About Slip Discs
A slipped disc, also called herniated disc happens when the tissues between the bone and the spinal cord pushes outside. The nerves and muscles start to pain making it difficult for the individual to do any activity.
Signs & symptoms
Slipped discs can affect any part of your spinal cord, connecting from the neck to the lower back. Lower back is one of the most common areas where slip disc is known to happen. Slipped discs put extra pressure on the nerves and muscles making mobility difficult.
The signs & symptoms of slip disc can vary from individual to individual. Below are some common signs of slipped disc.
- Discomfort and numbness on one side of the body
- Extended pain in your arms or legs
- Pain that gets worse at night or when you make any movement
- Pain even while walking short distances
- Sitting and standing become difficult
- Sudden weakness in the muscles
- Sensations of tingling, aching or burning that affect the muscles
Causes
Slipped disc happens when the outer ring of the disc becomes brittle and weak which leads the inner part to loosen out. Though there aren’t any fixed causes which could have led an individual to suffer from herniated disc. Below are some of the known factors which could have aggravated the disc to dislocate.
- Age
- Certain movements/motions
- Lifting a heavy object can cause strain on the lower back
- Being overweight/obese
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Weak muscles
As an individual ages, the risk of muscles and nerves becoming weak increases. Therefore, they are more likely to experience slipped disc. As you grow old, the water content required by the body to protect starts to decrease. Therefore, older people have more tendency to slip out of place. Slipped discs are more common in men than in women.
Diagnosis
The doctor will perform a physical exam to detect the cause and source of pain. The heath expert will examine the muscle strength and functioning of the nerves and how much pain an individual is feeling on being touched on the affected areas. Provide all medical history to the healthcare expert, to help in the diagnosis. Below are some of the tests that can provide better clarity regarding the severe pain in the back.
- X-rays
- CT scans
After the imaging tests, the healthcare expert will be able to determine the cause of pain and provide relevant treatment options for the same.
Treatment
The treatment of slipped discs would depend on the level of pain and discomfort the patient is experiencing and after determining how far the disc has slipped out of its place. The pain can be managed or treated by following the below doctor recommended protocols:-
- Exercise program
- OTC medication
- Avoid heavy lifting
- Surgery to relieve the pain
- Replacement of disc
Prevention
There isn’t anything one can do to prevent slipped discs, things can be done to lower the chances of having slipped discs.
Below are some of the measures that can help to prevent slipped discs.
- Lightweight lifting
- Maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI)
- Stretching every now and then
- Strengthen the muscles in your back, legs, and belly by doing workouts
