Lumbar disc herniations, Slipped disc in spine and recovery

I am 73 years of age. I suffer from complicated disc prolapse that developed over 6 yrs. I get pain and swelling in knee. No exercise due to inability to walk. I am diabetic since 1 year?



Disc prolapse is also known as a spinal disc herniation, or more commonly and misleadingly as slipped disc. The two forms of disc herniation that occur most commonly are cervical disc herniation and lumbar disc herniation. Of these two, lumbar disc herniation is much more common and its main symptoms are severe back pain and pain in the leg. If your femoral nerve is also inflamed, you could experience a numb feeling in your legs and a burning sensation in the hips and legs.

To begin with, you must ensure that you get a sufficient amount of bed rest because your body needs the time to heal. After a period of time, you would need to begin some form of exercise and stretching to help yourself heal better. If you are unable to walk and are largely confined to your bed, you should consult your doctor at the earliest to seek a course of action to right this. Once you are more mobile, you should ensure that you undergo some form of physical therapy which could include heat radiation to help ease the pain. You could also use a lumbar belt which will provide adequate support for your back. Massage therapy is also a viable option for providing pain relief.

Most cases of disc prolapse tend to get better by themselves over the period of six to eight weeks and do not need surgery. In some cases, this period could also be up to 12 weeks. Since your symptoms have not eased for such a long time, you could consult with your doctor and consider surgery as an option for permanent relief from this condition. In addition, diabetes tends to add complications to any condition and it is best that you consult a doctor at once to ensure that your diabetes is under control.

 

answered by G M


Warning: home-remedies-for-you.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. see additional information
Read more questions in Health Advice