Step 1 Keep Your Hernia In

The support is the weakest link in natural healing

I found that the biggest natural healing challenge, for me and others, was supporting the hernia adequately. Time and again my hernia was staying in place and healing; then my support slipped and the opening tore and enlarged again.

In spite of everything else that I was doing successfully to promote healing, my support failed just enough for my intestine to protrude again. I had to repeatedly overcome my frustration, and begin again with better support and technique. 

Comparing Surgical Healing and Natural Healing

A hernia is an internal tearing wound and the basis of healing a wound is well understood and predictable.

Hernias, like all wounds, will heal if you bring the wound edges together and keep them there while new connective tissue grows between the edges.

This connective tissue becomes the framework for new muscle that completely heals the tear. All wounds heal in this manner.

Healing is something that everyone’s body is capable of, unless it is overwhelmed with illness, or disease, that creates chronic systemic inflammation.

Surgical Repair

Surgical hernia repair mechanically brings the edges together and keeps them there during the whole healing process. The most commonly used technique is to make an incision through the skin, then insert a mesh under and over the torn muscles and stitch it in place.

This assures that all of the edge is kept in place while the tissue regrows in, around and through.

Complete rest for a month is advised. This is followed by another month of light activity to make sure it doesn’t tear again.

These are optimum conditions for any type of wound healing, if you don’t mind having plastic sewn up in your body. I don’t think medical science understands what the long term effects of having a foreign substance embedded in our muscles are.

Surgery does work if you are fortunate to find a highly skilled surgeon, you have good medical coverage and there are no complications.

However, those conditions for a successful surgery are precisely where everything, too often, goes wrong. I can’t tell you how many disheartening stories I’ve read of people who had bad experiences with surgery.

There are many stories of people who had traumatic experiences with accidents.  The doctor who did the surgery on my first hernia was very skilled and capable.

However, there are some less qualified doctors doing hernia surgery who aren’t skilled enough to fix the problem they create. So, they refer their patients to a specialist in hernia surgery repair.

When I got my second hernia I did a lot of research. I realized how lucky I was with the surgery for my first hernia and it bothered me. Now I only recommend surgery if the hernia has advanced too far and person’s life depends on it. In that case I recommend doing research on the available surgeons.

Surgery does work, but even a small chance of an accident is too great for my liking, plus, the cost is excessive if you don’t have insurance.

Additionally, surgery repairs the damage without addressing the root health issues that created the hernia conditions. That leaves you open to more hernias in the future. That’s what happened to me.

Natural Hernia Healing

Natural hernia healing uses the same healing principles, but applies them with different techniques. A support must be used to keep the hernia in while it heals.

One of the main considerations of people who want to heal naturally is that they lead an active lifestyle and want it to continue as much as possible while they heal. Often, they just can’t take the time to convalesce at home. Staying in bed is usually not an option.

This makes keeping a hernia in more of a challenge and prolongs the process. It’s not going to happen in a month or two. It depends on a number of your personal factors.

The big advantage of natural healing is that you have the time to get healthy. You stop doing the things that made you unhealthy and created the conditions for your hernia. You start doing the things that support your body and its ability to heal.

Finding the Right Support

A support must take into account a person’s life style, activities, habits and how far the hernia has progressed. Your choice will be custom for you.

Each person’s physic is different and so requires a different size, model or type. What’s comfortable for one person won’t necessarily be comfortable or work the same on someone else.

The most common complaints about supports is that they let the pressure pad move without their knowing or don’t apply enough pressure to keep it in. That was certainly my experience.

When people are standing there is a uniform pressure and the support seems to be working. However, most people spend a lot of time sitting down or bending over. When they do there is increased pressure along the bottom edge of the support that forces it out underneath or around the pad. Usually this slip isn’t noticed for a while if they don’t keep checking.

This prematurely discourages far too many people. It is the number one reason that people who really want to naturally heal finally gave up, believing it doesn’t work.

This was the major frustration for me as I experimented with many different designs unsuccessfully. All the while my hernia kept growing. I tried many sizes and styles of pads, but the support wouldn’t keep them in place when I sat or bent over.

Eventually, the flexible support style wouldn’t apply enough pressure and I had to go with a wide, rigid weight lifter style belt to keep it in place. The pad went between the belt and my body at exactly the right spot and any type or amount of pressure wouldn’t move the pad away. This is what I finally used to heal my hernia.

So, what kind of support should you get?

There isn’t an easy answer to the question of which support to buy. Each person’s body is different and requires a different size, model or type. You can think of your choice as a custom design for your body type, daily activity, habits and lifestyle. Frequently more than one support type is needed. You will find you need to purchase several supports to allow for cleaning. 

Many designs are uncomfortable to wear for long periods so people don’t use them enough. What’s comfortable for one person won’t necessarily be comfortable, or work the same on someone else.

I can tell you what I’ve learned about what makes a good support.

In the beginning, when your hernia is small, you may only need a flexible neoprene back support style with a small, thin,  semi rigid pad compatible with the size of your hernia.

Pads are very important.

They are usually round bottomed and intended to be used in the provided support pocket. This does not work. Round bottoms keep the hernia open in reverse, and may not be in the right position for some people.

Good pads should be flat on the bottom and top, round in design, semi rigid, and layered, and you should have several thicknesses. I cut my own pads out of old flip-flops and glued foam to both sides. The foam holds the pad in position.

My final pad size before healing was 2-5/8” wide, by 5/8” thick with 1/4” foam glued to each side.

Support Example:

Support Belt for Direct or Indirect Inguinal Hernias from “Wondercare” on Amazon