Does your back feel stiff when you get out of bed in the morning or after sitting for prolonged periods of time? Have you ever felt discomfort when bending down to tie your shoes or picking something up from the floor? Do you feel pain or hear clicking and popping when turning or stretching your neck? If you answered yes to any of these questions, heed this warning: these are signs of serious and debilitating conditions, such as a herniated disc.

Millions of people suffer from disc problems every day. Many endure the associated pain or take medication to numb lower back pain, sciatic discomfort, as well as numbness and tingling. A herniated disc is a spinal disc pushed out of alignment, putting pressure on nerves outside of the spine. Rarely do people know what causes herniation in the first place, other than a fall or injury. There is much more, however, occurring internally after a back accident.

From a side view, your spine should have three 45-degree curves – one in the neck, one in the mid back, and one in the lower back. The three perfectly symmetric curves help to support your body and absorb everyday impacts. Your spine becomes unstable without these curves, causing most herniations to occur in the lower back. Straightening a 45-degree curve in your back is like straightening a banana with the peel on. What becomes of the banana? It mashes. That is exactly what happens to the discs that are placed between every vertebra in your spine. A bad fall, constant poor posture, or too much improper lifting decreases the lower back curve. As the curve straightens, increased pressure is placed on the discs. The continuous pressure eventually causes a disc to slip from between the vertebrae, bulging like a squeezed balloon. This bulging presses into nearby nerves causing extreme irritation and pain.

The good news is that Maximized Living doctors have an excellent track record with herniated disc sufferers. Rather than applying a band-aid to numb the symptoms, we address the root cause – subluxation. Therefore, our Maximized Living doctors are able to save patients from the bleak prospect of spinal surgery.