If you live in St. Croix & St. Thomas, relief from herniated discs is possible. At Virgin Island Orthopedics and Medical Specialists, you can receive expert care for back conditions that are causing chronic pain and affecting mobility. Your doctors can also advise on how to prevent these issues from occurring again.

What Is a Herniated Disc?

Your vertebrae consist of a series of spinal discs. When one such disc’s inner nucleus bulges out from the hard protective layer, you have a herniated disc. This condition can happen over time due to strain and repetitive movement or from the impact of an accident. You will know you have a disc problem by the resulting pain, tingling, or numbness that can happen if it begins to compress against a nerve. Luckily, when you seek treatment from one of your medical specialists, they'll give you a proper diagnosis that can pinpoint what may have caused the condition and help you prevent it from recurring.

How Can a Lifestyle Change Help?

You can have better spinal health and prevent herniated discs in St. Croix & St. Thomas with a few adjustments. First, consider the way you sit and move. Having proper posture, when standing or sitting, keeps your spine aligned and prevents it from applying pressure to your lower back. 

If you sit at a desk all day, make sure you have ergonomic furniture that can prevent you from slouching. If you have a different job that requires lots of movement and lifting, always bend your knees and keep your back straight. Otherwise, lifting heavy objects can put a strain on your lower back and create a disc problem. 

Stretching out your back and the rest of your body with regular exercise from swimming, cycling, walking, and more can help keep your muscles strong and improve overall flexibility. Being overweight can also cause a herniated disc, therefore maintaining a healthy weight with exercise and a good diet can help reduce the physical stress. When it comes to what you consume, pay attention to smoking and alcohol consumption — habits that can also cause spinal degeneration. Staying hydrated with lots of water helps to maintain the overall elasticity of the spinal discs.

Contact Us for More Information

You no longer have to continue to suffer from the pain or numbness of herniated discs in St. Croix & St. Thomas without help. At Virgin Island Orthopedics and Medical Specialists, you have a team of experts to assist you and maintain spinal health. To learn more and schedule an appointment, call the St. Thomas office at 340-714-2845 and St. Croix at 340-692-5000.