Back pain can develop for all sorts of reasons. From a car accident to bad posture, to an uncomfortable seat for a prolonged period of time, back pain can come out of nowhere and cause no small amount of discomfort once it arrives. There are some back injuries, however, that are even more painful than your run-of-the-mill back pain. A herniated disc is one of the most painful back injuries that you can experience, and it is far more common than you may be initially aware.
HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body
IS YOUR LOWER BACK PAIN CAUSED BY A HERNIATED DISC?
Understanding your pain is the first step to relief
HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body INSIDE: • UNDERSTANDING HERNIATED DISCS • TREATMENT FOR HERNIATED DISCS • 3 STEPS TO HELP RESOLVE PAIN IN YOUR SPINE • EXERCISE OF THE MONTH
Back pain can develop for all sorts of reasons. Froma car accident to bad posture, to an uncomfortable seat for a prolonged period of time, back pain can come out of nowhere and cause no small amount of discomfort once it arrives. There are some back injuries, however, that are even more painful than your run-of-the-mill back pain. A herniated disc is one of themost painful back injuries that you can experience, and it is far more common than you may be initially aware. WHAT IS A HERNIATED DISC? Your spine is made up of a series of interlocking bones with small cushions in-between each joint socket. The structure of your spine is what allows you to move freely from side to side. Every time you crunch your abdomen by bending forward, or lean to one side or another for a deep stretch, those little vertebral bodies move with you, keeping you comfortable and your back strong. Without cushioning in between each of those sockets, the bones would rub against one another with every movement, and this would be incredibly painful. When a disc becomes herniated, the cushioning in between the vertebrae will rupture, essentially deflating the cushioning in between the vertebrae and causing the bones to begin to rub against one another. This is painful enough as it is, but can become even more painful if the herniated disc actually begins to press on the adjacent spinal nerves, causing the pain to spread even further up the spine. The most common placement for a herniated disc is at the lumbar vertebrae in the lower back. While it is not the only reason that pain can become severe in the lower back, it is definitely one of the most severe forms of back pain. If you suspect that you may have experienced a herniated disc it is important that you seek medical attention, such as fromyour physical therapist. A herniated disc will not heal on its own, and working with a physical therapist is one of the best ways to experience relief from the pain associated with this common concern. UNDERSTANDING HERNIATED DISCS
HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? The vertebrae in the spine are stacked closely together, with only a small amount of space for the discs in between each bone. A disc can become herniated as a result of injury, car accident, or even simply fromoveruse. One of the most common causes of a herniated disc is heavy lifting. Weight lifters have to be especially wary not to suddenly lift something too heavy, otherwise risk experiencing a slipped disc. But experienced gym-goers are not the only ones at risk. Every time you attempt tomove a piece of furniture, a heavy box, or even a big bag of books you need to be wary to lift correctly, otherwise face the risk of potentially herniating a disc in your back.
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TREATMENT FOR HERNIATED DISCS
Pain associated with a herniated disc often develops in the sciatica nerve, and doesn’t subside with simple rest and relaxation. While hot and cold therapy will help alleviate the pain associated withmany different back issues, it won’t make the pain of a herniated disc go away. The pain is often frequently associatedwith numbness, weakness, and tingling in the legs. In many situations, the painwill feel more severe after initial movement, such as standing up or laying down. Many people mistakenly refer to having a herniated disc as having “pinched a nerve,” but that is not the case. Physical therapy is a great resource for attempting to overcome the pain associated with a herniated disc. A combination of passive and active techniques is typically employed, including deep tissuemassage, electrical stimulation, and hydrotherapy, as well as deep stretching and strength building. If you suspect that youmay have a herniated disc, contact a physical therapist right away. Attempting to engage in therapy at home could lead to further injury. It is best to have an experienced therapist assess your injury before attempting any treatment options.
Strengthens Back U S E T H I S E X E R C I S E T O R E L I E V E B A C K PA I N EXERCISE OF THE MONTH
SIDELYING TRUNK ROTATION While lying on your side with your arms out- stretched in front of your body, slowly twist your upper body to the side and rotate your spine. Your arms and head should also be rotating along with the spine as shown. Follow your hand with your eyes. Hold for 20 seconds repeat 3 times on each side.
Exercises copyright of
Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.
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Spinal discs play a crucial role as shock absorbers between your spinal vertebrae. If a disc herniates or leaks some of its inner material, it can cause localized pain or even referred pain down your arms and/or legs. This can sound like a scary diagnosis and leave you feeling uncertain. The great news- just because you have been diagnosed with a herniated disc, does not mean you have to have pain! In fact, a majority of people who have been diagnosed with a lumbar herniated disc will have no pain 6 weeks later with proper management. 3 STEPS TO HELP RESOLVE PAIN IN YOUR SPINE
• McKenzie Method • Myofascial Release • Personal Training • Therapeutic Exercise • Vestibular Therapy • Wellness Program • Ergonomics
• ACL Injury Prevention Program • Advanced Functional Science • Athletic Training • Electrical Stimulation • Graston Technique • Kinesio Taping • Laser Therapy • Manual Therapy
SO WHAT CAN I DO NOW? STEP #1 POSTURE
Correct sitting and standing postures are themost important activitieswe can do to reduce pain or prevent worsening of a herniated disc. Postural stressors on our spinemake up amajority of our day, especially for those whose jobs require prolonged sitting positions. If you are a sedentary worker, youmay experience pain in the lowbackwhile sitting for prolonged periods or on attempting to rise from sitting. In this case the pain is cause by slight overstretching of soft tissues taking a few seconds for the tissues to recover. Eventually you may reach a stage where you experience severe pain on standing having difficulty straightening up. In this case there is a major distortion in the affected joint, which cannot regain its normal shape quickly enough to allow pain-free movement. Whenever a movement is attempted, the disc herniation increases the strain on the already overstretched surrounding tissue.
GET READY FOR YOUR SPORT. . . NO MATTER WHEN IT RESTARTS.
• Use a lumbar roll in the natural curve of the spine that is just above the belt line. • What does correct standing posture look like? • You must reduce the amount of curve in the low back. • Stand as tall as you can, lifting the chest up, pull in your stomach muscles and tighten your buttocks.
• What does correct sitting posture look like? • Choose a supportive chair with a firm back. • There should not be any space between your backside and the backrest of the chair. • Your knees should be slightly below the level of your hips with your feet firm on the ground.
CLINIC NEWS REMOTE PERSONAL TRAINING I S NOW L I V E ! No matter where you look, research will inform you of the inherent risks of sports injury and death. No amount of research will be able to prepare you for the increased risk of injury following return to sport after this pandemic. Now is the time to work hard to train your body to move again. Get ready for your sport... no matter when it restarts.
This position requires a lot of muscular effort and is hard to maintain, but with practice you will be able to hold the position for longer periods of time without discomfort.
STEP #2 MOVE Sustained positions, awkward positions, prolonged sitting and frequent bending are the most strenuous activities on the spine. Studies that measured the amount of pressure on our lumbar discs report an 80% increase in disc pressure with full lumbar flexion. On top of that, the average person does some form of bending forward about 5,000 times per day. From getting dressed, leaning over the sink to brush our teeth to crawling into bed a night we are bendingmost of our day. We don’t often stretch in the opposite direction and one way we can achieve that is to get up and WALK! It is that easy. Walking is a mid-range lumbar extension activity. This is important because lumbar extension reduces disc pressure by 35%. Consistently and frequently changing your positions is important to promote flow of fluid i.e. nutrition to the disc to maintain disc health. How often shoulder we move? Set a timer for every 30 minutes to prevent being in these prolonged positions. STEP #3 IF PAIN PERSISTS FOR MORE THAN 3-5 DAYS, GET A PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSESSMENT. Spinal pain is often recurring so if your pain is not improving, worsening or you are getting pain down your leg; it is time to see your Physical Therapist for a mechanical assessment.
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