Causes of herniated disc in office workers

According to Erik Waardenburg, a Chiropractic specialist at ACC Clinic, many people think that disc herniation is a condition that only occurs in the elderly, when the skeletal system begins to age. However, in reality, the disease is becoming increasingly younger and more common in office workers.

Herniated disc is a condition in which the outer fibrous layer of the disc is torn or ruptured, creating holes that allow the nucleus pulposus to escape and enter the spinal canal, compressing the nerves. Any part of the spine can be herniated, however, the most common is the cervical and lumbar spine discs, which are often affected by daily living habits.

Sitting for long periods of time and lack of exercise can cause the spine to weaken.

Due to the nature of her job as an office worker, Ms. Nguyen Dung, 24 years old, HCMC, usually sits and works for an average of 8 to 10 hours a day. After a while, she began to feel some transient pain in her lower back.

However, she thought this was normal and would heal on its own. It was only when the sharp pain was unbearable, even spreading to her legs, causing her to lose sleep, that Dung went to see a doctor. She was surprised when she was diagnosed with L4, L5 disc herniation, contrary to the old concept that the disease only occurred after severe trauma or only in the elderly.

Causes and symptoms of herniated disc

According to Dr. Erik Waardenburg, one of the common causes of disc herniation in office workers is the habit of sitting a lot and lack of exercise. People need to walk, exercise, run and jump, sitting in one place, looking at a computer screen for a long time, makes the spine weaker, more vulnerable, and puts a lot of pressure on the vertebrae.

One of the first symptoms of a herniated disc is persistent pain that can occur in the neck, shoulders, or lower back. The pain then worsens, starting with a feeling of pain spreading from the neck down to the arms, or from the back down to the hips and both legs. This is a sign of nerve compression. If this condition persists for a long time, the nerve will gradually lose its original function, causing the patient's limbs to feel weak and unable to move as flexibly as before, which can gradually lead to complications of loss of motor nerve function in the compressed area.

Dr. Erik Waardenburg examines a patient's spine.

If the patient receives treatment and intervention as soon as the pain first appears, the recovery time will be quick. On the contrary, if left for a long time, the diagnosis will be late, then the disc will begin to herniate, making recovery difficult, the doctor can only help improve the condition.

Therefore, if diagnosed early when the pain symptoms have just appeared, it will be easy to treat and recover. The longer it is left, the more damaged the functions will be, and the patient may have to live with the disease for the rest of his life.

Reduce the fear of herniated disc without medication or surgery

Many patients often hesitate when choosing a treatment method for herniated discs, because they are afraid of possible side effects or unpredictable complications and risks. With the treatment principle based on the body's natural recovery, Chiropractic is a popular method in developed countries such as the US, Australia, Germany, Singapore, etc. Through X-rays or MRIs of patients, therapists can determine the degree of spinal misalignment, use gentle manipulation to return the disc to the correct position, reducing nerve compression.

At the same time, to speed up the treatment process, the doctor can also prescribe a combination of spinal manipulation and other physical therapy - rehabilitation methods such as: DTS spinal decompression traction, high intensity laser irradiation, motor rehabilitation exercises with a program designed specifically for each patient to recover, improve the function of the muscle tissue areas around the compressed disc, helping patients reduce pain, recover naturally without the need for medication or surgery.