Facts To Know About Herniated Disc

By Eric Fox


The spinal cord is a very significant part of the human body. The spinal cord contains nerve cells that run all the way to the brain. It comes together with the brain forming the central nervous system. This enables processing of information by the brain that result to movement of arms, legs, waist, and other parts of the body from one place to another.

In order for the spine to be able to function properly, it has to be in a good condition, that is, it should not be injured in any way. Spinal cord injuries can result to various conditions. Herniated disc is a spinal cord injury that is caused by automobile accident. This condition results due to stress put on the spine during the accident.

The structure that holds the spine is called the spinal disc. They also act as shock absorbers in case there is an accident. The pressure put on the spinal cord during vehicle collision, forces the disc to move out of place. This means that there will be absence of shock absorbers hence causing spinal injury. This is what causes herniation of spine discs.

An individual suffering from this condition has recurrent back, neck or leg pain. This comes as a result of difference in the normal organization of the spinal cord which is affected or weakened during the accident. This prevents it from performing its duties effectively. When the disc is dislocated from position, it leads to creation of protrusion in the outer ring of the spine thus causing discomfort and pain.

This hernia mostly occurs in the lower back area. It is also caused by the natural aging of the spine, this indicates that chances of getting hernia in discs are high in old people than young people. This happens because young people discs have high water, as they gel old the discs begin to dry out and weaken hence they become prone to wear and tear.

Other than aging, other factors include the type of gender also affect the occurrence of the problem. Men can easily be affected compared to women. The use of back muscles when lifting heavy objects makes one to likely suffer from the disease . This is because a lot of pressure is placed on the lower back. People should therefore avoid long hours of sitting and driving. Time for walking should be set aside daily.

To determine whether one has the problem or not one has to get a full physical body examination by a doctor. Having frequent back pain, leg or foot pain, weakness in legs or tingling sensation may indicative of hernia. So if one registers this symptom they need to seek quick medical advice.

The problem can be prevented and treated at an early stage, one can undergo nonsurgical treatment such as bed rest, the doctor can also prescribe some ant-inflammatory medications to relieve pain or one may need to undergo physical therapy that involves specific exercises to strengthen the lower back. The most important thing to do to prevent the condition is to eat properly and exercise regularly.




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