Nursing a Slipped Disc

Bed rest is best

(HealthDayNews) -- A slipped disc occurs when part of the spongy core of a disc (a pad between two spinal vertebrae) bulges out or pops through the outer coating of the disc. This then puts pressure on the nerves that run up and down the spinal column, according to the Calgary Health Region.

Symptoms of a slipped disc may include: pain or a feeling of numbness in your back, arm, buttock, thigh, lower leg or foot; a feeling of stiffness in your lower back; and loss of the lower back's normal inward curve.

In most cases, symptoms improve with self care:

  • Get lots of bed rest and lie on a firm mattress on your unaffected side with your unaffected leg slightly bent and your affected leg straight and supported by pillows.
  • Do some gentle stretching exercises.
  • Apply heat with a heating pad or take hot baths or showers.
  • Alternatively, apply ice packs for 15 minutes a few times a day.
  • Take anti-inflammatory medications.

If the pain doesn't subside within a few days, see your doctor.

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