If you have funny sensations running down your back or pain emanating from your back and running down your arms or kegs or the sensation of electric shocks in your back, chances are that you have a herniated disk that needs attention. So you need to make an appointment with your doctor so he can come to a medical conclusion about your discomfort. What he will do is to ask you many questions to see if he suspects a herniated disk. Then, he might want you to have a few X-rays taken so that he can be sure. Once the results come in, he will give you his professional diagnosis and then proceed to prescribe treatment.
The first thing he will probably do is to prescribe a pain killer and ask you to lie back in bed for a few days. This will give the body time to handle the pain and also to improve it. After that, you should be up and moving around so that your back gets some exercise but there will be a few things you will have to keep in mind. No sudden twists and turns, no sudden movements, no lifting weights for a while and no stress. Sometimes, the pain can be bad in which case, you might need to take an injection right into the spinal region. This usually works and the pain lessens.
There are other ways to treat it too and your doctor might recommend some of them. Sometimes a good chiropractor can make things much better. Sometimes simple exercises can push the ruptured disk back in a bit so it stops pressing against anything. A physiotherapist might be recommended too and he might prescribe some safe exercises which will improve your back.
Meanwhile there are some things that you can do so the condition does not get aggravated. You need to first of all look at your posture so the spine is always straight. If you bend and slouch, the chances of a herniated disk pressing against something and hurting are so much more. Keep moving around or shifting your weight from one foot to another when you have to stand for a long time as this shifts the pressure. Sleep on your back or on your side and try and lie down for a short while and rest when the pain gets bad. If you have to lift something, make sure your knees are bent while your back remains straight. High heels are an absolute no-no because they can cause a lot of damage.
If you are careful, you could feel fine in a month’s time. It’s only when the condition is very bad and the pain is unbearable that the doctor will prescribe surgery in order to ease the pain and the discomfort. What you will have to do is to be careful in case the problem recurs. Remember that the disk is still ruptured and unless you are careful, it could cause pain again. So, stop smoking if you do, lift things with care, don’t indulge in activities that strain the back and be careful of sudden jerks and movements. A bit of care and you should manage the condition and the pain.