How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Can Prevent Disc Herniation

The sedentary lifestyles of today’s era have created an epidemic of chronic back problems such as disc herniation around the world.

Every year, up to 2% of the world’s population is affected by herniated discs. The most common cause of neck, arm, back, and leg pain is a herniated disk (sciatica).

A herniated disk can be affected anywhere along the spine, but the lower back and neck are the two most prevalent locations. In the center of the back, a herniated disk is unusual.

Although many people suffer from herniated discs, surgical intervention is a last resort for those who need it.

However, the reality that the condition is frequently accompanied by excruciating agony remains. When it comes to non-surgical treatment, epidural injection of steroids has its risks.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a promising new treatment for herniated discs that is widely available in Illinois and has shown remarkable potential.

HBOT Chicago, which has state-of-the-art hyperbaric facilities for treating a wide range of diseases and disorders, has proven that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can prevent Disc Herniation with regular sessions.

What is Disc Herniation?

The bones of the spine are cushioned by spinal discs (vertebrae). A strong, spherical outer layer known as the annulus surrounds the nucleus and acts as a cushion for the atoms.

There are two discs in the spinal column, one between each of the vertebrae, which act as a shock absorber.

When a disc nucleus fragment pushes out of the annulus and into the spinal canal owing to a tear or rupture in the annulus, it’s known as a herniated disc.

In the early phases of degeneration, herniated discs are usually found. As a result, neither the spinal nerve nor the herniated disc fragment can be accommodated in the spinal canal.

As a result of this displacement, the disc puts pressure on spinal nerves, resulting in sometimes excruciating agony.

The spine can be affected by herniated discs at any point.

Herniated discs are most frequent in the lower back (lumbar spine), but they can also affect the neck (cervical spine) (cervical spine). The part of the spine affected determines where the pain is felt.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines are typically used to treat a herniated disc if the pain is minor to moderate.

A spinal needle guided by X-ray can be used to provide an epidural steroid injection to precisely target the disc herniation level.

How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Can Prevent Disc Herniation

Symptoms of Disc Herniation

There is a significant range in the intensity of symptoms based on the size and location of the herniated discs.

If the herniated disc is not pressing on a nerve, the patient may only have moderate back pain or no pain at all. If it’s pressing on a nerve, it can cause pain, numbness, or even weakness in the area where the nerve travels.

A herniated disc is frequently preceded by a recurrence of lower back pain or a history of recurrences.

In most cases, a herniated disc in the lower back can induce lumbar spine (lower back) pain or Sciatica/Radiculopathy symptoms.

Pressure on one or more nerves that feed into the sciatic nerve can cause pain, burning, tingling, and numbness to radiate down one or both legs, and even to one or both feet. In most cases, one side of the body (left or right) is affected.

Sharp, electric-shock-like pain is commonly felt. Walking or standing may worsen the pain. Excessive pain is frequently made worse by straightening the affected leg. Low back pain may accompany leg discomfort, although leg pain in acute sciatica is generally more severe than low back pain.

This condition, also known as cervical spine syndrome or radiculopathy (neck pain), occurs when the nerves that run from the neck to your shoulders and arms become inflamed.

The pain can be subtle or excruciating, extending down to your hands and fingers. Pain may be exacerbated by certain neck positions or movements.

Small bulging is common since our discs are always under pressure. Fortunately, the swelling is not too severe for our bodies to heal on their own.

If the disc is subjected to a lot of stress without adequate recuperation, the disc’s integrity may be compromised.

Known causes of Disc Herniation

A herniated disc might be the result of a single, significant strain or injury to the lower back. As one age, the disc material degrades, and the ligaments holding it in place become weaker.

As degeneration progresses, even a slight twist or strain might cause a disc to burst.

When discs are damaged, certain people may be more susceptible to herniated discs in multiple areas of the spine.

Herniated discs have been linked to a higher risk of developing in families where multiple members have the condition.

People in their 30s to 50s are more likely to suffer from herniated disks. Men are twice as likely as women to be affected.

Smoking and engaging in repetitive bending or twisting motions as part of one’s job, sport, or leisure activities are both known to increase the risk of disc herniation.

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a procedure that increases your body’s oxygen supply two-fold by placing you under a high-pressure chamber.

When you receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you inhale 100% oxygen while lying back in this pressurized tube or room.

Using this technique increases the amount of oxygen your lungs can take in, resulting in a higher level of oxygen in your blood.

Inhaling this high-oxygen air allows our red blood cells to reach their maximum oxygen absorption capability. Moreover, our blood plasma is enriched with even more oxygen.

Several health benefits can be derived from increasing the oxygen content of your blood. You need a lot of oxygen to keep your body’s tissue alive, and wounded tissue requires even more.

These healthy levels can be restored with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which raises the oxygen levels in your blood for a short period of time.

By promoting the production of critical growth factors and stem cells, hyperbaric oxygen therapy also jump-starts your body’s healing process.

Non-healing wounds, as the name suggests, are injured tissues that don’t heal on its own in a reasonable length of time, even with good care.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is particularly helpful in treating these wounds since they are often oxygen-deficient (hypoxic).

Chronic non-healing wounds benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy because the increased oxygen levels in our cells encourage angiogenesis (nerve regeneration).

Can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Prevent Disc Herniation?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can prevent Disc Herniation by boosting the body’s natural healing process.

Leading experts in-charge of investigating the healing potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy have discovered that it generates outcomes that are comparable to or better than well-established treatments such as epidural steroid injections and surgical discectomy.

Herniated discs have been more common in Europe and Asia since oxygen-ozone therapy was introduced in the 1980s.

More than half of individuals with herniated discs experience a reduction in symptoms after receiving oxygen-ozone therapy. For patients, the negative effects of oxygen-ozone therapy are minimal.

It is common practice to utilize hyperbaric oxygen therapy to hasten the healing of wounds or infections that have proven difficult to treat due to a lack of oxygen in the surrounding tissues.

By including hyperbaric oxygen therapy in your rehabilitation or strengthening regimen for spinal health, you increase your body’s chances of avoiding disc herniation.

Sciatic nerve pain may be eased by reducing the pressure on the nerves produced by disc bulging. The disc’s ruptured matrix will be reabsorbed by your body, and any harm to the structure will be corrected.

It’s vital that you consult with a medical professional so that the root reasons of your discomfort can be properly diagnosed and treated.

When used in conjunction with your other treatments, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can prevent Disc Herniation and help to alleviate all of your symptoms.

In order to treat and prevent degenerative disc disease, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, and fitness training all employ similar workout methods.

It’s important to maintain a healthy level of mobility and strength, as well as getting enough rest.

Core strength is vital because proper posture distributes weight evenly throughout your body.

If you have degenerative disc disease but don’t know how to treat it, there are a number of options available that will allow you to continue to enjoy your life.

Summary

One of the most common causes of a herniated disc is an injury or poor posture, which results in a displaced or deteriorated spine component.
Dislocated discs can produce a wide range of symptoms, including acute discomfort in the neck and back.
In mild cases, herniated discs can mend on their own, but the spine heals significantly more slowly with age or if the hernia was caused by a traumatizing or life-threatening event.
For the most severe cases, epidural steroid injections may be necessary.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can prevent Disc Herniation.
As an adjunct to herniated disc treatment, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is proving to be an effective technique for speeding tissue recovery.
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment boosts our cells’ vitality and regeneration by increasing the amount of oxygen in our blood. While mild injuries heal entirely, serious injuries recover more quickly thanks to this boost in regeneration.