Worries about an old disc bulge

by Kathy Ball
(Hamilton, New Zealand)

I had a problem with my back after bending down to put on my socks one morning in 2005! It was such a small everyday sort of thing to do and to have that much pain it really shook me up! Anyway I went to my GP and then after it did not go away I had some physio. The physio told me that I had a "disc bulge" and after some treatment the pain went away but it took about 3 months to go and it was very painful .
I have tried to keep fitter since then by going down to the gym and having a good work out , I do a circuit of weights and rowing machine, I get to do this when I can but I have 2 small children and am a secretary part-time so things are difficult. I went back to the gym just lately and when I was doing some leg lifts with weights I felt a twinge in my back and it has felt a bit sore since. I have not been back to my doctor as I am so busy and it is not as bad as last time but I am really really worried that I might have bulged it some more . I am afraid to put my socks on ! Do you think that I have ? What is your advice?

Hi Kathy

Without a full assessment I'm afraid I can't offer specific advice to you. You need to go and get checked out by a doctor or physical therapist and get a proper diagnosis for your problem. However, I will talk a bit about back pain and disc bulges and maybe that will give you some information that can supplement your discussions with your doctor.

Disc bulges are really very common, very many of us have them and most of us do not really get any symptoms from them. Just having a disc bulge on its own is not really a problem. Spinal disc problems that cause no symptoms have even been found in young teenagers. A disc really only becomes a problem when the bulge causes a nerve root irritation or sciatica. This can lead to pain and other symptoms in the buttock and legs. Read more about causes and symptoms of sciatica here .


In fact nerve root irritation and sciatica are not nearly as common as many people think. Most of us (95%) have the more common type of back pain called simple lower back pain. Someone who has had a disc problem in the past will not automatically get the same problem again. Read an overview of simple lower back pain here.


Keeping active has been shown to be the best way to deal with simple lower back pain. This section discusses exercise and lower back pain.

Finally, fear and worry will make back pain worse, there is some good evidence that anxiety about activities, called fear avoidance, can increase the chances of the back pain interfering more in your life. In order to alleviate any worries and to get a tailored exercise programme I would recommend a visit to a physiotherapist.

Good luck!

Paula


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