What is the Best Way to Heal a Herniated Disc?

What is the Best Way to Heal a Herniated Disc?

NYC Board Certified Chiropractor and Herniated Disc Doctor-Dr. Steven Shoshany

When you cut your finger it heals. When you sprain your ankle it heals. Healing is one of the defining characteristics of living tissue - like growth and reproduction.

Herniated discs can heal too. But like a finger or an ankle if you don't create the proper environment for the healing process, the healing will be incomplete and may leave you with an ongoing problem. The reason is because the disc has a poor blood supply.

So what conditions can you create that will allow for the herniated disc to heal itself?

1. You can feed your body a non-inflammatory diet to speed up the processing of the pain-producing chemicals. A non-inflammatory diet is low in oils and simple carbohydrates but provides three portions of low-fat protein per day.

2. You can eat vitamin- and mineral-rich foods and supplements that will give the disc's remaining healthy cells the energy, tools and building blocks they need to rebuild strong disc material. If you have other chronic health problems you may require a personalized dietary plan to bring your body back to more normal function.

3. Once the body has the proper vitamins, minerals and fuel you can help get the nutrition into the disc. On its' own this process takes hundreds of days. But by decompressing the disc using the DRX-9000, our non-surgical disc decompression machine, we give the disc the best chance to build new fibers and to re-hydrate with water. This is what allows the right amount of pressure to be maintained inside the disc and the disc can heal quicker.

4. Then, by using the right combination of posture re-training exercises you can restore mobility to the bones of the spine, restore the normal curve in the lower back, and then align the upper body on top of the lower part. This will bring the body back into alignment on top of the pelvis so any abnormally concentrated force is reduced on the damaged disc. If you keep the pressure off long enough for the ligaments to heal, the muscles to strengthen and the nerve system to develop new programming then you can build enough strength to avoid re-injury.We utilize cutting edge technology to accomplish this like the SpineForce and Powerplate.

If your goal is to heal the disc then evaluate your options with regard to these requirements.

Does the treatment, therapy or procedure you are considering help the disc heal? If so, then it is at least headed in the right direction and has a good chance at not just relieving the pain but restoring more normal function and preventing the same thing from recurring in the future.

Or does it destroy even more tissue leaving you with the same factors that caused the problem in the first place? Surgery is not always the best option according to a recent study by the American Pain Society. Read study


If you or someone you know has lower back pain, sciatica or a herniated disc call us at (212) 645-8151 to schedule a consultation with Dr.Shoshany to find out if you qualify for one of our NYC Disc Spinal Disc Decompression programs.