NEWS LE T T ER
Understanding HERNIATED DISCS
Backpaincandevelopforallsortsofreasons.Fromacaraccidenttobadposture, 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-millbackpain.Aherniateddisc isoneof themostpainfulback 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- betweeneach jointsocket.Thestructureofyourspine iswhatallowsyou tomove freely fromside toside.Every timeyoucrunchyourabdomenbybending forward, or lean toonesideoranother foradeepstretch, those littlevertebralbodiesmove 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,essentiallydeflating thecushioning inbetween thevertebraeandcausing 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.
Themostcommonplacementforaherniateddisc isatthe lumbarvertebrae inthe lowerback.While it isnottheonlyreasonthatpaincanbecomesevere inthe lower back, it isdefinitelyoneof themostsevere formsofbackpain. Ifyoususpect that you may have experienced a herniated disc it is important that you seek medical attention,suchasfromyourphysical therapist.Aherniateddiscwillnothealon 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. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? Thevertebrae inthespinearestackedcloselytogether,withonlyasmallamountof spaceforthediscs inbetweeneachbone.Adisccanbecomeherniatedasaresultof injury,caraccident,orevensimplyfromoveruse.Oneofthemostcommoncauses 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 experiencedgym-goersarenottheonlyonesatrisk.Everytimeyouattempttomove a piece of furniture, a heavy box, or even a big bag of books you need to be wary to liftcorrectly,otherwiseface theriskofpotentiallyherniatingadisc inyourback. Learn more about how you can naturally relieve arthritis pain, visit our website at premiertherapycenters.com or call the clinic nearest you today!
www.premiertherapycenters.com
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