Herniated Disc

Herniated Disc
 

-A herniated disc occurs when the outer part of the donut

shaped disc between the vertebrae weakens and the inner part

(a gel-like substance) protrudes outward, something like when

a balloon squeezed from one side. Typically, people don’t feel

.any pain until and unless this protrusion touches a nerve

Many people live out their lives with one or more herniated

.discs and never know it

If the protrusion does touch or compress a nerve, it usually

causes pain in the lower back, radiating down the back of one

or both legs and sometimes causing sharp, needling pain in

the bottoms of the feet. If the herniated disc is higher up the

.spine, radiating pain can occur in the arms

The primary cause of a herniated disc is the excessive

compression and torsion that is placed on the spine, which is

the result of numerous muscle imbalances throughout the

body. In addition, two often overlooked yet major factors are

.dietary imbalances and negative stress and/or emotions

,Herniated disc disease also is referred to as bulging disc

ruptured disc, or degenerative disc disease.

,The following action plan covers two areas: 1) short-term

temporary pain relief and 2) long-term solutions. I always

encourage people to work toward the goal of total pain

relief—in other words, no more back pain, period. But if

you’re too uncomfortable to get through the steps needed for

the long-lasting solution, you may want to start with the

.(temporary pain-relief options (listed below

For each category of pain relief (temporary versus long

term), I’ve arranged the solutions in order, with the step likely

to help you the most listed first. Start with the solution at the

top of the list, and then work your way down only if the pain

.improves but doesn’t completely disappear

,NOTE: In the long-term list of treatment options

inversion therapy appears first. With a herniated disc, getting

pressure off the spine is critical to recovery, and turning the

body upside down is the best way to do that. Reverse gravity

opens the spaces between the vertebrae, giving them room to

.heal and encouraging them to slide back into place