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Herniated Disc

What is a Herniated Disc?

To understand what a herniated disc is, we fitst need to discuss what is a disc.

What is a Disc?

Discs are the shock-absorbing rings of fibrocartilage that separate the bony vertebral bodies while allowing movement at each spinal level and enough room for the major spinal nerves to exit from the spinal canal and travel to the limbs. Discs are firmly attached to the vertebrae (bones), above and below.

The intervertebral disc looks a bit like a draughts/checkers piece in shape. The ring around the outside is tough and fibrous, and the centre is rather more like the consistency of a thick gel.

Despite what most people will tell you, they can't 'slip' out of place. Instead spinal discs wear down with age (spondylosis), but most disc problems arise from traumatic injuries.

Disc injuries can occur with accumulated trauma such as lifting for many years. Or, they can bulge (prolapse), herniate or even rupture following a freakish once-off incident.

How Do You Injure a Disc?

The pressures within the discs can reach high levels when we bend or twist, even without carrying a heavy load. Carrying a heavy load, especially held out at arms' length, the pressures rise even higher.

If one part of the fibrous outer ring of the disc is rather weaker than the adjacent areas, the softer centre (nucleus pulposus) may push its way through, bulging outwards. If this bulge presses against a nerve, which is running from the spinal cord to one of the legs, it causes symptoms in that leg.

Sciatica occurs when the herniated disc presses against the nerves. When squashed between the disc and an adjacent bone, the nerve is more likely to cause problems, due to a lack of space for swelling.

You can also cause disc injuries from repeated microtrauma from vibration or impact forces. For example, runners, bobcat or racing drivers are vulnerable to disc injuries.

Disc Herniation or Injury Treatment

A disc injury definitely requires professional treatment. In addition to providing pain relief, your physiotherapist will educate you what to avoid while providing hands-on techniques such as mobilisation, manipulation and traction techniques to optimally guide scar tissue healing patterns.

You physiotherapist will also prescribe numerous exercises to help prevent a future recurrence of back pain.

Unfortunately, 80% of back pain cases will have a reinjury within 12 months. Luckily, modern research has discovered that with some specific stabilisation exercises prescribed by your physio, the chances of re-injury have been slashed to only a 30% chance.

Occassionally, surgery is considered for disc injuries when you have significant leg pain, diminished reflexes, muscle weakness, reduced sensation or inability to control your bladder or bowel.

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