It’s very possible to predict if you will herniate a disc if you have some of these symptoms…

1. Past Back Pain & Flare-Ups – If you have ever woken up with lower back pain and saw in the mirror that your hips were completely misaligned, this is a sign you are dealing with disc compression.  Most patients say, “this happens to me every year when I…”   The truth is that this is a major sign and it’s not if your back pain will come back, but when.

2. Pain in the legs – Many patients who have “tight” hamstrings or a history of shooting pain in the legs are actually having low-level symptoms of nerve pain, caused by the lower back.  This is an early sign there are issues with your back and it could affect the nerves.

3. Reduced Hip Mobility – As you lose hip mobility, you place more pressure on the lower back.  This causes the lower back to work harder and eventually leads to the wearing of the disc faster.  It may be hard to notice a loss of hip mobility easily but if you are noticing less flexibility or strength of the hips, you are at higher risk for lower back pain.

4. Morning Back Pain/Stiffness – Disc injuries tend to get worse in the morning and you will likely have a lot more discomfort, pain, and stiffness.  Once you’re up and going, the pain will slowly start to get better.  This is one of the most common signs of disc compression.

5. Stretching Is Not Working – If stretching and doing your routine is not working anymore or its not lasting long, it’s likely not the muscles!  It can be the disc and stretching it more, can cause your pain to get worse.  STOP, and do something else

Conclusion:
There are a lot more warning signs you will have disc herniation or low back pain.  The common problem is these symptoms come and then go and you think that this is normal or that it won’t come back.  More often than not, it will and when it does, you’ll be reactive instead of proactive.

Keep. Moving!

Dr. Josh

PS If you’re in San Diego, CA and need help NOW, for your back pain, then schedule a FREE Discovery Visit.  We’ll tell you if we can help & get you on your treatment plan right away.

PPS Want some help virtually? Sign up for our low back pain course waitlist.   These are some of the EXACT exercises we use in our clinic with patients!