Steemit Learning Challenge-S21W6; Disc Herniation" by @rossnenye
| What's disc herniation? Write in your own words after getting knowledge from the lesson post. |
|---|
| Definition of Disc herniation |
| ---- |
Disc herniation is a type of Medical Condition that occurs mostly among old people. It is also known as slipped disc, there are 2 components of it, annulus fibrosis and nucleus pulposus. In this condition, the nucleus pulposus which is a soft gel-like structure in the center
of the spinal disc, tears and then bulge out leading to reduction in disc space leading to wear and tear. Due to this, it compresses the surrounding structures like nerves, muscles, tendon and ligaments thereby causing pain, weakness and numbness to the affected area.
| Types of Disc Herniation |
|---|
- Cervical Disc Herniation
This type of Cervical Disc Herniation involves the C1-C7 Vertebrae, the Cervical region. It causes pain, numbness and weakness in the Shoulders.
- Lumbar Disc herniation
It involves T1-T12 upper back, It occurs in Lower back region of the Spine. It is the most common type of Disc herniation. It usually results to pain, weakness and numbness in the back.
- Thoracic Disc Herniation
It involves lower back involves L1-L5, It occurs in the Upper back region of the Spine. It's not mostly known like the other two types of Disc Herniation. Sometimes, the symptoms are mistaken for other health ailments like heartburn. It usually causes severe pain in the back, Chest and Abdomen.
| Causes of Herniation Disc |
|---|
- Overuse
Overuse/ repetitive pressure on the lower back.
- Overweight
Overweight, and obese people are at high risk of developing it.
- Genetics
The disease can be running in the family.
- Wrong posture
Wrong posture while picking things and lifting heavy objects from the floor can equally cause it.
| Symptoms of Disc Herniation |
|---|
- Pain
This is one of the major symptoms of Disc herniation the Victim usually feel pain on the Location of the Herniation.
- Tingling
The Victim will also feel numbness in the location of the Disc herniation like the neck, Shoulder, arms and hands, back.
- Difficulty in walking
Due to the wear and tear in the muscles, it can lead to difficulty in walking.
| Treatment for Disc herniated |
|---|
- Pain relief drugs*
Pain reliefs like Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Acetaminophen can be taken to help to reduce the pain and inflammation.
- Physical Therapy
You can employ the service of a therapist who can show you exercise that will strengthen the muscles, relieve pain and enhance flexibility.
- Heat therapy
Heat or Ice can be applied to the affected area to relieve pain and inflammation.
- Surgery
This can be recommended if the other treatments doesn't work. Discectomy can be performed to remove some part of the Disc, Laminectomy can be performed which is removing the bone that covers the Spinal inorder to reduce pressure on the Nerve roots
| How would you diagnose a disc herniation? Any clinical investigation |
|---|
Disc Herniation assessment and diagnosis involves a whole lot of process and they includes.
- Medical History
The Doctor will ask you if you're experiencing symptoms like pain, numbness, difficulty in walking and muscle pain. He will also ask you when you started experiencing these symptoms, the severity and how long it has lasted. He might also ask after the kind of activities you engage on to know where the problem is from.
- Physical Examination
The Doctor will examine the patient checking out his Posture, for any sign of discomfort, he will also check the paraspinal muscle and the joint Incase of any pain.
- X-ray
It can be conducted to show the cause of pain, such as Arthritis, Fractures.
- MRI
This is the most sensitive test for finding out Disc Herniations. It makes use of magnetic field and radio waves show the image of the Spine.
- Electromyography
This test measures the electrical activity of the muscle. It helps to find out if Disc Herniation is the cause of Muscle weakness.
- Myelogram
It's a unique type of X-ray which uses dye to show nerves in the Spine to show if they're damaged.
| Special test to diagnose Disc Herniation |
|---|
Cervical Disc Herniation
- Cervical Flexion test
This test is conducted to assess the range of motion of the Cervical Spine. The Patient is asked to flex their neck forward and if person experiences pain then it indicates Disc Herniation.
- Spurling Test
This Test is conducted to identify the nerve root compression in the Cervical Spine, the patient is asked to extend their neck and rotate their neck and head to the side and if pain is experienced then it indicates Disc herniation.
- Extension test
In this test, the Patient is asked to extend their neck backwards and if the person experiences pain, then it indicates Disc Herniation.
| Thoracic Disc Herniation |
|---|
- Thoracic Spine Extension
In this test, the Patient is asked to bend forward and then distance between two marks on the patient's back is measured. If there is a decrease in distance between the marks, then Disc Herniation is positive.
- Rotation Test
In this test, the Patient is asked to rotate their upper body and if the patient experiences pain, then Disc Herniation is positive.
| For Lumbar Disc Herniation |
|---|
- Valsalva Maneuver
In this test, the Patient is asked to hold their breath and if pain radiating down the leg is felt, then Disc Herniation is positive.
- Straight Leg Raise Test
In this test, the Patient is asked to lie on their back and then one of their leg is lifted up towards their Chest and if the patient experiences pain radiating down the leg, then Disc Herniation is positive.
|Try to practice at least 3 exercises that you have learned from the lesson. Share images, gifs or videos while practicing preferably gifs or videos.
| Share your review after performing these exercises either on yourself, healthy individual or patient. |
|---|
- Sciatic Nerve Glides
To perform this, I sat on the floor and placed one of my legs in front of me, then I gently lift my leg while keeping my knee straight. I hold on for about 5 seconds before lowering my leg down.
- Knee to Chest
I lay on my back, with my knees bent, then I gently brought one knee towards my Chest and then gently pull it towards my body. I held on for about 5 seconds before switching to my other leg.
- Piriformis Stretch
To do this, I sat on the floor and crossed one of my leg to the other leg, then I placed my hand on the knee of me crossed leg and pull it towards my Shoulder. I held on for about 5 seconds before switching to my other leg.
| Share your review after performing these exercises either on yourself, healthy individual or patient. |
|---|
Being my first time of performing this exercise, I felt pain on my leg and pelvic area but after a while, my body relaxed and I felt the impact of the exercise on my spinal region and I felt a great relief of pain in my back area because I was feeling pains before.
Thanks for reading my post, I invite @chiomi, @ovulama and @favbae to participate in this contest.
Cc:
@ashkhan
Congratulations! This post has been voted through steemcurator09. We support quality posts, good comments anywhere and any tags.
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 (3/3)
You have shared a great knowledge about disc herniation, its symptoms, and and causes, and its types. I appreciate your effort.
Task 2 (3/3)
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 special tests. That's great you add explanation of one special test of each region to assess the disc herniation. Excellent.
Task 3 (3.7/4)
You try the sciatic nerve glides, William Flexion and piriformis stretch exercises . You did the William Flexion correctly. But in piriformis stretch and sciatic nerve glides it would be better to add gifs or video as they need to be explained step by step while performing. 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.