Protrusions and herniated discs are quite common nowadays. This is not only my opinion, doctors orthopedists and neurologists also confirm this trend, some of them even built a successful business only on this problem (hello to the center of bubnovsky and other comers 🙂)
I have at one time extremely well understood the causes and solution to this problem. Therefore, I would like to share it with you.
In this post, I will start with the causes. The root of this problem is a disturbance of the correct movement pattern, or in other words, poor posture. But you can know that without me 🙂
However, if you ask doctors about the root causes ofposture disorders - they will most likely mumble something inaudible in response.😁 Which is why I'm giving a detailed explanation:
✅The main cause of poor posture is modern lifestyle. We are designed to move, and a sedentary, inactive lifestyle disrupts proper movement patterns, right from childhood.
On the one hand technology simplifies our lives, but on the other hand it harms our nature. For example, I have already written about modern footwear, we can also say for transportation, we drive more than we walk, for computers, we sit at them more than we walk, etc. etc. etc.
All of this leads to poor movement patterns when the physiological curves in the spine change(see photo below). For example, the lumbar curve is straightened by constant sitting. The natural cushioning in the spine is lost and the pressure on some discs increases, leading to their damage.
Moreover, the anatomy and physiology of intervertebral discs is quite tricky. The fact is that there are few vessels in these structures (or rather, they exist in youth, and then disappear), and nutrients get into these discs by diffusion during rotational movements of the vertebrae on both sides of the disc, for example, when walking. No movement - no nutrition for the discs. Roughly speaking, the discs "dry up" and this leads to their atrophy.
✅ The second cause of poor posture is often a consequence of the first - improper breathing. A sedentary and inactive lifestyle breaks the pattern of correct breathing using the diaphragm(see video below) .
It is a flat muscle under our rib cage in the shape of a double dome, which helps us to breathe and not only. For example, when sitting, it is difficult to breathe a full breath, i.e. the function of the diaphragm goes away and this nuance causes a chain of consequences, both for other muscles that take over the function of the diaphragm when sitting and for internal organs. The natural curves of the spine are changed, because normally the normal work of the diaphragm creates them as well 🙂
✅ Further, the vestibular apparatus also sets the correct posture. If it is disturbed, a person loses stability. The body tries to compensate for this condition, changing posture in such a way as to increase stability (by the way, this is also the cause of flat feet in children, there is an increase in the foot area). Well, this "new" posture is understandably not a good shock absorber, which leads to damage to the intervertebral discs.
✅Lack of teeth. Yes, it would seem like a small thing, but no 🙂 When some molars are missing for a long time (5-7th), the pattern of chewing food changes. We chew often, which means that the inclination of the head changes, the vestibular apparatus adapts to this situation, some muscles of the skull spasm, then the neck, and as a result we get a curvature of the spine in the upper thoracic region. And then it's not far to protrusions.
✅Peripheral nervous system problems change your posture. It could be trauma, viruses, toxins. There is no innervation of muscles, no proper movement, there is compensation of functions at the expense of other muscles.
✅ One last thing. Metabolic causes of posture disorders and, as a consequence, protrusions and intervertebral hernias. We are talking about pathologies in which the trophic cartilage and bone tissue is disturbed.
For example, a person has problems with anabolic hormones. The most important hormone for cartilage tissue (and therefore for interdiscs) is growth hormone, and only then testosterone. If these hormones are deficient, cartilage atrophies.
There may also be autoimmune pathologies, deposition of various substances (e.g. gout), which leads to the destruction of cartilage tissue, and thus intervertebral discs.
💡 I think this is a relatively detailed description of the causes of poor posture and intervertebral hernias. In the second part of the post, I will explain how to address this problem effectively🧐
