In recent years, the appearance of herniated discs has increased dramatically in young patients from 17 to 35 years of age. The most common area in which they appear is in the lumbar region, where once the nucleus pulposus comes out of the intervertebral disc, it generates pain when it has contact with nerves and tissues. It can also compress the nerve roots and this produces sciatica.
For young people, who carry heavy things for their daily activities, work long with poor posture or sitting, and who do not exercise or eat a healthy diet, it is recommended that they begin an exercise program to strengthen their back and the use of orthopedic tools such as Cordus and Sacrus to relax the deepest muscles of the back and avoid the contractures that are the origin of herniated discs and many other conditions that cause back pain.
For patients with a herniated disc, weight loss is recommended to prevent the spine from supporting too much pressure and to allow postural hygiene and strengthening of the back.
Something more serious can happen, the intervertebral disc becomes overloaded and the fibrous ring breaks. If the ring breaks, the nucleus pulposus comes out, causing pain and other discomfort. This may be the consequence of a traumatic accident, a fall from the chin, or a continuous overload.
Patients with herniated discs in the lower back report having pain or tingling in the lower back, which extends to the gluteal area and descends to the leg in the back, reaches the heel and even the toes, to the degree of not being able to walk or move easily.
They can also present a problem called intermittent claudication, this is when the patient walks well for a while and then has severe pain that limits him or prevents him from continuing to walk. This noble pain allows running, taking long steps, the person also has tingling, cramping and decreased strength in one or both legs.
In the event that the patient is NOT treated, the herniated disc may be left with a permanent functional disability. However, the vast majority of herniated disc cases can be relieved by surgical intervention, only 4% of cases are so severe as to require surgery. Patients are encouraged to exercise to strengthen the muscles and to use CORDUS SACRUS devices, which are non-invasive and have the advantage that the patient can apply them himself from the comfort of his home.
When there is a disc protrusion, patients are asked to be extremely disciplined with the doctor’s recommendations, maintain good posture for the spine, avoid heavy loads so that the disc does not break.
When the fibrous ring has ruptured, surgery is practically inevitable since there is no way to regenerate the disc naturally. For this reason herniated discs should be treated in time before it is too late.
