How a Herniated Disc Causes Pain

The spine is made up of a series of connected bones called "vertebrae". Discs hold one vertebra to the next, and act as a cushion between the vertebrae. The disc is made of a tough outer layer called the "annulus fibrosis" and a gel-like centre called the "nucleus pulposus." As you get older, the centre of the disc may start to lose water content, making the disc less effective as a cushion. This may cause a displacement of the disc’s centre through a crack in the outer layer. This is known as a herniated or ruptured disc.

Most disc herniations occur in the bottom two discs of the lumbar spine, at and just below the waist. A herniated lumbar disc can press on the nerves in the spine and may cause pain, numbness, tingling or weakness of the leg called "sciatica". Sciatica affects about 1-2% of all people, usually between the ages of 30 and 50.

A herniated lumbar disc may also cause lower back pain, although back pain alone (without leg pain) can have many causes other than a herniated disc

The goals of non-surgical treatment are to provide relief by reducing the irritation of the nerve and disc and to improve the physical condition of the patient to protect the spine and increase overall function. Your doctor may prescribe a series of remedies and non-surgical treatments including a short period of rest, anti-inflammatory medications to reduce the swelling, analgesic drugs to control the pain, physical therapy exercises or epidural steroid injection therapy. If you are told to rest, follow your doctor’s directions on how long to stay in bed. Too much bed rest may give you stiff joints and weak muscles, which will make it harder to do activities that could help reduce and control the pain.

Pain Gate Control: TENS programmes one and two will provide you with a comfortable tingling sensation. This masks the pain providing you with immediate pain relief. This is most appropriate if you are experiencing severe, acute pain.

Endorphin Release: TENS programmes three and four use endorphin release, the bodies’ own natural pain relieving hormones. You will experience a comfortable tapping sensation. Thirty to forty minutes of this type of stimulation is required for endorphins to be released. Endorphins remain circulating in the body after treatment has ceased providing residual pain relief. This makes it most appropriate if you are experiencing dull, aching, chronic back pain that is often associated with herniated discs.

The BAXOLVE™ Belt: Works by supporting the spinal and abdominal muscles. Lumbar support when applied firmly and comfortably assists lower back pain by helping to restrict painful movements. This improves posture and positional awareness. The belt also provides warmth to the affected area by stimulating local circulation, generating a feeling of well-being.

BAXOLVE™ Optional Accessories With the addition of the optional leads and pads you can use the BAXOLVE TENS unit on other areas where the pain may radiate to such as your buttocks and legs. Simply place the pads over the site of pain to activate immediate and ongoing pain relief from the programmes mentioned above.