Are you suffering from a herniated disc and looking for ways to sit comfortably for a long time without any pain. If yes, then we will provide you with complete guidance about it.
As you may know, that herniated disc continuously induces pain in the body. However, this pain becomes unbearable when you sit on a chair slouched downward on the work table. As it exerts pressure on your damaged disc.
So, you can follow some sitting postures to minimize the stress on the herniated disc.
In this article, we will tell you how to know if you have a herniated disc and how you can prevent it from worsening. So, let’s get into it right away!
Causes Of Herniated Disc While Sitting
A herniated disc can cause severe pain. The most common cause of the herniation of your discs is aging. As you age, your discs will become thin and less flexible. This condition is generally called disc degeneration. This increases the chance of the disc getting ruptured due to pressure or sudden shock.
Sometimes, using your back muscles instead of leg muscles to pull or push heavy loads can cause damage to the discs. In rare cases, severe shock, blow, or fall have caused the disc to rupture.
There are some other causes that, although they don’t directly cause rupture or herniation of your discs. However, they can increase the chance of your disc getting ruptured.
Following are some risk factors that you should be aware of:
Weight
As you know, weight causes stress on discs. So if the weight of your body is above average according to your height. Then, this will exert extra pressure on your disc while working or sitting. As a result, it will increase the chance of discs getting ruptured.
Profession
Many occupations or jobs increase your chance of getting a herniated disc. If your work is physically demanding, like lifting, working in tight places, or other strenuous work. Then the chances of your discs getting ruptured will increase.
Genetics
Like all other diseases, the problem of a herniated disc can also be inherited from parents. Different studies concluded that a person’s immediate relative, like mother, father, or child, suffers from a herniated disc. Then his/her chance of getting herniated disc also increases.
Smoking
Smoking generally harms the whole body. Different studies showed that smoking decreases the supply of oxygen to the discs. This results in rapid degeneration of discs which makes discs in your body rigid and thin. This increases the chance of their rupture due to stress.
Symptoms Of Herniated Disc
A herniated disc usually refers to a ruptured, slipped, or bulged disc, which presses on nerves. Symptoms of a herniated disc may vary from person to person. However, these symptoms depend on which nerve gets more stressed. Sometimes disc is ruptured from the opposite side of the nerve canal. So it doesn’t put pressure on the nerve canal, and the patient feels no pain.
Following are some symptoms of the herniated disc that you should look out for:
- It causes severe pain in the lower body parts like the feet, legs, and buttocks.
- Herniated disc causes pain and numbness that usually extend to one side of the body.
- In severe cases, a herniated disc can cause numbness in your feet, hands, arms, and legs.
- Muscle weakness, as the ruptured disc, disturbs the neural system, which slows the reflexes.
- A herniated disc causes a sensation of severe pain during bending or straightening your back.
If you have one or all of these symptoms, then you should visit the doctor as soon as possible. As you know, a ruptured or herniated disc disturbs nerves, which can cause severe problems for you. There are some cases in which herniated disc doesn’t cause any kind of pain. At the same time, not every pain is caused by herniation of the disc.
Best Sitting Position For Herniated Disc
As you may know, sitting exerts pressure on the backbone. Which causes more cellular material to squeeze out of the ruptured site and protrude deep into your nerve canal. This will cause severe pain. However, you can decrease the amount of pressure exerted on a herniated disc by sitting in a particular position. There are few things you have to keep in mind while sitting on a chair.
1- Proper Sitting Alignment
Sitting in the wrong or improper postures can increase the amount of stress on the already ruptured disc. Which may widen the rupture and make the situation more complex for you. So to avoid this, keep your body in correct alignment while sitting.
2- Keep Your Back Flat
Always keep your back flat against the backrest of the chair while sitting at home or office. Doing this will not only provide support but also help bear your weight while sitting. This will decrease the pressure on your backbone to a certain extent.
3- Keep Elbows In Level
Always keep your elbows at the correct level with your working desk. Doing this while working will help correct the alignment of your hands, shoulders, and wrist. This will decrease the pressure exerted on the backbone due to misalignment of the body.
4- Keep Your Hips In Level
Never hang your legs, as it will exert a massive amount of pressure on the herniated disc and make the condition worse. Especially when you have to sit for a long time. Always rest your feet on a raised platform to keep the level of your hops balanced.
You can follow these instructions while sitting on any chair with a solid backrest. This will decrease the overall pressure or stress exerted on your herniated disc. You may never sit for a long time with herniated discs and take regular breaks.
Best Home Treatments For Herniated Disc
Although we recommend that you visit the doctor if you are in extreme pain. However, if you are facing slight discomfort. Then, you can follow natural ways to treat your herniated disc quickly. These natural remedies and treatments are proved, and they don’t have any side effects. So, here are some ways to soothe your herniated disc.
a) Applying Heat And Cold
Cold is best known for its anti-inflammatory effect. The cold will decrease the temperature of local tissues and reduce inflammation, which will decrease pain. You can use ice to cool herniated discs. While heat loses the tight muscles, it increases the blood flow and elasticity of muscles. So, you can use a heat pack or take a warm bath to loosen your stiff disc.
b) Low-Level Physical Activity
Although challenging physical activity will exert pressure on the ruptured disc and complicate the situation. However, low-level physical activity, like walk or swimming that exerts minimum pressure on the backbone. This will help increase blood circulation and increase the speed of the healing process.
c) Correct Sleeping Position
Your sleeping position can have a significant impact on how fast your ruptured disc heals. The correct position for sleeping during disc injury is lying on one side with a pillow between your knees. Your back should also remain straight and hips in a balanced position. This will help you get better quickly.
d) Myofascial Release Therapy
This therapy is most commonly known as foam-rolling. The main idea behind this therapy is to exert light stress on trigger points along the lumber area. This will reduce the tightness in your muscles and help in the quick recovery of a herniated disc.
On average, a herniated disc may take up to 6 weeks to heal fully, but this time frame is not fixed. Some may take more time to heal. You should also keep in mind that all exercises don’t work equally good for everybody. So you should check all of them and decide which one is best for you. For this purpose, you can also ask your doctor to recommend some exercises.
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Preventive Measures For Herniated Disc
The discs can get ruptured if not careful, which can keep you in constant pain for many weeks. You can avoid this by simply making minor changes in your daily routine and habits. This is a little sacrifice you have to make to live healthily.
Flowing are some preventive measures you can take to reduce the chances of a herniated disc.
- Quit smoking.
- Keep a healthy body weight.
- Avoid wearing high-heeled shoes.
- Exercise regularly to keep muscles strong.
- Use proper lifting techniques while lifting heavyweight.
Although these tips may look non-significant, actually they are very effective. They have been tried and tested and are backed up by scientific research. Many people reported having lessened the risk of rupturing their discs by making slight changes to their habits and lifestyle.
Conclusion
You may have noticed that minimal changes in daily routine can significantly impact a herniated disc. The key to avoiding herniated disc is to have light exercise daily and use proper technique and posture while lifting heavyweights.
We hope this article provides you with the information you need to minimize the pain while sitting with a herniated disc.
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