Having Lower Back Pain? Could it be a herniated disc?

 At one point in our lives we have heard they saying of someone having a “slipped disc” whether it be yourself, your friend, or just an acquaintance. Herniated discs unfortunately do happen. But when you understand how a herniated disc happens and what is happening you can see that the saying “slipped disc” is false.                  

So what is a herniated disc? Your back is made up of 31 vertebral bones. In between there are 23 vertebral discs. These discs are extremely important. They assist with movement of your spine and act as shock absorbers. So as you bend backwards or forwards from the waist you can thank your vertebral discs for allowing you to do so. The make up of the vertebral discs are comparable to a jelly donut. There is a fibrous layer on the outside (the dough) and a nucleus on the inside (the jelly).  When a herniated disc occurs the nucleus or jelly squeezes towards the back of the spine. Herniated discs can occur due to age or injury to your spine.             

What happens when you have a herniated disc? A variety of different symptoms can arise when you have a herniated disc. These symptoms can be pain, numbness or weakness in the area where the spinal nerves are being pushed on by the herniated disc. If you feel you have/had a herniated disc you should consult your doctor first.

Now you have consulted your doctor, now what? How do you fix this problem? Can you live a life that is pain free? Of course you can. Physical therapy can utilize a various different techniques to help relieve your pain. At physical therapy they can help work on core stability, flexibility and muscle stress. To read up on more on how physical therapy can help a herniated disc you can visit the below links. 

 

(WebMD) (Spine Universe)