Herniated discs are a relatively common cause of pain, especially in the lower back or neck where the spine is especially mobile. In addition to nagging back or neck pain, herniated discs can cause uncomfortable symptoms extending to your legs, arms, and other parts of your body, too.
With locations in Spring, Houston, Baytown, Willis, and The Woodlands, Texas, Superior Pain Relief is a leading provider of herniated disc treatments, focusing on patient-centered care for optimal relief. In this post, Zaid Malik, MD, and his team help you understand how controlled exercise helps relieve herniated disc pain and may even prevent it from recurring.
Before delving into the benefits of controlled exercise for herniated discs, it’s important to understand how disc herniation happens. Typically, the spongy discs in your spine are confined to the spaces between each pair of vertebrae. Sometimes, though, a disc slips out of place, and an edge of the disc extends beyond the edges of the bones.
In these instances, the disc gets compressed or pinched by the spinal bones, causing a disc herniation. Inflammation in the area presses on nerves as they exit your spine, causing pain, numbness, and other symptoms around the disc and anywhere along the nerve path — legs, arms, and elsewhere in your body.
A fall or other accident where the spine is jolted enough to displace a disc can cause disc herniation. But many people develop herniated discs as a consequence of aging and years of wear-and-tear on the spine. Physically demanding jobs, a sedentary lifestyle, and being overweight increase your risks of developing a herniated disc.
While disc herniation may be common, you shouldn’t ignore it. Without treatment, a herniated disc can quickly become worse, even leading to permanent nerve damage. Fortunately, most herniated discs respond well to noninvasive treatments, including controlled exercise.
Controlled exercise simply refers to exercise that focuses on a specific area or on specific functions. Instead of simply performing exercise for the sake of being active, controlled exercise employs activities designed to improve strength and flexibility in certain areas of your body, enhance physical function, and even prevent future injuries.
For herniated discs, controlled exercise typically focuses on activities to strengthen your back muscles, helping your spine stay in proper alignment. Certain exercises help your spine stay flexible so twisting and other movements are less likely to pull a disc out of its normal position.
Our team tailors every exercise and physical therapy program based on the individual patient’s needs and lifestyle. Your exercise plan helps relieve inflammation and pain, promote healing, and support movements necessary for your regular lifestyle activities, including the demands of your job, with the end goal of helping you feel better and get back to your regular routine.
Herniated discs can cause significant discomfort, even making it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Our custom approach to herniated disc treatment helps relieve your pain while improving mobility and preventing symptoms from recurring.
To learn how we can help you, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Malik and the team at Superior Pain Relief today.
