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.
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION TODAY TO GET RID OF YOUR BACK PAIN!
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog