Lumbar Disc Herniation Relief
The spinal disc is a gel-filled sac between each vertebral body that works to absorb shock, allowing the spine to be pliable and flexible. Too much bending and sitting can cause excessive pressure in these discs, resulting in fraying of the outer fibres, bulging of the disc, and oozing out of the gel material.
A classic presentation of disc bulge or herniation is one where patients complain of low back pain, which may radiate to the buttock or legs, worsened by sitting, bending, coughing, and sneezing. The pain tends to ease with standing, walking and bending backwards.
As mentioned, this problem is largely caused by too much sitting and flexing forward of the spine, not enough extending, or bending backwards of the spine. Backward bending generally reduces the pressure that the disc places on nearby nerves.
Patients of different ages can have this problem from young to old, though the highest prevalence is in males from ages 30 – 50. In the younger population, the discs are more likely to bulge and prolapse as they have more fluid content. In the older population, the discs tend to wear out and flatten as the fluid content reduces and the discs dry out.
What Can You Do About Lumbar Disc Pain?
For disc bulge and prolapse, treatment consists largely of spinal extension exercises that may help to put the disc material back in place or else relieve pressure on a nearby nerve. The cobra exercise in yoga is a go-to technique. Patients are given education on the best way to sit, stand and change positions regularly throughout the day to avoid prolonged disc pressure. If the patient has tight hamstrings, and other leg muscles, these are stretched so that the spine is not forced into more flexion because of tight leg muscles.
Variations on this typical treatment is added, according to each patient’s specific needs. Patients normally find relief after the first session and may need 2 to 6 sessions, depending on their age, the severity of the condition, and how many bouts of pain they have had. Most people benefit from learning about this condition, educating themselves on self-management and prevention. In this way, they can resolve symptoms on their own quite quickly.
Contact Physio For Life To Help With Your Disc Pain!
The take home message that disc pain is trying to teach us is to keep moving and not sit all day. It would be best to get a sit stand desk and maybe in future it might be possible to ride an exercise bike or walk a treadmill while working on the computer. While this is not the norm now, it might be a good idea to go for a walk, run or cycle during the lunch break or at the end of the workday. Try to find an activity that gets you moving and your heart pumping to counteract the long hours of sitting.
Contact Physio For Life today to meet with our team about your lumbar pain!