What causes a herniated disc ?
A herniated disc is a common medical condition that appears in individuals that are no longer young, and also, that have a sedentary life.
While the medical technologies available today make the diagnosis of this condition accurate and extremely effective, allowing for an excellent treatment to be prescribed by the doctor, it still remains a painful experience that everyone wants to avoid.
Getting familiar with the primary causes that usually lead to a herniated disc is important, for it can allow you to avoid those particular activities that have higher chance of producing a herniated disc, or at least significantly reduce them. Before talking about causes is it worth reminding that even if older people are more likely to ´acquire´ this condition, young people are not completely free from risk either, even if their body can withstand accidents way better.
- A herniated disc occurring because of deterioration: Generally, a disc herniation occurs because of general wear of the spinal disc. Office jobs that require a person to constantly sit might easily cause this condition. Other activities that constantly stress the spinal cord might influence in some degree the faster apparition of a herniated disc as well, yet this might vary greatly from individual to individual.
- A herniated disc occurring because of an accident: Also, a disc herniation can occur because of the tear of the spinal disc. Jobs that involve lifting objects can cause a herniated disc with a higher frequency than other occupations. Obviously, people that have recently experienced a bad fall or any other trauma in the back might have solid reasons to suspect that they have a herniated disc, if there is constant pain in the back area, either in the superior or lower part of the spinal cord. Individuals that constantly experience back pain, should consider their symptom as a possible indicator of general deterioration of their spinal disc. They should try to avoid any activities that may result in them having a traumatic event which can easily lead to disc herniation. Depending on the level of wear, a traumatic event can be anything from bending and picking an object from the floor to injury that might appear after a fall.
- Another disadvantage of smoking: A major factor that can increase the chance of suffering from a herniated disc is smoking. This is because the chemicals within smoke drastically affect the nutrition of the spinal discs. When this happens, the deterioration process of the spinal discs enjoys a greater speed.
- The genetic component: There is also a genetic component that helps causing a herniated disc. Even if it does not exercise such a strong influence on the overall rapidity with which the deterioration of the spinal discs occurs, as other factors, it is still present. Through genetic inheritance the structure of these discs can be much more fragile for some people. It is not really clear, if for example, a father that suffered from this condition before he had a child will mean that the child will be more prone to it or that he or she can be more vulnerable at ´acquiring´ the condition than someone else.
- An easy way to ease the pressure on the spinal discs: When lying down or sitting straight the internal pressure of the spinal cord is equalized, so those that already experience a deterioration of their spinal discs should consider lying in bed or walking around for a few minutes between their tasks, in order to prevent a herniated disc. Doing these activities constantly, at certain intervals is extremely effective in preventing this condition. In general, older people that have had a job that involved carrying or lifting objects constantly, or that have in general done or worked in a field that required a lot of physical resources, will have higher chances of developing a herniated disc. Getting finally some rest and avoiding all the activities that stress the body is highly advisable, as it can prevent a lot of trouble.
- Speeding too much time at the gym is not advised: Even if the deterioration of spinal discs, the main cause that leads to a herniated disc, is more pronounced in older people, young individuals are not free to stress their bodies either. This is especially the case with those that often go to the gym and that hope to achieve fast and impressive results by spending many hours each day lifting weights. The body will not necessarily develop faster if it is permanently stressed, quite on the contrary. For maximum results, a shorter, better organized training schedule is recommended.
In the end, the cause of a herniated disc, besides the physical stress that can accentuate it, depends on the overall activities of an individual, those that he constantly does and did during his life. Trying to finally avoid them now is indicated as it will guarantee that the individual´s health will remain in a good condition.
Activities that stress the spinal cord and falls are the main factors that can bring a herniated disc, therefore they should be avoided.
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