Steemit Learning Challenge-S21W6: Disc Herniation
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๐โโ๏ธ What's disc herniation?
Disc hernias are like soft pads that break or tear, located between the vertebrae of the human body. Just imagine that at the back of our body there are bones that are piled up like a stack of neatly arranged books, between each book there is a soft cushion so that it does not rub directly against another book, this soft cushion is called a disc. Just imagine if this disc ruptures? the spongy inside can bulge out and press on the nerve area.
Just like the condition of a flat tire, if the tire is flat then we will find it difficult to drive. Likewise, if the disc ruptures, we will have difficulty moving freely, pain, numbness, tingling, and pressure. Then why can it rupture? Because of age, lifting weights in the wrong way, sudden movements, being overweight, genetic factors and others.
There are three types of herniated discs based on the region:
- ๐๏ธ Cervical Disc: pain in the upper part such as neck, shoulder, arm,
- ๐๏ธ Thoracic Disc: pain in the upper back.
- ๐๏ธ Lumbar Disc: pain in the lower back, the most common area for herniated discs.
๐โโ๏ธ How would you diagnose a disc herniation? Any clinical investigation or assessment tests?
There are several ways to diagnose a herniated disc through physical examination:
๐ Observation, the doctor will observe whether there are abnormalities in posture, walking and movement.
๐ Palpation, the doctor will press on the affected area to determine the level of pain felt by the patient and can determine the most sensitive location.
๐ Neurological tests, the doctor will examine the patient's muscles, reflexes, and sensations in order to see the part of the nerve that is depressed.
๐ Ortholani tests, some sources I read explain that there are special tests such as the straight leg raise test, slump test, and Lasรจgue test to confirm the suspicion of a herniated disc.
As for the follow-up examination of a herniated disc as follows:
๐จโโ๏ธ X-ray: a special test tool using x-rays to see images of bone structure.
๐จโโ๏ธ CT Scan: same as X-ray but can show the bone structure in more detail.
๐จโโ๏ธ MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): a special test using magnetic fields and radio waves and can display soft tissue.
๐จโโ๏ธ Myelogram: This involves injecting a contrast agent into the space around the spinal cord.
๐โโ๏ธ Trying all five exercises
๐งโโ๏ธ Hip Bridging Exercise
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| Step 1 ๐ | Step 2 ๐ | Step 3 ๐ |
I do hip bridge exercises, I lift my hips with both legs and repeat it several times.
๐งโโ๏ธ William Flexion ( knee to chest stretch)
| William Flexion, Trial on left foot ๐ |  |
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| William Flexion, Trial on right foot ๐ |  |
๐งโโ๏ธ Cat & Cow Stretch Exercise
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| Step 1 ๐ | Step 2 ๐ | Step 3 ๐ |
I tried the cat and cow stretch, it was the hardest exercise I have ever done and had a direct impact on the spine and neck muscles.
๐งโโ๏ธ Piriformis Stretch
 | I tried doing the Piriformis Stretch exercise, step 1 |
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I tried doing the Piriformis Stretch exercise, Hold this movement for a few seconds. step 2
๐งโโ๏ธ Sciatic Nerve Glides
| Step 1, is to bend your toes slightly inwards ๐ |  |
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The legs are lifted straight up, the toes remain in a position bent inward.
๐คทโโ๏ธ How I feel after exercise?
After trying the five exercises recommended in this course, all five exercises are certainly very beneficial for patients suffering from herniated disc problems.
I found the hip bridge exercise, William Flexion (knee to chest stretch), Piriformis Stretch and Sciatic Nerve Glide to be light and easy to do, during the few times I did these movements I did not find it too difficult.
After a few times I did these four exercises, I haven't felt any different in my body. Honestly, some of the stretching exercises above I often do before doing soccer and futsal sports activities so the exercises are not heavy for my body.
Cat & Cow Stretch this is the most difficult of the five exercises given in this course.
While the Cat and Cow Stretching exercise is a more difficult exercise than the four exercises I have done, this exercise gives a different sensation to the muscles and spine.
When I tried to do the cat and cow stretch exercise I found it a little difficult at the beginning, because I had to bend my body downwards so that it was shaped like the letter N, and vice versa when trying to lift my body parts upwards I also found it difficult to do.
After doing this exercise a few times I felt the backbone and spine felt a little pulled, there was a little pain in the backbone and neck. But of course I really enjoyed doing this exercise.
Thus this article, I hope it is useful and inspires all who read it.I also invite you to participate in this contest. @fantvwiki @fadia @suhendro @ashkhan.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to comment.
Shared to X: https://x.com/mrzsuha/status/1864701557113278703
Hi, @miftahulrizky,
Your post has been manually curated!
Thank you for understanding the lesson and sharing your assignment; I hope that you will enjoy this week's lesson and try to implement it in your life if you see any such case.
Observations
Task 1 (2.8/3)
You have shared a great knowledge about disc herniation, its symptoms, and and causes, its types. But you didn't add the vertebrae involves in each region like cervical C1 to C7. A bit more depth require to complete the answer. I appreciate your effort.
Task 2 (2.6/3)
In the second question, you tell us about how you have to assess a patient by doing physical examination and history taking, performing investigations and didn't add special tests. It would be better if you add name and explanation of one special test of each region to assess the disc herniation. Great.
Task 3 (4/4)
You try the hip bridging, William Flexion, cat & cow stretch and sciatic nerve glides exercises . You did the hip bridging, William Flexion, cat & Cow stretch and sciatic nerve glides correctly. Always remember to apply heat pack before performing exercises to relax the muscles and reduce stiffness. I appreciate your efforts.
Overall you made a great attempt to answer all the questions. I appreciate your efforts. But next time try to avoid the above written suggestions. Keep learning and try to implement your knowledge to the people suffering from disc herniation or any type of back pain. Thank you.