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Spinal hernia can rightfully be called one of the most common diseases, which literally overshadows a person’s life, reducing mobility and ability to work. Treatment of a hernia is a rather complicated procedure, since any incorrect movement or action will only aggravate the situation. One of the most popular and effective options for treating a hernia is massage.

Massage for a herniated cervical spine: benefit or harm?

There are many methods for treating cervical hernia, both conservative and radical.
Conservative massage includes massage, which causes a lot of controversy. Is massage beneficial or harmful for a herniated cervical spine? How to do a massage correctly? What techniques are most effective? How does massage work? What benefits does it bring to the body? Is it possible to massage a cervical hernia at home?

The decision on the need for massage should be made by the doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient. You must first undergo a comprehensive examination and consult with specialized specialists in order to take into account existing contraindications and the possibility of undesirable consequences.

It is recommended to combine massage with physiotherapeutic procedures and therapeutic exercises.

Benefits and contraindications

Is it possible to use massage for a herniated disc?

There is an opinion that manual therapy has the ability to “set into place” vertebrae damaged by a hernia, and, accordingly, treat the disease. In reality, of course, everything is not so rosy, since not a single massage procedure can correct the changes occurring in the intervertebral disc, which have a negative impact on its strength and elasticity.

However, it cannot be called useless. A massage procedure can significantly improve the patient’s condition because:

A massage session stretches the spine, which creates some negative pressure that stops squeezing the nerve endings. Because of this, improvements are noticeable after the first session.
The massage procedure helps relieve muscle spasms, have a relaxing effect, and reduce the feeling of fatigue.
Massage for a hernia improves blood supply, which increases the effectiveness of conservative therapy and, accordingly, tissue restoration.
Massage improves nutrition of the intervertebral discs and ensures the removal of lactic acid, which is the cause of muscle pain.
In addition, a correctly performed procedure can slow down the further development of the hernia.
Thanks to the effect on the musculoskeletal system, its flexibility improves and posture is aligned.

Helpful advice: Any well-carried out massage procedure increases the level of endorphins, also known as “hormones of joy,” which means it relieves depression and loss of strength, thereby promoting recovery.

In general, people suffering from a hernia have decreased muscle strength and a reduced range of motion. Severe pain that interferes with motor activity leads to muscle atrophy. Massage prevents these problems or reduces their severity if they already exist.

However, despite all the usefulness of the massage procedure, there are some limitations. So, for example, it is strictly contraindicated to perform a massage if the hernia has reached an acute form, since this will cause irreparable harm to the health of the body and lead to negative indications. If there is severe pain in the area of the hernial protrusion, this means that an exacerbation is occurring, and therefore massage is contraindicated.

Thus, it is undesirable to carry out influence if there are:

exacerbation of hernia;
severe pain;
hernia too large;
acute heart failure;
skin diseases;
inflammatory processes;
open wounds;
hyperthermia;
hypertension;
oncological diseases;
severe condition of the body as a whole;
menstruation;
pregnancy.

Basic rules for massage for hernia

Important: If you have a lumbar hernia, the use of any forceful techniques is strictly prohibited. The effects on the spine (no matter what massage technique is used) should be as light and gentle as possible.

Doctors usually identify two basic rules that must be strictly followed if the patient decides to undergo a massage for a vertebral hernia:

Doing massage for lumbar hernias on your own is prohibited, as it can only cause serious complications. Considering that only an experienced specialist can perform a massage correctly, you should only trust a professional to perform it.
Under no circumstances should massage be performed if the hernia is in an acute stage. If the patient has severe pain or inflammation, the procedure should be postponed.

So, here is a short list of recommendations that should be followed in order not to worsen the existing situation and ensure that you receive benefits from massage treatments:

movements should be soft and careful;
During the procedure, impact techniques should not be used, as they can lead to complications, relapse, pinching and even paralysis;
the spinal column must be inviolable - all impacts should be carried out only on the paravertebral zone;
During the massage, the patient should feel relaxed and calm, as well as pleasant and comfortable feelings, otherwise the massage should be abandoned;
if pain occurs, the massage should be stopped;
the impact must be exerted not only on the back area, but also on the affected limb, since compression of the nerve roots also leads to pain and numbness in the arms or legs;
You should not make the first massage session too long - the duration of the procedure is increased gradually.

Important: Before deciding on massage treatments for a hernia, you should realize that such therapy cannot get rid of the hernia as such. To cure this disease, you need to resort to surgery. Sometimes the problem may not be completely eliminated, but only under proper supervision and regular treatment.

Rules for massage

To prevent massage from bringing harm instead of benefit, you must follow several rules:

Types of massage for cervical hernia

For cervical hernias, you can use various types of massage, but you should pay attention to the technique of their implementation. The massage therapist specifically acts on the superficial muscles, relieving tension, without affecting the deep muscles and spine.

Relaxing and acupressure techniques are especially recommended for cervical hernia:

Swedish massage;
Shiatsu massage (Shiatsu);
ice massage.
Swedish massage

Swedish massage has gained wide popularity and has been used for about two hundred years. It is characterized by sliding movements. They warm up the muscles well and have almost no effect on the spinal column.

How does physical therapy help?

After the acute inflammatory process has been stopped, doctors prescribe restorative therapy. It consists of undergoing a course of physiotherapy, manual therapy, and a complex of physical therapy.

The key physical therapy treatments that need to be completed during the rehabilitation period are:

electrophoresis;
magnetic therapy;
acupuncture;
balneology;
phonophoresis;
UHF;
ultrasound;
amplipulse

The main condition for the success of these procedures is their systematic completion. During the rehabilitation period, a minimum of 3 weeks of physiotherapeutic procedures will be required. Thanks to them, blood supply to tissues improves, medications are better absorbed into the skin.

Ice massage

The massage technique using ice is of particular interest and is highly effective.

Painful sensations during a hernia appear due to the fact that the pathological formation protrudes, causing infringement of the nerve structures and the development of inflammatory processes. Ice is known as an excellent anesthetic. It relieves swelling and inflammation, thereby reducing pain.

The combination of massage techniques and cold exposure can significantly increase the effectiveness of the procedure and achieve excellent results in the fight against hernia.

Drug treatment

The key purpose of drug therapy is to relieve acute pain. During an exacerbation of the disease, the following medications are used:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Medicines in this category provide relief from the pain that accompanies inflammation of cartilage or joint tissue within a short period of time. Effective injections are used for 2-3 days - Movalis, Dicloberl, Mydocalm, Ketoprofen. Next, the patient is transferred to the tablet form of the drugs, they act more gently. Celecoxib, Nimesil, Ortofen are prescribed. The reception lasts no more than 14 days. When the rehabilitation period begins, painkillers and warming drugs in the form of ointments are used. Patients with pathologies of the digestive system simultaneously need to take medications that will protect the mucous membrane from the aggressive effects of drugs.
Corticosteroids. Drugs in this group are used if non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs do not bring the desired result. These medications have a hormonal effect. They are introduced into the joint cavity or given intramuscular injections. In the presence of a hernia, the use of long-acting drugs, for example, Diprospan, is indicated. One injection can relieve pain for 2 months. Medicines that act for a short time (for example, Dexamethasone) are less effective. In addition, after using them there may be negative reactions in the body.
Muscle relaxants. Their main task is to relieve muscle spasm. During the acute stage of the disease, massage cannot be done, therefore muscle relaxants are indicated. Duration of use – 14 days. Among such drugs, Nalbufen and Baclofen are effective.
Neuroprotectors are B vitamins. When vitamins B1, B6, B12 are combined in high concentrations, an analgesic and restorative effect occurs. With the help of such compositions, you can improve your well-being and quickly overcome unpleasant symptoms during exacerbation of the disease. They help get rid of the pain that accompanies pinched nerve roots. Such drugs include Neurobex, Milgamma.
Antispasmodics, neuroprotectors, chondroprotectors, and homeopathy are also prescribed as part of complex therapy.

Massage at home

Massage helps improve the patient’s condition and speed up recovery, but its cost is quite high and not everyone can afford it. Therefore, many people try to do massage at home. For this purpose, they resort to the help of relatives, purchase various massagers and other devices. But acting in this way with a cervical hernia is strictly contraindicated.

Of course, you can buy everything you need and study the massage technique using the appropriate instructions, but still, without a medical education, you will not be able to delve into all the nuances of the procedure, without knowledge of which you can damage your neck and cause irreversible complications. Therefore, if you have a cervical hernia, you should contact only professional massage therapists.

Complications of hernia

The danger of a cervical hernia lies in the close location of the vertebral artery, which supplies blood to the brain. Lack of treatment leads to the development of serious complications:

Ischemic stroke

A protruding disc core, tissue swelling, or inflammation blocks blood flow in the vertebral artery. The cessation of blood supply leads to oxygen starvation of areas of the brain and their death. This side effect leads to paralysis, which often results in disability or death.

Symptom of vertebral artery compression

When a hernia gradually forms, a person begins to be bothered by a constant dull pain. The appearance of sharp painful sensations of a stabbing nature may indicate compression of the artery. In addition, there is tinnitus, confusion, double vision, drowsiness, headache, dizziness, and sometimes nausea or vomiting.

Paralysis

Due to the compression of nearby blood vessels by the hernia, gradual, irreversible death of nerve endings occurs. This, in turn, leads to paralysis of one or both arms.

Complications develop gradually, they can be recognized in advance, so you should contact a specialist at the first symptoms.

The article was reviewed by osteopath and chiropractor A.V. Strakhov.