Having a herniated disc can cause soreness, tingling and other symptoms that impact your day-to-day activities. This problem occurs when the soft inner part of one of your spinal discs pushes through the outer area. In some cases, this can end up irritating nerves in the affected area, which can cause pain and numbness. Your risk of disc herniation increases as you get older due to wear and tear on your spinal discs. However, you can take steps now to reduce your risk of having a herniated disc. Keep the following tips in mind to prevent this spinal problem.
Keep Your Weight in a Healthy Range
Being overweight puts added pressure on your spinal discs, which can raise your risk of having a herniated disc. Maintaining a healthy body weight can help prevent this from occurring. You can do this by eating nutritious foods, avoiding unhealthy foods and getting regular exercise.
Get Physical Activity on a Regular Basis
Being physically active every day or at least a few times per week can help lower your risk of developing a herniated disc. Physical activity helps you lose excess weight and keep it off, which puts less pressure on your spinal discs. Doing exercises that make your back, abdominal, chest and pelvic muscles stronger could help reduce your risk even more. These kinds of exercises provide your spine with more support, which helps ease stress on your spinal discs.
Practice Proper Posture
The way you sit and stand can affect your risk of disc herniation. Slouching in your chair or on your feet puts more pressure on your spinal discs. This can lead to a herniated disc in your upper spine or lower spine, depending on your posture. Get into the habit of sitting or standing with your back straight rather than slumped to help relieve pressure on your spine.
Lift Carefully
When you lift heavy objects on a regular or frequent basis, your risk of disc herniation might increase due to wear and tear. Lifting the wrong way, such as leaning over to pick objects up, puts added stress on your spine. You should lift heavy objects mainly using the muscles in your legs rather than your back muscles. This helps distribute the weight of the object you’re lifting more evenly instead of putting too much pressure on your spine.
Stop Smoking
If you’re a smoker, keep in mind that smoking can decrease the amount of oxygen that reaches your spinal discs. This could lead to a faster rate of deterioration, which can raise your risk of disc herniation. Talk to your doctor about giving up smoking to prevent a herniated disc and boost your health overall.
If you need treatment for a herniated disc, please contact Huntington Orthopedics to schedule an appointment. Our orthopedists can evaluate the affected disc and create a treatment plan to provide you with relief from ongoing pain.