Article Surfing Archive

Everyday, there are more reported cases of herniated disc. What causes this painful condition and what can be done to alleviate the pain?

You would probably be surprised at how frequently a herniated disc happens in people. The fact of the matter is, there are a lot of different types of herniated discs, each of them having their own specific problems and methods of treatment. A lot of the associated pain and treatments that come along with the herniated disc also have to do with the individual that is suffering. If you are suffering from this problem, here is a little bit of information about where it comes from and what you can do about it.

Some people that are suffering from this type of a problem don't actually realize what it is that they are suffering from. The bones that form the spine are called the vertebrae and in between each of these vertebrae is a small disk that acts as a shock absorber. If an injury occurs, one or more of these discs may rupture or bowl can and this is what is typically known as a herniated, slipped or ruptured disc.

This problem can occur in any location in your spine. While most of them affect your spine in the lower back, the lumbar area, others may happen in the upper back, known as the thoracic spine or in the neck, known as the cervical spine. Depending on the placement of the disc that was damaged, the herniated disc may be referred to by this specific area of the spine in which it resides.

The damage that is caused to these discs may happen for a number of different reasons. Injury is probably the most common way in which a person may experience a herniated disc. Whenever the spine is injured, it may cause cracks to form in the outer layer of the disc itself. Because the inside of the disc is comprised of a gel like substance, it may begin to leak or bulge out of the crack in the outer shell. Another reason why you may be experiencing this problem is because of wear and tear due to age. As we get older, we tend to dry out a bit and this would also include the discs in between our vertebrae.

The symptoms that are associated with a herniated disc include pain, of course, as well as weakness and numbness in the area of the herniated disc and associated nerves. An example of this would be if you had a herniated disk in the lumbar region, or lower back. Although you may feel the pain in the lower back, the pain and numbness may also spread out into the buttocks and even down the legs.

There are several ways in which your herniated disc may be treated. The first of these is that your doctor may prescribe some rest. If the pain is not too severe, he may suggest that you remain active as a little bit of light activity may actually help. He may also ask you to keep an ice pack on the area for 10 to 15 minutes several times a day, prescribe physical therapy that you can do at home or in the presence of a therapist or even give you a prescription to help you to overcome the pain until the herniated disc heals.