A herniated disc can be considered as a condition usually occurring most commonly in the lower back where a part of the nucleus enters through one of the cracks through the annulus area.
Generally, a herniated disc can occur anywhere within the spine from above to below but the general part is the area from the middle to the lower back.Â
The herniated disc can also be regarded as bulging or in simpler words as a ruptured disc. A ruptured disc is natural as you grow old and it usually victimizes people from the ages of 30 to 50.
Men are at a greater risk of being diagnosed with a herniated disc as compared to women most likely due to increased mechanical stress as shown by several types of research.
Other than age, accidents are a major cause that can prompt a herniated disc as the movement in an unnatural position with immense pressure can cause distress to your back.
In this piece, we will discuss what are the symptoms, what causes this in the first place, and lastly the key to Herniated disc treatment.
Herniated Disc: Signs, Occur & Treatments
The Vital Signs That You Need To Watch Out
A great herniated disc treatment is to prevent it in the first place. That means that if you identify the early symptoms of the ruptured disc then you can intercept the problem from growing into something possibly worse.
Discomfort
One of the first symptoms of a herniated disc is discomfort in your back. This discomfort can be agitating at first which grows into a sharp and shooting pain as days grow further.
This discomfort can be seen especially when you are sitting for long hours in a posture that is not exactly suitable for your spine.
Weakness
Weakness is very obvious in the first place when you are facing any problem within your back, joints, or bones but within a herniated disc the feeling can be described differently as it can give you problems when you are trying to walk and often cause stumbling as well.
Sciatica
Sciatica is also one of the symptoms of a herniated disc and perhaps the most influencing one. Sciatic nerves are located everywhere in our body and when you are diagnosed with a herniated disk, you will most obviously feel pain and discomfort in your back.
This pain would then travel to your entire body through the sciatic nerves resulting in agitation in other areas such as your thighs, hips, buttocks, knees, and legs too. Our back is sensitive and also interconnected with other parts of the body.
The operation of a neck works in a very similar fashion too so if you have a herniated disc in your neck or just normal neck pain in general then it will travel down to all other body parts around.
This then might affect your trap muscles, your shoulders and can also cause headaches along with a burning sensation at the back of the head.
How Does It Occur?
A herniated disc can occur in many different ways as a result of age in many cases or usually in accidents. The layers are very jellylike and firm as well so they can really get weakened by the passage of time. They are many factors that cause that to happen
Age
Age is obviously a very crucial driving factor that can prompt a herniated disc. We have already discussed how people aged from 30 to 50 are most likely to be diagnosed.
This also depends on various other reasons such as how their posture has been throughout their lifestyle and as to whether they had been lifting heavyweight with consistency throughout great periods of time such as construction workers do
Poor Posture
A poor posture can be more influencing than you think it can be. It is single-handedly the most decisive factor that can help you pre-injury and post-injury.
You are very likely to form back and neck issues if your posture is not correct or if they are curved when you sit on a seat or lie down wrongly.
These things are extremely important to notice as your poor posture can give rise to a herniated disc when combined with other elements throughout your life.
Excessive Weight
Weight can prove to be extremely toxic to your back especially when the lifting angle is not appropriate at all. If you have done heavy work throughout yourself as a stonemason or a construction worker then you probably have played with weight a lot in your life.
Consistent lifting is not healthy because your back could be under a lot of pressure specifically if you are not lifting at the correct angles.
Not only that but if your gym or are passionate about growing muscles then you really have to be careful whilst squatting and deadlifting as both the exercises can apply great risk to your back
Treatment For Herniated discÂ
How to treat herniated disc? A herniated disc treatment like Whiplash can be done in different ways but your utmost aim is to try every possible technique out before you opt for surgery.
Non-Surgical Treatment
Usually, the non-surgical treatment is the best option and works for the betterment. Herniated disc Doctors might tell you to restrict all major movements that would apply mild to heavy pressure on your back.
After some time, you will be told to do some light activities and exercises for herniated disc . The last step is in-depth physical therapy where the therapist would conduct keen checks on you and help speed up your recovery
Surgical Treatment
If non-surgical treatment for herniated disc low back or neck does not prove to be effective for you then the doctor will recommend surgery. Surgery might be the last option for you to have a pain-free back but it comes with its own risks and dangers.
Your medical history and data will be taken into consideration before the operation however, surgery does not promise the end of pain and there is no guarantee that it will be of greater help.