So, You Have a Herniated Disc... Here's Why You Shouldn't Freak Out
By: Kelsie Mazur, DPT
Did you know that your spine consists of 33 different vertebrae! That’s 33 segmental portions allowing your spine to flex, extend, rotate, and shear, which are all motions that our spines are capable of safely performing. I’ve mentioned in a recent blog post about low back pain, but it is important to reiterate that in 2020 lower back pain (LBP) affected more than 600 million people. Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide- and the direct and indirect costs of LBP worldwide are $50 billion dollars a year.
The word ‘herniated’ literally means “to protrude through an abnormal bodily opening,” so it's not a surprise that when someone hears the phrase “herniated disc” their normal reaction is to freak out. My hope for this week’s blog post is that you will learn that a herniated disc is not necessarily an emergency nor something you should freak out about. Let’s dive a little deeper.
The discs in your back lie between each vertebrae and act as shock absorbers to cushion the vertebrae. They protect the spine when walking, running, jumping, and lifting. These discs are very resilient! When a disc is herniated, the soft disc starts to poke out between the hard bony vertebrae, filling a tiny space so things start to get crowded. The disc then starts to press on nerve(s) and other structures. The brain and nervous system perceive this as a threat, making the musculature surrounding the spine tender and vulnerable to movement.
Both an interesting and important point to make is that a herniated disc can be very painful sometimes and not painful at all at other times. A pain response is most often elicited if the disc that is herniated is actually pushing on a nerve. The location of symptoms is also dictated by which segment of the spine the disc is irritated. That being said, imaging (usually MRI) is not needed and most often will show a herniated disc that is asymptomatic. Chances are if you’re reading this, you may fall into the category of someone who has experienced a herniated disc with pain. Which might also mean you’ve avoided certain movements for weeks, months, even years, and it's likely that you’ve lost hope. I understand!
Here’s the good news: Moving efficiently and pain-free again is not impossible, but it may begin with seeing a movement and research based physical therapist. Gone are the days of lying with a hot pack on your back and using a traction machine for 12 minutes (we call these passive modalities and they only resolve symptoms temporarily). We know therapy that does not create lasting positive changes can be frustrating, so we don’t do it. At Wattage, we believe movement is the best and only way your disc herniation will heal and feel better. 90% of disc herniations will heal within 3-6 months which is pretty amazing. More importantly, symptoms can start to feel better almost instantly with the right physical therapy.
Physical therapy for a herniated disc is very patient-specific and will look different for everybody. The stress and worry of an injury like this can be debilitating, however with the guidance of a DPT, the stress of movement, pain, and fear of reinjury can improve. Which will help to speed up healing! The most important thing your physical therapist can do is help you restore motion throughout your spine to allow for your spine and other muscles to calm down, ultimately allowing you to gain your confidence back.
TLDR (Too Long Didn’t Read):
Chronic stress and fear avoidance of movement can exacerbate symptoms and delay healing
90% of disc herniations heal within 3-6 months with guidance from a physical therapist
Physical therapy leads to better outcomes than surgery
Persons who participate in a guided exercise program from a doctor of physical therapy have better outcomes then those who don't
Only attacking the symptoms means never fully solving the problem. Temporarily relieving these symptoms leads us to rely on whatever quick-fix we found (medication, “stretches,” shots, etc.). Instead of continuing in this constant negative feedback loop, Wattage Physical Therapy will take an in depth look at your ergonomics, posture, muscle tone, muscle weaknesses, and movement patterns to create a plan for YOU. If this article feels a little too close to home, you can directly email me, Kelsie at Kelsie@wattagept.com. I would be happy to help you start the process of living a life free from low back pain.