Inguinal Hernia Treatment Without Surgery

More than a million people suffer from inguinal hernias every year.[1] It is thought that the only way to cure the problem – when a small amount of abdominal fat or a loop of small intestine enters the inguinal canal in the abdominal wall – is with surgery. 800,000 surgeries to cure this ailment are performed every year. 

Scientists are still struggling to understand the pathophysiology of groin hernia development.[2] They only know that this problem seems to peak in early childhood and with the onset of old age.  It also seems to affect many more men than women.  Yet medical doctors are quick to offer “solutions” in the form of surgery, even with relapse of groin hernias on the rise.

If you suffer from inguinal hernia, there are options other than surgery. With the many complications that can arise from this surgery, doctors are just starting to take a wait and see approach. Hernia relapses and complications surrounding surgery make finding another option paramount. 

Here’s why.

Common complications for elective inguinal hernia surgery include:[3]

• Seroma/ hematoma
• Urinary retention
• Bladder injuries
• Wound infection
• Groin pain
• Post-herniorrhaphy neuralgia,
• Testicular complications
• Wound healing complications
• Recurrent hernia 

Even with these complications, allopathic medicine often doesn’t consider the expense of such a surgery, the recovery time, loss of work, and effect on relationships within families of those who have a groin hernia. 

A single surgery can start from $9000, and many people are uninsured or underinsured, so these costs are coming straight from their own pockets.[4] This does not account for additional costs that are often associated with surgeries of this kind.

The physical complications alone are on the rise, yet herbal remedies and natural prevention options are available.

 

Caring for an Inguinal Hernia with Diet

Many diseases are the result of chronic inflammation, and inguinal hernia is one of them. Your diet may not cure the issue, but it can certainly lessen the symptoms. 

Eating high-fiber foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, and sprouts will all lessen chronic inflammation and contribute to gut health.  This then lessens the symptoms and pain associated with your hernia.

Your hernia may have been inherited, due to obesity, or simply happened during or after a pregnancy. For men, it may have transpired when the muscles of the groin were forming.

Direct inguinal hernias are most often the result of the degeneration of connective tissues in the abdominal wall, and weakened muscles in the groin. 

Regardless of the cause, reducing gas, and lubricating the digestive system will help to take pressure off the abdominal muscles.

Consuming smaller meals will also help to reduce this pressure, as your digestive organs and stomach do not become over-full.

These healthy foods will also help to increase the production of collagen and elastin in the abdominal walls. Reduced collagen and elastin are often found in people with weak abdominal walls, particularly inguinal hernia.[5]

 

Caring for an Inguinal Hernia with Proper Gut Health

Inguinal hernias often cause to complications that can impede proper digestion and assimilation of food nutrients.

A part of the fat or small intestine inside the abdomen gets stuck in the groin or scrotum and cannot go back into the abdomen where it belongs. Sometimes this can simply be massaged back into place. If this is not treated, it leads to strangulation.

The blood supply to the small intestine is obstructed causing “strangulation.” This causes blood to be blocked. It cannot enter the bowels where it is needed to deliver oxygen and nutrients. In extreme cases, it can even cause a portion of the small intestine to die.[6] 

Reducing intestinal inflammation – by eating an anti-inflammatory diet – can help prevent the strangulation of portions of the intestines. 

Moreover, the gut-brain axis is paramount to the communication between our neurons in the gut and in the brain. This is commonly called the gut-brain axis. (GBA) Neural, endocrine (hormonal) immune, and humoral links exist.[7]

This means that the gut is in charge of just about every aspect of our well-being – including the healing of a hernia. If degeneration (or the wounding of tissues) in the abdominal wall are in question, the wouldn’t we want to support their care and nurturance with a highly functioning immune system that is created with healthy microbiota in the gut?

Ways to increase gut health are to remove refined sugars and carbohydrates which tend to feed bad bacteria and make them proliferate. Also, remove alcohol and large doses of caffeine. Take probiotics, eat prebiotics, and try to eat as many plant-based foods as you can. These types of foods tend to overcrowd bad bacteria with good bacteria.

When you suffer from symptoms of inguinal hernia, the last thing you need are additional gut health complications like IBS, constipation or gas. Caring for your gut can mean fewer episodes of acute pain or discomfort associated with the condition.

 

Caring for an Inguinal Hernia with Stress Reduction 

Direct inguinal hernias are often caused by age-related stress and weakened muscles in the inguinal canal. Indirect inguinal hernias that are formed during fetal development may also become stressed with persistent opening.

Reducing Stress can help to restore weakened muscles. There are ample studies suggesting that psychological stress (not just physical stress) weakens the immune system and slows healing of wounds or injuries.[8]

Stress also affects the immune cells specifically: 

• B cells – those which produce antibodies that destroy harmful bacteria and pathogens are weakened.
• T cells – those that infect an invading cell to destroy it are also weakened. 

The stress hormone cortisol also suppresses immunity and alters our natural hormonal flow. This can cause harmful bacteria to run rampant in the gut. This results in poor digestion, constipation, and other digestive issues that can aggravate an inguinal hernia.

Stress reduction methods can be as simple as taking a time out, practicing deep breathing exercises, spending time in nature, doing some gentle yoga, meditating, or just lightening your responsibilities. Exercise is also a wonderful way to both decrease stress, burn of excess cortisol (stress hormone) and reduce inflammation – all of which will result in fewer inguinal hernia symptoms.

This action will help to reduce the symptoms associated with an inguinal hernia, including weakness or pressure in the groin, burning, pain, fever, an inability to pass gas or defecate, a heavy or dragging feeling in the lower abdomen, occasional swelling.

 

Hernia Medicines 

An additional option to delay surgery is by utilising Grocare’s specially formulated, herbal medicines. These were created using Ayurvedic principles. They support proper digestion, reduce inflammation or the gut, and generally improve health from a holistic perspective, thus decreasing symptoms naturally.

When combined with a healthier diet, and stress-reduction these medicines will help to heal the body with its own innate intelligence. The immune system is supported, wound-healing speeds up, and chronic health conditions become easier to deal with because their symptoms don’t flare up as frequently.

In Ayurveda, the combination of herbs is also vital to their efficacy. It is a whole-body healing system and science. This means that all prescriptions are aimed at treating the body as a fully functioning integrated system. You cannot simply treat one part and ignore the associated parts. This is one of the problems with allopathic medicine, specifically surgery. It treats the body as a mechanistic, dissectible set of gears and levers that can just be cut out to cure a health problem, but with 800,000 surgeries and counting, this obviously can’t be true. 

The following herbs work synergistically to promote healing. They have been tested and were only brought to you once their usefulness was proven. With that in mind, Ayurvedic science has been around for more than 5000 years, and is arguably better informed about the body’s needs than some forms of allopathic medicine.

The first of Grocare’s medicines, Hernica contains over 12 different Ayurvedic herbs in a proprietary blend including seeds, flowers, roots, and leaves which have incredible healing properties. 

These include:

• Pongamia glabra which helps to relieve gas and bloating. It is also an intestinal stimulant that helps the body break down food stuff and absorb the nutrients it needs.

• Cassia angustifolia which is known to treat constipation. It helps promotes peristalsis, or the regular contraction of the intestines which allow a bowel movement. Those who suffer from hernia know just important it is to be “regular.” This herb ensures that you aren’t putting additional pressure on the abdominal wall with overstuffed, polluted bowels.

• Holarrhena antidysenterica is an Ayurvedic herb with astringent, anti-dysenteric, and anthelmintic properties. It is a natural stomachic, febrifuge and tonic. It helps to remove bad bacteria and pathogens from the digestive system that might cause digestive upset. 

• Ferula asafetida is an herb which helps to strengthen the intestines. It promotes healthy digestion. It is also antispasmodic and carminative (helps to relive gas). It is also supportive to relieve constipation.

The second medication, Acidim, works with Hernica to reduce inguinal hernia symptoms pre-surgery.

An additional 12 Ayurvedic herbs are combined in a proprietary formula to do support the body’ healing via: 

• Purgative
• Laxative
• Anti-inflammatory
• Analgesic
• Anti-arthritic
• Anti-secretory
• Ulcer protective
• Anti-hyperglycemic (supports better blood sugar levels for better gut health)
• Hepato-protective
• Antibiotic
• Carminative (to protect gut health)
• Blood circulation promoting
• Anti-helmintic (kills parasites and harmful bacteria that can cause sugar cravings)

These medicines – Acidim and Hernica – combined with lowered stress, a proper diet, and restored gut health can drastically reduce inguinal hernia symptoms. They do so without putting you at risk for the complications of surgery or the recurrence of inguinal hernia aftersurgery.

These medications are also incredibly affordable in comparison to the cost of surgery.

Having this information can at least prolong a surgery if not make surgery entirely unnecessary. Your symptoms can be lessened with this knowledge and its application.

In closing, a natural approach to caring for an inguinal hernia is available to those looking for alternatives to surgery.

You can read more about this Hernia Kit here - https://in.grocare.com/products/hernia-kit  

 

References

[1]Inguinal Hernia. University of California San Francisco General Surgery Department of Surgery. https://general.surgery.ucsf.edu/conditions--procedures/inguinal-hernia.aspx

[2]Burcharth, J. et al. Nationwide Prevalence of Groin Hernia repair. Plos One https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23342139

[3]Brooks, David C. MD. Overview of complications of inguinal and femoral hernia repair. UP to Date. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/overview-of-complications-of-inguinal-and-femoral-hernia-repair 

[4]How Much Does Hernia Repair Cost. Cost Helper Health. http://health.costhelper.com/hernia-repair.html

[5]Harrison, Bridget MD. Collagenopathies—Implications for Abdominal Wall Reconstruction: A Systematic Review. PR.S Global Open https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5096520/

[6]Inguinal hernia. National Institute of Diabetes and digestive and Kidney Disorders. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/inguinal-hernia

[7]Carabotti, Marilia et al. The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous system. Annals of Gastroenterology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367209/

[8]Kielcolt-Glaser, Janice K. et al. Lancet. Slowing of wound healing by psychological stress. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1d6f/879c6a21ef37d76d9d11a164de296c673836.pdf