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Last Updated: Oct 23, 2019
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Back Pain: Is It Slip Disc? How Can Physiotherapy Help?

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Dr. Aparna PradhanPhysiotherapist • 18 Years Exp.BPTh/BPT, MPT
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Physiotherapy heals gently and slowly.No medication / non surgical way of treating spine 

What causes a slip (herniated) disc?

Violent injury or the normal aging process or by everyday activities- lifting heavy objects the wrong way, stretching too hard during a sports activity, commonly happens in neck (cervical spine) or lower back (lumbar spine).

How can physiotherapy reduce pain and disc pressure? 

To know how does physiotherapy helps first we need know about the occurrence of events at spine after prolapsed disc.

Whenever disc herniation occurs muscles try to protect slip of the disc as a result there is sudden muscles spasm because of which there sudden onset of pain and slipped disc also causes lot of inflammation when it presses surrounding ligaments and vessels. Situation worsens when person tries to move with stiff back more pain results due to wrong movement of muscle.

If pain killers are taken then till an extent they help to reduce inflammation and spasm, but prolapsed disc is mechanical problem. Compression on ligaments and occlusion of blood vessel persists. Pain comes back on stopping pain killers.

Physiotherapy works on the disc compression by correcting the alignment (posture). With manual therapy (mobilization) and electrotherapy instruments compression and pain reduces.

For, exercises are prescribed in opposite direction of disc compression so further compression can be reduced and strong muscles can support the spine inefficient way. Physical therapy works on the cause of the pain, not just suppresses it.

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