower center back is getting worse, my question is, is it normal for this pain to last for many years? I've read that it should go away after 6 months..

[psnKnowledge]

20yrs old & just got this. Thank you so much for spreading some hope sir :)

[glenpak]

This is true. I have posterior protruding discs at L3, 4, 5 and my acupunct made me do Bow pose(yoga pose) for one hour a day(holding and relaxing) and my pain went away gradually. The noticeable effect took about a week to after and then gradually more each week. My pain level was about 8 on 10 levels. After about 2 month 99% pain free! But get MRI first. This video's lesson is the same principle.

[eighthcylinder]

For someone that has a herniated disc due to spondylolesthesis, what exercises do you recommend at this point????