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It is estimated that at any given time, about 40% of the adult population experiences lower back pain. That means, today when you walk on a busy street full of pedestrians, four out of ten people you see are experiencing some degree of lower back pain. 50-85% of all people will experience lower back pain at some time in their lives.
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For many cases of low back pain, the source of the pain emanates for the intervertebral disc, or IVD. This is the fibro-cartilagenous material that connects vertebrae together and is responsible for bearing most of the weight placed on the spine. Its architecture is designed to absorb shocks using the incompressible nature of water (hydrostatic pressure), which is mostly contained in the nucleus pulposus of the disc. The nucleus serves to redistribute and dampen the forces placed on the spine so as to avoid damage. This comes in handy when walking, jumping, sitting, standing, and of course picking up heavy things.
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Problems arise when the disc weakens, allowing internal derangements to occur. Basically this means shifts in the shape of the disc that alter the proper alignment and movement of the spinal joint segment, and/or block or partially block nerve pathways, causing nerve root impingement and pain down the leg.
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One of the home care accessories I prescribe for my low back pain patients is the PosturePump™ Spine Retrainer. This innovative device helps to rehydrate weak and bulging disc derangements by increasing the space between vertebrae using an air bladder controlled by a hand aspirator. As the disc volume increases, a negative pressure develops and a pressure gradient forms, which draws fluids (capillary blood), nutrients, oxygen and reparatory cells into the disc. This can help the disc regenerate, and the lumbar extension forced by the PosturePump™ Spine Retrainer can mechanically force the posterior disc bulge back to center at the same time, relieving symptoms.
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Even if you don’t have a bulging disc, the PosturePump™ can serve as a good preventive measure to keep your discs healthy and strong.
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Watch the video to see how this works.
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If you have recurrent pain of any type, stay tuned for further posts…you just might run into something that will make a significant impact on your quality of life. Please consider sharing this information, as it may be helpful to someone in your social circles. Thanks for reading!
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Dr. Perez
