Effective Treatments for Slipped Disc

Written by Zita Sham, Fairuuz Saleh and Shiv Mohan Banka, Principal Physiotherapists at Phoenix Rehab.Clinically reviewed by Louise Yow, Principal Physiotherapist and Director, AHPC A1300363H.Last reviewed 28 September 2026.

Many slipped disc treatments are evidently effective, allowing individuals to resume their daily activities with minimal disruption. Effective treatments range from conservative to invasive methods, depending on the severity of the herniated disc.

Slipped discs occur when the soft cushions between your spinal vertebrae (the bones in your spine) bulge into the spinal canal, sometimes pressing on your spinal nerves. This leaves a jolt of pain shooting down your back and leg and causes a range of unpleasant symptoms due to nerve irritation. Back pain, muscle weakness, and pain numbness on the sciatic nerve radiating down one leg are just a few of them.

Effective Treatments for Slipped Disc: A Comprehensive Guide

Slipped disc cases in Singapore most commonly develop between 30 to 50 years old. Work-related factors, particularly those involving lifting or prolonged sitting, significantly escalate risks. As people age, the chances of triggering a slipped disc generally increase.

In addition to aging, the following factors contribute to the likelihood of developing disc herniation:

Unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking and being overweight
Genetics or family history of spinal issues
Occupational hazards, including jobs that involve heavy lifting or repetitive movements
Poor posture and improper body mechanics, especially during activities that strain the spine
Degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis, which weaken the structures supporting the spine

How to Treat Slipped Disc

Rare cases of disc herniation involve noticeable symptoms such as loss of bladder or bowel control. This results from a herniated disc cutting off nerve impulses to the lower back and legs, potentially leading to a loss of sensation in the inner thighs, the back of the legs, and around the rectum.

Meanwhile, some herniated discs are mild and do not cause painful symptoms, with several even healing on their own within six weeks without treatment.

Nonetheless, it’s essential to consult with a doctor or physiotherapist. They can examine your nerve activity and conduct further tests like nerve conduction studies to measure electrical impulses in your nerve signals. This will also rule out other root causes of back pain including broken bones or spinal alignment issues.

If there is evidence of nerve damage, this could require surgical options or more intensive treatments.

Otherwise, conservative or non-surgical treatment options are typically sufficient to alleviate symptoms in the lumbar region caused by slipped discs. The most common approaches to relieve pain, strengthen your back, and return to your normal routine include proper rest, pain medications, exercise, self-management methods, lifestyle modification, and physical therapy.

Let’s dive into these treatment options.

Rest

Your spine needs some time to heal. While it’s not advisable to stay in bed for extended periods, taking it easy for a few weeks can significantly reduce inflammation and relieve pressure. Additionally, bed rest allows the muscle tissue to relax while easing discomfort.

In a normal spine, fibrous tissues hold the gel-containing discs within a confined space between the bones. The discs between the vertebrae in the spinal column serve as shock absorbers and require a break to recover. During this time, the damaged discs have the chance to settle, relieving pressure off the affected nerves for faster recovery.

Consult with your health care provider when you’d like to resume normal activities for guidance on the appropriate level of activity during the recovery period. Transitioning to an active state will have to be gradual to prevent stiffness.

Medications

Pain medication can be particularly beneficial in the initial stages of a slipped disc. Over-the-counter pain relievers may be sufficient for mild pain. These may include:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – Ibuprofen, diclofenac, or naproxen, all equipped with pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effect
Acetaminophen – paracetamol and painkillers

For more severe pain, a doctor might prescribe muscle relaxants, oxycodone acetaminophen combination, or stronger medications to reduce muscle spasms. It’s important to use these options cautiously, especially if symptoms persist for a long time and pain relievers provide inadequate relief.

If pain and symptoms persist despite oral medications, your doctor may recommend a corticosteroid injection into the spinal nerve area. During this process, spinal imaging can assist in accurately guiding the needle placement.

Besides medications, you can also request a referral to a physical therapist who can teach you exercises aimed at reducing pain caused by a herniated disk.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is a cornerstone in the treatment of a slipped disc. Slipped disc physiotherapy aims to design a personalized treatment and exercise program aimed at strengthening core muscles, improving flexibility, and improving proper spinal alignment. Key components of this therapy include stretching exercises and core strengthening to prevent future episodes.

Here in Singapore, Phoenix Rehab is known for its personalized treatment plans for muscle and joint issues like slipped discs. Therapy treatments involve back pain relief appointments and individualized care tailored to specific needs.

Under the care of a physical therapist, you can expect to receive regular monitoring, follow-up appointments, and post-treatment education.

Lifestyle and Home Remedies

Simple lifestyle changes can make a significant difference in managing a slipped disc.

Maintain a healthy weight to reduce stress on the spine.
Apply cold packs to help reduce inflammation and heat packs to relax muscles and provide short-term relief.
Good posture while sitting, standing, and bending forward is essential to prevent further aggravation of the condition.

These lifestyle modifications support overall spine health and decrease the strain on the affected discs and nerves. Remain consistent with your changes to prevent recurrence or trigger a new episode.

Alternative Medicine to Relieve Pain

Alternative therapies based on traditional Asian treatments, such as acupuncture and massage therapy, may provide additional pain relief from herniated discs. However, it is important to discuss these options with a physiotherapist to ensure their safety and appropriateness for your specific condition.

Injections for Targeted Relief

For some individuals, local anesthetics or anti-inflammatory injections can offer targeted pain relief, such as cortisone or steroid injections into the affected nerve root. An epidural steroid injection delivers medication into the epidural space around the spinal cord and nerve roots providing relief from pain.

It’s worth noting that injections near the spinal cord may have side effects including, infection, bleeding, and nerve damage.

Slipped Disc Surgery

Orthopedic surgery is usually considered a last resort when conservative treatment options fail to provide relief. Various surgical procedures can address a herniated disc, including:

Microdiscectomy: A neurosurgeon removes part of the herniated disc to relieve pressure on the spinal nerve.
Cervical Spine Surgery: For herniated disks in the neck, this surgery may involve removing bone or damaged disc material.
Lumbar Spine Surgery: Similar to cervical spine surgery, but performed on the lower back.
Spinal Fusion: This procedure involves fusing vertebrae together with a bone graft to stabilize the spine.
Artificial Disc Surgery: Implanting an artificial disc to replace the damaged one.

Artificial disc surgery involves making an incision through the abdomen to remove and replace the affected disc. Only a small percentage of patients qualify for this surgery, requiring disc degeneration in only one disc.

If you experience the following symptoms, you may qualify for spinal surgery:

Radicular pain limiting normal activity or quality of life
Development of progressive neurological deficits like leg weakness and/or numbness
Loss of normal bowel and bladder functions
Difficulty standing or walking
Ineffectiveness of medication and physical therapy
Reasonable health status

Managing Risks and Expectations

Recovery from a slipped disc takes time, with most individuals seeing significant improvement within six weeks with non-surgical treatment options. It is essential to manage expectations and be patient. Discussing risk factors, such as sports injuries, repetitive bending or lifting, smoking, and a family history of disc herniation with your doctor, can help in preventing future episodes. Maintaining a healthy weight, practicing good posture, and strengthening your core are key preventive measures.

This comprehensive guide provides an overview of the effective treatments for a slipped disc. If you are experiencing symptoms such as back pain, neck pain, or other signs of a herniated disc, seek medical attention promptly. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve your prognosis.

Where are you with this right now?

1. It is settling on its own

Most episodes of back pain settle substantially within six weeks, and staying active beats resting. Scans early on tend to find changes that are common in people with no pain at all. If it is easing week on week and you are moving more rather than less, that is the normal course. You do not need us for this, and we would rather say so.

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Amazing experience with Phoenix Rehab, was assisted by Mavis. She’s very kind and professional and did thorough check on my wrist. I feel very comfortable during the process.

I went in for thermoplastic splint, and everything went smoothly. She was able to address my needs on my left wrist sprain.

They were prompt with appointment process and inquiry. Also the clinic is very close to Tanjong Pagar MRT. I highly recommend!
  
 
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Great treatment from my therapist. My painful wrist felt a lot of relief after the session. I’m glad I can slowly get back to doing my usual activities without constant pain.
  
 
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I wasn’t able to close my fingers due to an injury. Nurul at Phoenix Rehab has helped me tremendously with my recovery process. I have been able to resume my daily activities and exercises after only a few sessions. Nurul has been very professional and positive throughout the entire process. Thank you so much for your help!
  
 
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Huge shoutout to Yuna Zhang from Phoenix Rehab for helping in my recovery from golfer’s elbow 🙌

I walked in with persistent elbow pain that was affecting workouts and everyday tasks, and Yuna immediately made me feel confident I was in the right hands. She took the time to properly assess my condition, explain the root cause, and tailor a treatment plan to my specific needs instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach.

What I really appreciated was how personalised every session felt. The exercises she gave me were practical, easy to follow, and actually worked. Within a short time, the pain reduced significantly and my strength and mobility improved much faster than I expected.

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2. It has stopped improving

You think about how you will get out of the car before you park. You brace before you sneeze. You have stopped lifting anything off the floor without planning it.

The pain leaving is not the same as the capacity coming back. If nothing was loaded again, the back returns to daily life with less than it had. That is the gap worth measuring, and it is not measured by how you feel on the day.

The Stalled Recovery Review is three appointments over three weeks with the same therapist, because what a joint does under load cannot be read in one visit. The first finds what is limiting it. The next two measure how it responds. $690, nett, no GST, which is three appointments at $230.

3. You have had surgery, or you have a date

Recovery after an operation has a shape, and knowing which stage you are in tells you whether you are on it. See the recovery programs, or lower back physiotherapy if you are not sure which applies to you.

All of it runs on the same four stages. The Phoenix Recovery Protocol explains what each stage works on and what you have to meet to move up. No referral needed to start.

Next step

Find out which stage you are in

Pain is the first thing to leave. Movement and strength are the last things trained back, and most people stop before that part is done. One Assessment and Treatment is a single 45-minute appointment at $230, nett, no GST. Your therapist finds what is actually limiting you, treats it in the same appointment, and you leave with your current stage and a written plan.

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