What is the treatment for a herniated disk?

According to WebMD, treatment for a herniated disk includes medication, avoiding painful positions, physical therapy and surgery. Most herniated disks heal with the aid of medication and physical therapy.

Prescription pain medication, nerve pain medication, muscle relaxants and cortisone injections are some of the medications that are used to treat a herniated disk, explains WebMD. If therapy and medication do not improve the symptoms of a herniated disk after six weeks, a doctor may recommend surgery. Surgery is necessary if numbness, weakness, difficulty standing and loss of bladder control persist or become worse when suffering from a herniated disk. A herniated disk is when the soft center of a disk in the spine pushes between the hard exterior of the disk and the vertebrae.