How did you end up with a protruding disc in your spine?
If you have this, has anyone actually tried to explain why this may have occurred?
And more importantly, why understanding the potential cause is an important part of preventing reoccurrence?
Discs don't just herniate spontaneously, something must have happened. Either you had an accident which created a lot of pressure on your body and something had to give.... or it's happened over time through imbalance in your muscles.
Let's say you work in a shop and you sit on a till all day. You sit facing the customer and scan to your left. Everyday, hundreds of times you are scanning items to your left. Some items are heavier than others.
The scanning actions requires a small amount of rotation through your torso. The repetitive nature of this activity means you develop muscles to support your activity - in this case rotation to your left.
This can leave your torso in a slightly twisted position.
Imagine wringing out a towel. Now imagine that same twisting of your spine.
What happens to the towel? If it's wet, the water wrings out.
What happens to your spine? The spinal disc may protrude and if really unlucky, it will leak. You may also have other issues with your spinal joints as a result of the tension and twist.
There has been no heavy lifting involved in this scenario, no bending poorly, no sudden movement. This has occurred over time due to the repetitive small movements.
How do you fix it?
You may be given the option of an operation/ injection/ chiropractic adjustment
You have the operation/injection/ adjustment but your back still hurts. WHY?
Because you haven't resolved the issue with the tension in your muscles. Your muscles are still holding the tension that allows you to twist to the left easily. Your towel is still in the wringed position.
Muscles need to be rebalanced. The opposite side need to be strengthened to create the counter tension. This is why I combine soft tissue therapy with exercise. Together, you get better, longer lasting outcomes.
The same principals apply in any other part of your body. If you are doing something repetitively and you don't create or at least try to create balance, your posture will change, your movement will change and you may feel discomfort or pain.
