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Herniated Disc
Herniated Disc
How a Herniated Disc develops is not always clear. What is clear, however, is that people with low back problems sometimes suffer from a herniated disc. However, the related pain symptoms do not always develop when suffering from a herniated disc.
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What is a Herniated Disc?
Between the vertebrae of your back, there are discs called the intervertebral discs. A Herniated Disc is a ‘fracture’ or ‘bulge’ of the intervertebral disc. When this bulge starts to press on nerves it can cause complaints such as radiating pain in one buttock or leg.
Have you been diagnosed with a Herniated disc?
- Avoid inactivity
- Keep moving as much as possible
A Herniated Disc in the back mainly occurs in people with an “unstable” or inactive back or in people who strain their back incorrectly. Wear and tear of the intervertebral disc is part of the aging process and is therefore more common in 50% of cases in people over 50 years of age. Often a hernia does not cause any symptoms at all.
Common Herniated Disc symptoms
A Herniated Disc doesn’t always have to cause complaints. The most common complaint with a Herniated Disc in the back is the radiating pain in the buttocks. However, pain in the leg and sometimes even below the knee (and in the foot) also occur regularly. Loss of sensation can also be a symptom of an existing Herniated Disc (because the bulge ‘presses’ on the nerve pathway). Sometimes the skin can feel ‘deaf’ and there is a loss of strength in one or both legs. When coughing, sneezing, or squeezing, the pain usually gets worse because the pressure on the spine is increased as a result.
- Severe pain in the (lower) back
- Radiating pain in 1 or 2 legs
- Radiating pain in the back and/or buttocks
- Radiating pain up to below the knee / in the foot
- Numb feeling e.g. in the legs
- Pain increases with coughing, sneezing and squeezing
- Pain when lifting a stretched leg in a supine position
- Reduced reflexes (in e.g. calf/Achilles tendon)
- Reduced force e.g. in leg
- Reduced mobility (e.g. bending forward with extended knees)
Causes of a Herniated Disc
A Herniated disc with complaints is most common in people between 25 and 50 years of age (who have a very demanding occupation). A Herniated Disc in the back most commonly occurs for these reasons:
- Unstable back
- Incorrect loading of the back (inactivity, heavy load)
- Wear and tear of the intervertebral disc (aging process)
- Between 25 and 50 years of age (strenuous professions)
- Doing untrained heavy work
- Poor physical condition (passive)
- Presence of a hernia in the (lower) back
Treatment for a Herniated Disc
Depending on the examination, we will determine which treatment method is most effective for your Herniated Disc symptoms. Possible treatment methods are listed below:
- Dry needling
- Manual therapy
- Medical taping
- Exercise Therapy with the David Devices
- Home exercises
Exercise Therapy for a Herniated Disc
The David treatment will, among other things, be aimed at reducing muscle tension, reducing pain, giving tips/advice regarding your posture, and rebalancing (strengthening and stabilizing) your back.
- Reducing muscle tension
- Reducing pain
- Increasing mobility
- Learning the correct posture
- Increasing strength and stability in the back (Exercise Therapy)
Patient Experiences
David has treated more than a million people with back pain in more than 25 countries over the last 10 years. Read the patient experiences on our blog page.
David Spine Centers
David is the largest supplier of medical spine equipment for back pain worldwide with more than 400 intelligent installations. At these locations, certified physiotherapists are trained to guide people with herniated discs using Exercise Therapy guidelines. Visit our reference page for more information about a spine center in your own country/area.
an overview: