of back pain in their life, and in as many as fifty percent of the cases, the problem will recur within the next three years (DiNubile, 1997). The purpose of this paper is to discuss lumbar disc problems that afflict a large portion of the population, and discern between the numerous treatment options available to a patient. It will discuss the wide range of these interventions and attempt to provide a clear view of the success and appropriate applications of the treatments.DiscussionThe cause of a disc rupture can be traced to many events such as a single squat exercise by weight lifter, or the repetitive stressful jumping of a basketball player, or even a violent sneeze. The patient would normally become concerned upon recognizing a dull ache in their gluteal or hamstring muscles. More severe cases would include the pain to continue laterally from the knee to foot, and possibly a loss of strength in these areas. Someone uneducated in the nature of the sciatic nerve would not associate the leg pain with a back problem and would most likely take a few days to rest hoping that the pain would subside. If the persistent dull ache were to continue, the patient would be inclined to seek professional help. Traditionally, an orthopaedist who diagnosed a patient with sciatica caused by a prolapsed disc, would prescribe bed rest for two weeks with the aid of narcotic drugs to alleviate pain, and leave surgery as the last option. Besides the fact that it is unrealistic to expect a patient to follow this advice to remain in bed, the treatment has been found to be unsuccessful as well as compromising to a possible recovery. The rest and inactivity is believed to decondition the lumbar musculature, and promote chronic pain and increase the chance of future problems. The lack of strength and flexibility can modify spinal mechanics in a way that places greater strain on the lumbar area, thus prolonging pain (DiNubile, 1997). This lack of s...
