Is it Possible to 'Heal' a Hernia by Yourself?

While it is possible to live with an inguinal hernia, the likelihood of it 'going away' or repairing itself is negligible. Gentle abdominal muscle exercise, wearing our briefs, dietary regime change, weight-loss, and stopping smoking will all assist your general health and put less stress on your hernia site.

We have personal testimony from customer telephone calls where they have managed their own hernia to the point that they consider it benign or completely disappeared. However, these are a small, dedicated minority and all followed a self-imposed structured dietary and exercise regime. Interestingly, in all cases they wore our briefs at night in addition to daytime, putting continual gentle pressure on the hernia and only removing the brief for washing and hygiene purposes. They also bought a higher than average number of briefs to facilitate this. The common trait among them was self-discipline and focus.

If you can't or will not follow conventional medical wisdom, such as hernia surgery, and you are in reasonable shape and prepared to dedicate time and effort to the task, there is hope. This site is a good starting point.

That said, the best course of action for the vast majority of customers will be to discuss this with a doctor and seek a medical solution. The following is a list of good advice taken from medical sources:

Controlling Your Hernia with Dietary Change

Consider internal pressure as well as external pressure. Putting the least amount of pressure on the esophagus and colon is the main benefit of a dietary change. Lots of water and a high-fiber diet will reduce bowel movement pressure and strain on the lower abdominal muscle group. One food product particularly useful is Psyllium Husks, which can be added to breakfast cereal or taken with fruit juice. They provide a simple, pure fiber addition to your diet and reduce bowel pressure. In addition to an increase in fecal moisture, there are minor benefits in cholesterol reduction and insulin reduction for diabetics.

Hernias and Exercise

Moderate exercise under the direction of your doctor may be advisable for smaller hernias, particularly if it affects the abdominal muscle wall area. Sports like swimming, which support the body mass in water, are useful. Any recommended exercises should also take advantage of gravity—stretches and muscle toning lying on your back are less risky than standing up because less pressure is on the abdominal region. Pilates and Yoga may also be good exercise regimes.

Constant Direct Support of the Hernia

This is where hernia pants can assist. By applying constant, comfortable pressure to a reducible hernia, you will feel less discomfort and the hernia has less chance of enlarging via gravity and general abdominal movement.

Use of Pain-Killers and Other Tablets

Be careful taking tablets that have constipation as a side-effect. These may be causing more harm than good. Discuss with your doctor.