Your spine is made up of discs that cushion and protect the nucleus of your bones. When these fall out of alignment, it's known as a "herniated disc". This condition afflicts around 2% of the total population of the United States at some point in their lifespan, and if you fall victim, you should know there are medical treatments and physical therapies that can help.

What Causes a Herniated Disc?

A slipped spinal disc is more common in people with certain genetics and a family history of this condition. It's also more common in people over the age of 30 who were born as males. 

However, this condition can also arise due to repetitive injury or strain on the area due to physical activity or poor posture. Certain lifestyle choices, such as overeating and smoking, can also increase a person's likelihood of injuring their spine.

How Are Herniated Discs Diagnosed?

This condition is diagnosable by several tests and tools performed by professional doctors. They may take MRI, X-Ray, or CT scans of your body, which will show the slipped disc in the imaging results. In addition to these scans, doctors usually perform EMGs, which use needles to detect which nerves are impacted by the damaged spine. 

How Does Physical Therapy Help a Herniated Disc?

Since herniated discs are often caused by physical movements and positions, they're usually treated with physical therapy.  Trained therapists can teach you passive and active treatments to help your back heal over time. Passive treatments may include applying ice packs to your injury, getting professional massages, and getting specialized care from other trained professionals.

More active forms of treatment include low-impact exercises. They may recommend multiple reps of specific stretches throughout the day, moving parts of your body that have been impacted by the slipped disc.

If you're currently experiencing a herniated disc, get the physical therapy you need from The Road Home Therapy Center in Church Point, LA. This therapy clinic serves all of Lafayette and Opelousas and has a team of fully trained therapists to help you get your body back on track. They offer short- and long-term therapy and you can learn more about their rehabilitation program on their website. Call (337) 684-6318 to make an appointment.