Pain-Free Disc Issues

Disc herniation, bulge and degeneration are very common issues that people live with and these diagnoses are often linked with back pain and/or sciatica.

The truth is that having these issues is unrelated to being in pain.

What?! But if I have low back pain, and an L4/L5 disc herniation, then obviously I’m in pain because of that disc herniation right?....Wrong. Living with disc issues and being pain free is possible if you follow these steps.

Step One:

Find the cause of your pain.

The disc issue itself is not the cause of your pain. An action or activity you do causes the pain. Find out what makes a good day versus a bad day. Pain triggers might include a movement that you do for your job, picking up your kids, or stress.

Step Two:

Fix your pain trigger.

 If it’s a movement that causes your pain than you’ll have to do some strengthening of certain muscles, as well as some movement practice to make sure the way you do these movements is correct. This might mean hiring a physiotherapist or a personal trainer to teach you one on one how to lift properly. Here's a link to a video demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oBD-zLlBiw

Step Three:

Train your brain.

Once you’re moving correctly and strengthening your muscles you have to train your brain to understand that pain does not mean you're making it worse. For a time, you’ll have to do movements (for example hip hinges to strengthen glutes) even though they cause pain. The worse thing you can do is stop moving.

When in doubt, go for a brisk walk. Allow your arms to swing back and forth naturally, and focus on a steady and symmetrical heel-toe gait.

Email me if you need help with this at info@keylifestylesolutions.com