5 Signs Your Back Pain Might Be a Disc Problem (And Not Just a Bad Night’s Sleep
Another 4-day week ending with some sunshine and a Champions League final last night. My son Kit is a huge PSG fan, so he was very pleased with the result.
We are STILL awaiting the birth of baby Andrews at home. Charlotte has been and continues to be incredible.
Fingers crossed for any day now.
I have been busy writing my third book “The Secret Cure To Knee Pain”?stay tuned. I will be giving away a handful of free copies once it is published.
If you have had a disc problem or know someone with a disc issue, then you know it is not fun. It can be incredibly debilitating and can consume your life for a long time while it heals.
The key is to not let it get so bad that it begins to do this. Let me explain to you some of the warning signs you need to look out for.
Pain Shoots Down One Leg or both legs
Radiating pain, also known as sciatica, is a classic sign that a spinal disc may be pressing on a nerve. Sciatic pain is painful and can be caused by the piriformis pressing on the nerve or a disc. It is most commonly the latter; it is rare to have a true piriformis syndrome.
The piriformis is a muscle that turns the hip out and connects the pelvis to the hip, the sciatic nerve runs through it.
Getting pain in the legs that is shooting and you are feeling it mainly at the back of your leg or buttock can indicate disc involvement. If this is true for you then I would advise you to stop any heavy lifting, avoid sitting, don’t cough or sneeze (hay fever season) in a bent over position.
And most importantly get checked out by a Chiropractor.
You Feel Numbness, Tingling, or Weakness
These symptoms can indicate disc involvement as it presses on the nerve, usually the sciatic nerve again.
If it is the sciatic nerve the symptoms are usually in the buttock and down the BACK of the leg. If it is L4 then usually the front of the leg. L4 is the femoral nerve and is higher up the spine.
Numbness could be a sign of poor circulation or diabetes, so it is important to rule those out. But if you are getting random numbness in your legs after sitting or walking then I would advise getting checked out.
Weakness is a concern, if you are struggling to lift your legs or get up the stairs then it is worth noting. One of the other signs to watch out for is if you are scuffing your big toe on the floor. This can be the start of foot drop and means the disc can be involved. Best to get this one checked much sooner rather than later to prevent permanent damage to the nerve.
The Pain Gets Worse When You Sit, Cough, or Bend Forward
These positions increase pressure on spinal discs and can worsen symptoms if a disc is injured. The reason is that when you flex your spine forwards it pushes the central part of the disc (jam doughnut section) toward the back of the disc where the injury is and then exacerbates the prolapse. This is where the “jam” pushes through the “dough” and can touch the nerve.
If you then cough or even worse sneeze it increases the intra-abdominal pressure and puts more stress on the disc.
If you have the symptoms above in your legs, then definitely DO NOT bend forwards and sneeze. Try and do it standing upright and keep your stomach tense and squeeze your glutes.
You’ve Had Recurring Back Pain That Comes and Goes
Disc problems often flare up over time rather than appearing after a single bad night’s sleep.
Generally, a disc problem will get worse over time which is why it’s important to get to the root of it early.
If you wake up one morning in severe pain and bent over to the side, this could be due to a niggling disc that has been there for a while and the body can’t sustain the pressure any longer. The bent over posture is because your body is taking stress off the disc.
If you have had aches and pains in your back for over 3 months, then it could be a disc problem. DO NOT ignore it.
Ibuprofen/Paracetamol Pain Relief Isn’t Helping Much
When standard painkillers and rest don’t ease your back pain, it may be a sign of a deeper issue like a disc injury.
I hear this all too often; “I’m dosed up to the eyeballs, I feel like I’m rattling as I have taken so many painkillers, but nothing is working”.
This can be since the disc is so inflamed and pressure on the nerve meaning the painkillers cannot impact enough of the inflammation to make a difference. This is where patients request stronger painkillers like Naproxen or nerve drugs such as Gabapentin or Amitriptyline. This can have harsh side effects on the rest of the body and it is important to not take these for too long.
If the over the counter medications don’t work it is time to look at finding the root cause of the problem rather than masking it with stronger drugs.
If you are wanting to chat more about the information above then why not book a call with me and we can go into more detail? Click here to book or if you want to get an assessment then Book a consultation with a Chiropractor here
If you do know someone who wants more advice, please send them our details. You can send them this assessment as well to diagnose their back pain. It is a great tool to understand where your back pain is coming from, it is free and takes 60 seconds. Click here for assessment
