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Strong back muscles prevent slipped discs

Berlin - Weak back muscles and too much weight can put excessive strain on the spine’s discs, possibly resulting in a slipped disc.

Regular physical exercise that strengthens the back’s muscles is an important part of keeping inter-vertebral discs healthy.

Swimming, water gymnastics, long distance skiing and trekking are great for the back, said Professor Christian Bischoff of the German Society of Neurologists in Berlin.

Being overweight is bad as it overburdens the back and the spinal column’s discs.

“Anyone who sits a lot should at least try to sit straight, change position as often as possible and avoid soft and low seats,” recommends Bischoff.

It is also important to keep a straight back when lifting heavy objects and to use your legs to raise the weight as much as possible. Keeping the object as close as possible to your body is also good.

A slipped disc occurs when the soft, central section of the disc bulges out through a tear in the outer layer.

The bulge then puts pressure on surrounding nerve fibres causing pain, numbness and in some cases even paralysis, said Bischoff.

“Once over the age of 30, the disc’s soft centre becomes inelastic and is more likely to dislocate. On the other hand, in elderly people the fluid in the centre is so thick it’s less likely to bulge out.”

That explains why slipped discs are most common in the 30 to 50 year-old age group.

Most slipped discs can be treated without an operation using physiotherapy, muscle relaxation techniques or pain killers.

Cases of chronic pain or paralysis may have to be treated with a surgical intervention.