Causes of a herniated disc

introduction

In the case of a herniated disc, one or more intervertebral discs move out of their physiological position due to the action of force and slide towards the spinal cord, which they ultimately compress. This causes severe pain, up to paralysis and complete loss of function.

Read about the typical Herniated disc pain

The most common causes at a glance

• age-related wear
• Bad posture
• Hard physical work
• Sedentary lifestyle

Age-related wear

With increasing age, not only does the flexibility and elasticity of the intervertebral discs decrease - years of physical stress often also lead to impaired water retention in the intervertebral disc.
As a result of these signs of wear and tear, the intervertebral disc is no longer as hard-wearing, adaptable and robust as it was when it was young.
This increases the risk that the fiber ring of the intervertebral disc will tear.

Hard physical work

In the long run, physical work places a high strain on the vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
Heavy lifting or carrying in particular places a great deal of load on the intervertebral discs, which compresses them.

When doing heavy physical work, it is therefore particularly important to focus on a healthy posture. If possible, you should adjust the loads to your own body weight and physical condition. Regular breaks should be observed.

Sedentary lifestyle

Regular exercise and sporting activity supply the ligaments with water and nutrients.
Nowadays, however, we are less and less inclined to exercise.
Location Working hours in the office hardly leave any time to do sport on a regular basis alongside work and other leisure activities.
This lack of movement promotes the development of a herniated disc enormously.

If you move too little, the supply of the intervertebral discs is too short and the risk of a herniated disc increases significantly.

Incorrect stress in everyday life

An important factor that our digital age brings with it is the increasing use of PCs, cell phones, and tablets.
If you observe yourself using the keyboard or your mobile phone, you will quickly find that your head is always bent downwards - an agony for our spine, especially the cervical spine.
Of course, not all cell phone users suffer a herniated disc after five years of intensive cell phone use, but cell phones and PCs are definitely risk factors at work.

A herniated disc can not only be triggered by using cell phones or working long hours at the PC. The general attitude in everyday life is also a factor that plays a role. Make sure you stand straight, don't let your shoulders sag, or arch your back permanently.

Stress factor

A herniated disc can result stress be favored, being stress one accelerating factor is, however, not the immediate cause. Stress makes you hectic, and hectic makes you pay less attention to your own body. Be like that Pain Maybe ignored at first and maybe even turned off with painkillers A herniated disc has different degrees of severity. While in the early stages stabbing pains determine the model, it occurs in severe forms Signs of paralysis With Nerve root irritation and -damage. In a job where you have to endure a lot of stress, you tend to attribute the stabbing pain to a bad night or to being “embarrassed”. If you have stress at work, you also tend not to touch yourself Movement patterns that are gentle on the spine such as ergonomic sitting in the workplace. This is where most of the problems arise that make up the long-term consequences of a herniated disc. The cervical spine in particular is then prone to a herniated disc. People with very demanding jobs are therefore advised to shift down a gear from time to time and pay attention to the signals from the body. In summary, however, the reduction of Stressors not to prevent a herniated disc. Much more has to be done in the time saved training be strengthened, attention to ergonomic sitting in the workplace and heavy physical work avoided. This is the only way to effectively prevent a herniated disc.

Appointment with a specialist for a herniated disc?

I would be happy to advise you!

Who am I?
My name is dr. Nicolas Gumpert. I am a specialist in orthopedics and the founder of .
Various television programs and print media report regularly about my work. On HR television you can see me every 6 weeks live on "Hallo Hessen".
But now enough is indicated ;-)

A herniated disc is difficult to treat. On the one hand it is exposed to high mechanical loads, on the other hand it has great mobility.

Therefore, treating a herniated disc requires a lot of experience.
The aim of any treatment is treatment without surgery.

Which therapy achieves the best results in the long term can only be determined after looking at all of the information (Examination, X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, etc.) be assessed.

You can find me in:

• Lumedis - your orthopedic surgeon
  Kaiserstrasse 14
  60311 Frankfurt am Main

Directly to the online appointment arrangement
Unfortunately, it is currently only possible to make an appointment with private health insurers. I hope for your understanding!
Further information about myself can be found at Dr. Nicolas Gumpert

Psyche factor

Back pain can creep in over the years and subconsciously burden the patient more and more. What with a slight pull in the Cervical spine started developing into one over the years chronic pain in the neck region, and then spreads to the thoracic spine (thoracic spine). Once the pain has manifested, it is very difficult to get rid of it. In such situations, however, it is always important psychological factors to be clarified with. In this way, the psyche can definitely be “fooled”, as the saying goes. A depressive mood, or manifest depression can make itself felt in many ways. Some patients then suffer from abdominal pain and indigestion, while others suffer from constant headache. But psychological effects on the back are also very common. Unfortunately, no “build-up injection” or surgery can help against psychological problems. Especially if patients have been plagued by back pain for years, it is important to have a multidisciplinary competence team out Orthopedist, psychologist, and psychotherapist put together. Especially when none in imaging degenerative A change in the intervertebral disc can be seen and there is still severe pain, a psychological process should also be considered. However, psychological and psychosomatic problems such as depression are far less tangible than a herniated disc. Often there is also a lack of understanding among relatives or friends. Unfortunately, this attitude persists over the years and is probably due to the fact that the patient appears outwardly healthy. The psyche cannot be assessed so quickly from the outside. However, this attitude has been subject to major changes for several years, so that health insurance companies and doctors are increasingly also considering psychological events. If psychological problems affect the body, one speaks of one psychosomatic process. An emotional problem becomes a physical one. This is not about abnormal sensations, but demonstrably biological and physical processes that occur in brain and Nervous system occur.

depressions, Stress, and dissatisfaction can grow successively manifest in the back and look like a herniated disc. For the treatment of psychological problems is therefore not only the Orthopedistbut also a psychologist and a Physiotherapist asked. Psychosomatic complaints can usually only be overcome by long-term Long-term therapy eliminate and represent a serious disease.

Why are the cervical spine (cervical spine) and lumbar spine (lumbar spine) particularly affected?

Herniated discs show a statistical accumulation in the lumbar region (lumbar spine) and in the neck region (cervical spine). The distribution between the lumbar spine, cervical spine, cervical spine and thoracic spine (thoracic spine) is 100 to 10 to 1. In terms of a herniated disc in the thoracic spine, statistically 100 comes in the lumbar spine. The strong accumulation in the lumbar spine can primarily be explained by the fact that it bears the greatest weight. No other vertebral body segment is exposed to such high forces as that of the lumbar spine. The weight of the entire upper extremity, as well as the trunk and head, rests on it. For this reason, the vertebral bodies of the lumbar spine are particularly solid. To illustrate, while a vertebral body of the lumbar spine is nearly the size of a fist, the vertebral bodies of the cervical spine are toy car-sized. This already causes another problem of the spine: The fragile vertebral bodies of the cervical spine are not particularly stable and have to be constructed as filigree as possible so that we can maintain the range of motion in the neck / neck area. If you consider that the human skull including the brain weighs around 3-5 kilos, but the intervertebral discs in this area are no larger than a € 2 piece, you understand why the cervical spine is also often affected by herniated discs.

prophylaxis

Regular physical activity is very important for the body and, if done correctly, strengthens the lumbar spine, cervical spine and the entire rest of the back.
The muscular stabilization of the back is the best prophylaxis against a herniated disc there is:
Sports such as swimming, climbing, or targeted training in the gym are suitable for this.
Continuous training over the years is important. Membership in a sports club or a sports group is a good way of doing this.

However, herniated discs can also be counteracted with small lifestyle changes.
For example, an upright gait is healthier than a "crooked hump" and shoulders sagging:

Watch yourself in front of the mirror and analyze your posture.
Do you tend to let your shoulders and arms hang forward?
Is the back straight or bent over?
Take an upright, straight position in front of the mirror and try to hold it permanently. Even if it feels unfamiliar at first, it has positive effects on the back in the long run.

Especially if you sit for long periods at work, you can make sure to change your position regularly. If you can, take short breaks at continuous intervals to get up and shift your weight.
In this way, constant stress on the same areas can be avoided.

What exactly happens in a herniated disc?

The intervertebral disc consists of a solid ring of cartilage, in the middle of which lies a water-rich core that acts as a shock absorber like a water cushion. It also distributes the heavy load that lies on it evenly across the entire intervertebral disc. If it comes to high loads, the water core is compressed and loses its water content. As a result, it shrinks.
We can understand this quite impressively if we measure our body size once while standing and once after lying down for 5 minutes. We are a good 1-2 cm taller when lying down, as there is no weight on the intervertebral discs.
If there is now permanent incorrect loading of individual intervertebral discs, then the force automatically increases and the water core can no longer regenerate.

In addition, the water core evades the load in the direction of the least resistance, so that the entire intervertebral disc shifts. This is known to us as a herniated disc. As you can see, this is a mechanical event that is based on physical processes.
A psychological cause is therefore relatively unlikely as a primary event. However, stress and the psyche can further promote a herniated disc.

Please also read the article: Treatment of a herniated disc