Herniated Disc Pain
Living with herniated disc pain can be a nightmare. One herniated disc sufferer described it like this: “I suffered in agony for eight months. My pain was never less than a seven, but it often ranged between nine or 10.”
Another individual described what it was like dealing with herniated disc pain before having it diagnosed, “I had no clue what was wrong, and for the life of me I could not understand why I was in so much pain.
It hurt from my hip to my foot. I got to the point where I was spending most my life lying in bed.”If you are currently dealing with pain related to a herniated disc, you likely empathize or relate to the aforementioned experiences. A herniated disc causes severe pain for two primary reasons:
- They Pinch Nerves
- The Disc Generates Pain
Pinched Nerve Pain
With a symptomatic herniated disc, it’s not the disc that causes the pain, but instead, it is the effect that the liquid leaking out of the disc has on a nearby nerve. This produces radicular pain. Thus, the pain radiates from the irritated nerve to other parts of the body. In most cases, the pain will radiate from the lower back down the leg, or it will radiate from the neck down the arm.
With a degenerated disc, lower back pain is caused by the disc itself. This pain is called axial pain.
The Emotional Toll of Herniated Disc Pain
Herniated disc pain can put a lot of stress on your mind and your body. The chronic pain and lack of mobility can lead to worry and anxiety. Ironically, your increased anxiety may cause you more physical pain. This cycle continues until you find a way to treat the underlying pain.
Most people do not have just one episode of disc related pain. Instead, it is a chronic pain that repeats itself over the course of the sufferer’s life. Medical professionals have long understood that chronic pain affects the mind as much, if not more, than the body. Regardless of the location of the pain, it can create a negative psychological state.
Many herniated disc pain sufferers feel that they cannot contend with the pressures of everyday life, such as relationships and secular aspirations, while at the same time dealing with chronic pain. It is very common for herniated disc pain sufferers lose their jobs. They may lose their relationships, and friends may scatter once they realize that the person’s herniated disc pain is not going away.
Herniated disc pain can cause you to have a fear of mobility. You become afraid that every movement is going to increase your pain, and so you may respond by becoming listless. But this creates more problems because your body is designed not to sit idly.
Herniated disc pain can lead to insomnia. And that has untold effects on your mind and your emotions. So it’s clear to see that herniated disc pain does not only affect your body, but it can have a horrific effect on your mind.
Causes of Herniated Disc
When a person is sitting in agony dealing with the pain of a herniated disc, they may ask themselves, how did this happen to me? There are a lot of reasons for your herniated disc. The most common reason is the gradual deterioration of your disc as you age. Your discs serve as shock absorbers. When you move, when you jump, and even when you step, they help to control the force that the ground exerts on your body. As you get older, your spinal discs will lose some of their water content. They are less flexible, and they are more likely to rupture or twist.
Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to pinpoint the moment when you herniated your disc. It could have been when you tried to lift a heavy object. Or it could have been that you lifted a heavy object and you twisted or turned. In rare occurrences, a herniated disc results from falling or getting struck in the back.
Additional Risk Factors
Everyone can develop a herniated disc. You may have some additional risk factors making you more susceptible to a herniated disc. Some of these risk factors include:
- Weight. When you’re overweight, you put extra stress on the discs in your lower back.
- Job. If your job is physically demanding, especially if it requires you to repetitive tilting, pushing, bending, or twisting, you’re at higher risk for a herniated disc.
- Genetics. Herniated discs run in the family. If your parents had them, it is likely you will have them as well.
How We Help Herniated Disc Pain Sufferers
If you have been battling with herniated disc related pain for some time, it’s likely that you feel that you are not the same person today that you were before the pain began. We understand how frustrated, sad, and confused you may feel.
When you come into our clinic for your initial consultation, we take the time to listen to you talk. We want to hear about the journey you have traveled dealing with herniated disc pain. Once we understand the pain you are experiencing, we can work with you to create a unique, individualized pain management treatment system.
We are not interested in a one size fits all style of treatment. Our treatment is uniquely designed to meet your needs and to help you with your problems. And we want to use our expertise.
We want to provide you with short-term relief and the long-term relief. During the initial consultation, we are going to lay out for you a proposed plan to treat your herniated disc pain. We will walk you through every step of the procedure. We will tell you what to expect along the way and what will be required on your part in order to make this treatment a success.
Herniated disc pain has taken enough of your life from you. Don’t let it steal another moment.