Will straightening your back cause lumbar disc herniation?

There are many causes of lumbar disc herniation. It may be caused by bending over while sitting in front of a computer for a long time, or it may be caused by hunching over in daily life. Therefore, in order to alleviate the phenomenon of lumbar disc herniation, some people straighten their backs when walking in daily life. So if I keep my back straight when walking, will it still cause lumbar disc herniation?

1. Walking with hunched back - lumbar spinal stenosis

As we age, the yellow ligament in the lumbar spine continues to thicken and begins to compress the nerves, causing pain. Therefore, people will unconsciously bend forward or stop to rest to allow the yellow ligament to stretch or cushion and reduce pain. In addition to walking with a hunched back, people who experience lower back pain when walking but not when riding a bicycle should also be wary of lumbar spinal stenosis.

2. Not daring to move too much when walking – lumbar disc herniation

When the intervertebral disc is abnormal, the load between the small joints increases, the joints begin to proliferate and produce bone spurs, which cause pain when squeezed. In addition, some inflammatory factors released abnormally by the lumbar disc are also causes of low back pain.

3. Walking with the body tilted - Nerve compression

When lumbar disc herniation compresses the shoulder nerves, the patient will subconsciously drop his shoulders to one side when walking. Shuffling your steps or walking on your heels are signs of compression of different nerve roots. Long-term compression of the nerves by lumbar disc herniation can cause weakness in the legs and feet.

4. Hunchback when walking: degenerative changes in the spine

Hunchback walking is a common walking posture among the elderly. At this time, the lordosis of the lumbar spine disappears, the kyphosis of the thoracic spine increases, and the lordosis of the cervical spine disappears, resulting in a sagittal imbalance of hunchback. In order to maintain body balance, people will naturally rotate their pelvis backward, causing increased wear and tear on the hip and knee joints. Such people usually have osteoporosis.

A bad lumbar spine can lead to abnormal walking posture, and an incorrect walking posture can also aggravate the symptoms of lumbar disease. Therefore, Ming Shiyu experts suggest: To prevent and relieve lumbar spondylosis, it is recommended to start by changing your waist posture.