Herniated Disc and Running - Symptoms, Treatment and Pain Relief Options

How is your back doing?

Did you hurt your lower back while running? Or, does the pain flare up when you do go out for a jog?

1.) Introduction to This Article

Lower back pain due to a herniated disc will try to limit nearly all of your activities of daily living. Herniated discs do not care if you are sitting in a chair, running or carrying something, for example. If agitated they will let you know and one of the ways that they do this is by pressing on your spinal nerves. - This free article is for those of you that want to help reduce your back pain and promote healing of an injured disc. We have studied back pain and we are here to help you.

2.) Running & Herniated Discs

Back pain is unfortunately very common, experienced at some point in the lives of up to 80 percent of our population. Within the life span of a runner, this percentage is said to increase, being somewhere between 8 - 9 out of every ten runners. This can be justified by the fact that runners place 3-4 times their body weight on each of their legs when they run. This is a pounding that will eventually reach the lower back and can cause you pain. If you happen to have a leg length discrepancy (LLD) then this can also place you at a higher risk for lower back problems when you run.

Any activity that increases stress on your spine, by increasing axial load can also further your back pain. For example, when you sit, or stand you have much more stress (due to gravity and weight) on your spine. When you lay down, typically the stress placed on the spine is less than standing or sitting. - One interesting point is that research has indicated that running can actually place less stress on your intervertebral discs than pressure that is caused from sitting in a chair.

3.) Back Support

One of the best conservative treatment options for helping to reduce pain is to use a lower back brace. These supports can be easily concealed by the use of a t-shirt and they are typically light weight in design. They do not cure you the instant you put them on, but what does happen is that they can help you avoid movements that can cause you pain or further an injury level. This is huge if you have herniated a disc. The increase in intercavitary pressure that a well designed brace can provide can biomechanically off load your aching spinal elements and help to give you pain relief as well. This is a medically documented benefit of a quality back support.

* This is health information. Although we firmly believe in the use of a well designed lower back brace, it is best to talk with your physician regarding medical advice for your particular situation.