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CHAPTER 3:AVOIDING DISC INJURIES

If you are reading this book, I realize that you probably already have a disc injury and the information in this chapter may seem like it comes a little too late. Even if you do already have a disc injury, there are ways you can help keep it from getting worse, as well as prevent injuries to other discs.

In the last chapter we discussed the common causes of disc injuries. Obviously, the first step in preventing disc injuries is avoiding as much as possible the positions and activities that cause them.

So, here's a list of common things to AVOID as much as possible:

Avoid carrying or lifting something with your arms extended out in front of you.

Avoid bending forward at the waist when standing or sitting.

Avoid working with your head down for prolonged periods of time.

Avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time, particularly in a slouched position or in an unsupportive seat.

Avoid trying to lift something that is very heavy for you.

Avoid twisting repeatedly or while holding something heavy when standing or sitting.

Avoid carrying anything heavy on top of your head.

Avoid lifting weights with poor form or body position, or "cheating" a lift by jerking a weight up to gain momentum. Lifting the appropriate amount of weight for your strength level with good form and slow, controlled movements will build muscle much faster than using momentum to lift a heavier weight that you cannot control.

In addition, if you already have a disc injury, it is a good idea to avoid or at least limit high-impact activities like running, jumping, contact sports, off road driving or cycling, snow skiing on uneven terrain, and boating or water/jet skiing on choppy waters.

Now, certain activities like sitting or working with your head down for prolonged periods of time may not always be avoidable. When you simply have to engage in such activities, you can do a lot to reduce the negative effects of them by simply taking frequent breaks. The breaks do not need to be very long. Just taking a stretch break (or do some of the exercises shown in the next chapter) for 30 seconds to a minute every 20 to 30 minutes can go a long way toward preventing problems.

When you need to lift something, it is a good idea to test the weight by lifting with low to moderate effort to find out how heavy it is rather than grabbing it quickly and pulling up without knowing if it is more than you can handle safely. When it's too heavy for you, get help to lift it. It is far better to swallow a little pride and ask for help than to risk an injury that could permanently disable you.

One other thing that applies specifically to preventing disc injuries in the neck is to avoid lying down with the head propped up on pillows, or on the arm of a couch. This position, particularly when one maintains it for an extended period of time (for instance when reading or watching television), places significant pressure on the discs in the neck and can gradually weaken the disc wall enough to cause a bulge or herniation.

Although commonly used to supposedly prevent low back injuries, back belts, whether they be the elastic kind often seen in industry, or the wide leather belts used in weightlifting, are rarely an effective means of injury prevention by themselves. In fact, some studies on the use of industrial back belts have shown no benefit whatsoever when the back belts were dispensed without any education or training for the users. Back belts are usually helpful as a part of an overall back injury prevention program because they act as a reminder to the user to bend and lift properly (when the user has been educated on the importance of proper lifting techniques).

There are some special back braces that can be used in the course of back treatment that provide stabilization and partial decompression of the spine, but these are usually only dispensed by licensed healthcare providers as a part of an overall treatment regimen. Such doctor-prescribed braces are much more restrictive to movement than the typical industrial back support.