5 actions are 'punishing' the lumbar intervertebral disc, and it is not too late to realize it, correct it as soon as possible

According to statistics from the National Health and Medical Commission, more than 200 million people in China have lumbar disc problems, of which more than 60% are young people aged 20-40.

Many people said: " At the age of 20, but with the waist of fifty or sixty years old , standing hurts, sitting hurts, lying down..."

Lumbar intervertebral disc problems are generally considered to be "middle-aged and elderly diseases". Why are more and more young people now having problems with their waists?

1. Why is the lumbar disc herniated at a young age?

According to statistics, 80% of people have had low back pain, and the most common cause of low back pain is lumbar disc herniation. Lumbar disc herniation is more common in young people aged 30-50, with a male-female ratio of 2:1 .

The root cause of lumbar disc herniation is the degenerative change of the intervertebral disc, which is commonly known as "wear and tear".

The intervertebral disc is composed of the nucleus pulposus and the annulus fibrosus and is located between and tightly connected to the upper and lower vertebral bodies of the vertebrae. When the nucleus pulposus is pressed against the annulus fibrosus for a long time and with great force, the annulus fibrosus is slowly worn away. When the nucleus pulposus breaks through the annulus fibrosus, a herniated disc occurs.

Long-term desk work, driving, upper body weight bearing, strenuous exercise, smoking and genetic factors may all induce lumbar disc herniation.

When the lumbar disc herniation is located on both sides of the spinal canal, it will compress the nerve root, causing radiation pain or numbness in the waist and buttocks. Nerves, causing bowel and sexual dysfunction.

If you have radiating pain or numbness in the lower back and legs after prolonged sitting, heavy physical labor, and a sprain or fall , or you often spontaneously assume a compensatory scoliosis position, or have anal and perineal pain Numbness, urine and sexual dysfunction, it is necessary to be alert to lumbar disc herniation.

2. Standing, sitting or lying down, which one will hurt the waist more?

For most people, they have to face the computer when they go to work, lie on the sofa when they get home from get off work, and lie on the bed at night, standing, sitting, or lying down. Which posture hurts the back more?

In 1976, Dr. Nachemson described the weight of a 70 kg person in the form of pictures in an article in SPINE magazine, under different postures, the third lumbar intervertebral disc bears the weight.

It can be seen from the figure: the lying position has the smallest load on the lumbar spine, which is only about 25 kg; the side lying position has a load of about 75 kg on the lumbar spine; the standing position has a load of 100 kg; Kilogram.

It should be noted that whether you are standing or sitting, the forward leaning posture will increase the burden on the lower back .

This is because when the upper body leans forward, the weight of the head, trunk and upper extremities will be concentrated on the lumbar spine, which puts the greatest pressure on the lumbar intervertebral disc.

If the body leans forward when standing, the load on the lumbar spine will increase to 150 kg; if the body leans forward when sitting, the load on the lumbar spine will increase to 200 kg; if sitting forward and holding a heavy object, the load on the lumbar spine is as high as 300 kg Kilogram.

In addition, these postures that many people like to do in daily life are "punishing" the lumbar intervertebral disc!

1. Crossing Erlang's Legs

When you cross your legs, your body will naturally tilt. Since the muscles on one side are stretched for a long time, it is easy to cause back pain or even lumbar muscle strain over time. And once the pelvis rotates at this time, the connected lumbar vertebrae will also twist together, causing disc damage and scoliosis.

It is recommended to get rid of Erlang's legs. If you can't get rid of Erlang's legs, then you should not cross Erlang's legs for more than 15 minutes each time .

2. "Ge You Lie"

When Ge You is lying down, his waist is often suspended or flexed, and the spine is also flexed forward. After a long time, the muscles and ligaments will be fatigued, which will cause lumbar muscle strain in light, and lumbar disc herniation and spinal deformity in severe cases .

It is recommended to either sit with your back straight, or lie flat, not half-lying and half-sit .

3. Bend over to do housework and lift heavy objects

Often bending over to do housework or lifting heavy objects will bring huge pressure on the waist, which can easily lead to lumbar muscle strain, lumbar disc herniation and other problems over time.

It is recommended that when moving or picking up things, you should pay attention to the correct posture, bending your legs and not bending over. When doing housework, keep your back straight and your spine stretched . At the same time, don't twist your body suddenly, and move your body every once in a while .

4. Sedentary

Sitting for a long time will lead to poor muscle flexibility, poor blood circulation, and stiffness of the intervertebral joints that control the movement of the spine. Over time, it will cause the intervertebral plate to age and be prone to low back pain. It is recommended to stand up and move your body every once in a while.

When standing, open your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, keep your knees straight, then place your elbows behind your back, push your pelvis forward, and bend your upper body forward , be careful not to lift your chin up, then exhale and hold Hold the pose for 3 seconds and repeat 1-2 times to relieve low back pain caused by prolonged sitting.

Source: Life Times

5. Lying on the stomach, twisting the body to sleep

Lying on your stomach or twisting your body for a long time during sleep is not conducive to the health of the spine, and can easily lead to spinal dislocation, straightening of the cervical or lumbar spine, etc.

It is recommended to lie on your back or side when sleeping . When lying on your back, your legs should be straight, and a pillow should be placed at the bend of the legs to maintain the curvature of the spine; The spine and the head are in the same line.

3. Frequent back pain? 2 ways to reduce the load on the waist

Often back pain, is likely to be caused by lumbar disc herniation. It is suggested that the following two methods can be used to reduce the burden on the waist, thereby preventing and improving lumbar disc herniation.

• Maintain correct posture every day

The correct posture can reduce the pressure on the lumbar intervertebral disc. The correct sitting posture should keep the upper body straight, the abdomen and jaw slightly tightened, and the legs together.

The correct standing posture, the eyes should look straight ahead, the chest and abdomen are lifted, the lower jaw is slightly adducted, the waist is straight, the legs are upright, the calves are slightly tightened, and the feet are hip-width apart.

• Strengthen the back muscles

Ji Wei, deputy chief physician of the Department of Spine and Orthopedics, Southern Hospital of Southern Medical University, pointed out that people with low back pain should strengthen the exercise of the low back muscles.

When practicing the movements, you should do what you can and do it step by step. Once you have low back pain and other uncomfortable symptoms, you should stop immediately , and you should go to the hospital if necessary.

Lumbar intervertebral disc herniation is very common. Long-term poor posture, improper lifting of heavy objects, strenuous exercise, and excessive weight can induce lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. Patients will experience symptoms such as back pain and numbness in the lower back and hips. Urine and sexual function.

To prevent lumbar disc herniation, it is necessary to use the correct posture to reduce the pressure on the spine every day, and at the same time strengthen the muscles of the lower back.

References:

[1] Wang Qiuyuan. Lumbar disc herniation at a young age? Can it heal itself? Beware of these symptoms. Popular Science China. 2021-10-03

[2] Be careful! These poses hurt the most! .Family Doctor.2021-11-08

[3] With a "small trick to hurt the waist" every day, your waist is not far from being "scrapped". Life Times. 2021-11-15

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