Since coming to the UAE, I have been inundated with clients who have been diagnosed with bulging or herniated discs. I know so many people now who have had back operations or are awaiting surgical treatment.  Yoga and Pilates are recommended for the treatment and prevention of these conditions, which in itself is not surprising. It’s the volume.  

What is a herniated disc?
Most often referred to as a slipped disc, although a disc can’t actually slip. Discs sit between vertebrae and act as shock absorbers. They are like cushions and prevent bone from rubbing against bone. As discs degenerate with age, they start to dry out and lose their flexibility, making them prone to damage. For reasons I will explain under ‘causes’, sometimes a disc is squeezed beyond the normal boundaries and is referred to as a bulging disc. With wear and tear, the weak outer shell can rupture, allowing it to bulge and sometimes releasing the nucleus. 

Symptoms

Sometimes there aren’t any; many people have bulging discs and are completely unaware of it. For some, the pain can be excruciating. There are a couple of reasons for this.  

In my experience, the first sign that there is a problem is muscle tightness or spasm. The muscles lock up to prevent you from doing any further damage. The more serious pain comes from the bulge or nucleus pressing against a nerve. 

Most discs protrude latero-posteriorly, meaning to the side and inwards if you are looking at the back. Symptoms such as numbness, pins and needles, muscle weakness and severe pain are caused by contact of the damaged disc with the nearby nerves and can cause pain not just locally, but all the way to the extremities.

For example, if the sciatic nerve is impinged, you can feel it right down to your foot. I have met people with sciatica who have been in such severe pain, they are unable to walk. 

Causes

Sometimes a relatively minor trauma or a small, sudden movement causes the disc to bulge or rupture, but in truth in most cases it was an accident waiting to happen. Over the months or even years prior to this, your back probably ached from time to time, or perhaps you experienced tingling or numbness in the arms or legs – nothing serious and manageable with a couple of days rest and perhaps some muscle relaxants. 

In my opinion, you are most at risk of a herniated disc if you have a faulty posture caused by muscle imbalances. These imbalances are caused by repetitive movement patterns (or non-movement in the case of a sedentary lifestyle) leading to poor spinal alignment which puts pressure on a part of the disc rather than the load being uniformly distributed. Add to this the natural age-related degeneration causing the break-down of a disc and you have a recipe for disaster. 
 
NEXT WEEK: Examples of how muscle imbalances can cause disc problems and ways to prevent and treat them.