![]() We commonly hear stories of a client experiencing a herniation while lifting boxes or pulling a heavy object, but many people might experience a herniation bending down to pick up a stray sock. Either way, they are all the same thing.Ī herniated disc often occurs with movements such as lifting, pulling, bending, twisting. Though with some terms like slipped disc, it conjures images that your intervertebral disc is a hockey puck that’s just moved a little out of place, and just needs to be popped back into place …isn’t 100% accurate. Terms like slipped disc, or ruptured disc, or bulging disc are interchangeable with herniated disc. ![]() What’s a Slipped Disc? Is it the Same Thing? ![]() Not all disc herniations produce symptoms, and can only be seen in scans / images. Patients might notice pain in the gluteal area, down the leg and into the foot (4). Pain isn’t always felt directly in the lower back area. Sometimes they will find that that limb feels weak, for example, if it’s a herniation in the cervical area, grip strength may be noticeably less, or in the lumbar region, they stumble or misstep. Individuals commonly report feelings of numbness or tingling in a limb or hand / foot. The rupturing of the disc becomes problematic when the protrusion presses on, and irritates the surrounding nerves, which is when your body says “You need to stop!! Something is very wrong.” When this happens, this is what is referred to as a herniated disc (4). ![]() Each disc has two parts: a soft, gel-like inner ring (known as the nucleus pulposus), and a tough fibrous outer ring (known as the annulus) (4).Ī lot of university textbooks liken this ring to a “jelly donut” – when your outer ring is injured or the outer wall weakens, the inner ring might protrude out. The purpose of these discs is to act as a shock absorber and protect the spine from daily activities, like walking, running, jumping, etc. Or maybe you’ve uttered those words yourself in the past (we hope not)! Back issues seem to be an inevitable aging thing that plague us or someone we know once we start creeping towards middle age.īut is it inevitable? We’d like to think it isn’t, but for those of us that *have* experienced something like a disc herniation, we break down what has happened, why it might have happened, ways to prevent it and exercises you can do to help with your recovery.īetween each of the vertebrae in your spine, there is a shock absorbing “pad” called an intervertebral disc (3). Sounds like the start of a muscle relaxant commercial, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, you’ve probably heard someone – perhaps you– utter the words: “Oh my back!” In this article, we will dive into what a herniated disc is and what exercises can help improve your flexibility as well as strengthen your lower back, spine,and neck. ![]()
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