Are there non steroidal and non surgical treatments for a l5-s1 disc hernia?

Therapy: You can try Ibuprofen over the counter and physical therapy as a first line treatment of a herniated disk without surgery. If you fail therapy and your pain persists, you may need surgery. Try to do physical therapy first. Williams and mckenzie exercises help quite a bit.

Yes: Most (>90%) disc herniations will get better on their own without surgical intervention. Rest, gentle stretching, judicious use of nsaids and time will heal most of these. When they don't improve or worsen then you may want to go to the next level and seek further non-operative treatments. Surgery is really the last resort.

Yes: There is conservative management and surgical management. If the disc is causing weakness than conservative management is not recommended. The best thing is to discuss the options with a neurosurgeon every case is different and the management is dependent upon the size of the disc herniation the symptoms and the patient.

Yes: A disc hernia requires no treatment, unless it is causing symptoms. Symptoms result when a herniated disc is pinching or compressing an adjacent nerve. Physical therapy, avoidance of activities that provoke the pain, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine are often helpful. More than 50% of patients will eventually have complete relief of symptoms without requiring surgery or steroids.