What to do if the left leg is numb due to lumbar disc herniation

Leg numbness is a normal phenomenon, and there are many possible causes. One of the reasons may be lumbar disc herniation. Lumbar disc herniation is caused by lumbar injury or long-term labor. Severe cases can lead to a series of complications, such as left leg numbness. It is a common complication of lumbar disc herniation, and if this happens, we must treat it in time.

1. Bed rest therapy

When you heard about this therapy, you must find it incredible. How can bed rest be a therapy? For healthy people, bed rest is rest, but for patients with lumbar disc herniation, bed rest, especially a bed that suits the physiological curvature, can help reduce the pressure of body weight on the intervertebral disc, reduce new injuries to the lumbar spine due to weight-bearing, relieve the pressure of lumbar disc herniation on nearby soft tissues, and relieve inflammation.

2. Medication

When the pain of lumbar disc herniation is unbearable, you can take oral painkillers after consulting a doctor. You can also use Chinese medicine for treatment. Because the cause of the disease is the stagnation of cold evil in the body, which leads to blockage of meridians, stagnation of qi and blood stasis, and then causes pain in the waist and legs, you can take medicines with corresponding effects, such as the Chinese patent medicine Yaotongning.

3. Qigong therapy

Functional exercise can play an auxiliary therapeutic role in lumbar disc herniation. Practicing exercises can enhance the strength of the waist and back muscles, make the waist and back muscles relatively balanced and stable, and gradually restore normal function. Commonly used methods include the flying swallow pose, the bridge pose, or standing up and bending and extending the waist, hanging on parallel bars and swinging the legs forward and backward, etc.

Note: Functional exercise is suitable for the period when the symptoms of lumbar disc herniation disappear or are alleviated, and should not be performed during the acute attack period.

4. Diet therapy

Diet therapy is essential. A proper diet helps the body recover and alleviates the patient's symptoms. Next, let’s take a look at the dietary rules for lumbar disc herniation.

5. Eat less cold food

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the consumption of cold food will not only affect gastrointestinal health, but also cause blood stasis in the body, which will affect the patient's recovery. Therefore, patients with lumbar disc herniation should avoid cold food in their diet.

6. Eat more calcium-rich foods

Calcium is the main component of our bones, and osteoporosis is one of the causes of lumbar disc herniation. Therefore, taking in enough calcium from the diet to prevent osteoporosis can also prevent the recurrence of lumbar disc herniation to a certain extent. Foods with high calcium content in our daily life include fish, shrimp, milk, etc.