How to pop a disc back in place?

So, you played a little too hard at that complicated game of twister and ended up with an excruciatingly painful back pain. Well, congrats on finishing the game without giving up – but now it’s time to fix your back before your friends start calling you Quasimodo. Don’t worry; popping your disc back into place is not rocket science! With just a few simple steps and confidence in yourself, you can be done with this nightmare.

What is Intervertebral Disc Prolapse?

Before we jump straight into how to pop the disc back in place, let’s understand what we are dealing with here. Your spine consists of bones (vertebrae) stacked together from top (neck) to bottom (tailbone). Between these vertebrae, there are intervertebral discs that act as cushions and shock absorbers for our spinal bones. However, due to excessive stress or strain on these intervertebral discs or underlying muscles/ligaments/tendons around them – they may bulge out or rupture partially/completely leading to Intervertebral Disc Prolapse.

These ruptured/bulged discs put pressure on nearby nerves causing severe pain and discomfort along the affected nerve pathway(s).

Symptoms

Disc prolapse typically results in:

  • Stiffness
  • Severe lower/mid-back or neck pain depending upon site of injury
  • Pain radiating down legs
    • Feeling weakness/decreased sensation across part of leg/foot area

When NOT To Try This On Your Own!

Are you feeling good about fixing this on your own? Wait till I tell you some instances where self-restoration should be strictly avoided:

  1. Cauda Equina syndrome: If your symptoms include loss bladder & bowel control accompanied by uncontrolled lower body movements , rush towards ER immediately!
  2. Fractured vertebrae: If the back pain is caused by a traumatic event or followed by an injury/car accident, make an appointment with your doctor before trying to fix it yourself.

Disc Prolapse Treatment

While disc prolapse treatment may vary depending on severity and other factors, some of the most common steps involved are:

  1. Rest – A few days rest ensures that unnecessary strain isn’t put upon injured muscles.
  2. Medications: Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen can ease muscle tension and alleviate severe pain.
  3. Physical Therapy: Your physiotherapist may suggest stretching, exercises designed to ease off pressure from affected areas ,to improve flexibility of spinal joints/muscles.
  4. As for lifestyle changes:
    • Maintain good posture
    • Lose extra weight/ maintain healthy body mass index(BMI)
    • Avoid smoking (Nicotine restricts blood flow)

However, please note that we would not cover them in detail here.

Steps to Pop a Disc Back In Place

Are you ready to learn how simple it is?

Step 1 – Find a Comfortable Position

Most importantly, find a comfortable position lying down flat on your stomach preferably near edge of bed/table so that half of torso hangs over the edge.

Step 2 – Use Ice Pack/Anti-Inflammatory Drugs If Required

Place ice packs over inflamed portion(If swelling persists). After this be very gentle while examining your spine

Take anti-inflammatory medicine if recommended previously during diagnosis e.g Ibuprofen

Step 3 – Locate The End Of Your Spine And Press Gently

This step requires utmost precision.

Start from one end(Neck/tailbone area)and move downwards until you notice abnormal bulge/incline

Press gently yet firmly without causing any more distress. Press using a pillow/rolled cloth if bare hands are too hard — Especially for elderly individuals.

Step 4- Apply Jerk In Opposite Direction Of bulge

With your spine properly aligned, make use of someone’s help (who is strong and has soft palms) to avoid additional tension in your spine as you lie on the floor facing downwards.

Your helper would apply a gentle jerk(sudden pull not continuous )the opposite direction. It ought to be done near protruded/bulged area

You may hear some popping sounds which will bring relief!

However, don’t push it yourself or imply unnecessary force — folks here aren’t trying out for Mr. Olympia!! Besides injury caused by improper handling can worsen disc prolapse symptoms.

Follow-Up Care

Congratulations! If you followed all of the above steps diligently – the chances are that Disc Prolapse Healing Process has already started! Nonetheless, let’s not become complacent and start considering follow-up care:

  1. Rest – Allow time for your body to heal.
  2. Be very cautious with bending over , lift objects with bent knees!
    • Avoid sudden jerks/movements
      3 . Use back support hardware like lumbar belts/gel cushions while sitting during recovery period
      4 . Substitute high impact exercises with low impact ones:Try cycling/swimming/Yoga poses that promote spinal flexibility restoration!

Conclusion

To sum things up , even though disc prolapses can lead from minor fuss into nerve-wracking pain along affected parts but fortunately they very seldom need surgical intervention if timely care is sought.Additionally,with simple targeted physiotherapy alongside safe self-help techniques(most importantly used under doctor supervision,careful usage & observation)- anyone having undergone such an incidence wouldn’t take weeks off their daily grind henceforth !

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