Rupture of Lumbar Disc

Written by: Abdul Mutaleb Jawad

The human spine is made up of 33 vertebrae, five of which are located in the lumbar region, and between the two vertebrae is a round articular plate called the disc. More than seventy percent of discs are made of water, with relatively hard walls and soft materials in between.

 The function of the discs is to reduce and apply pressure between the vertebral bones while performing the activity or even while sitting. Sometimes, for some reason, the walls of the discs rupture, and the fluid inside the disc becomes dislodged, causing problems for patients.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some patients and a physician about the rupture of the lumbar disc.

A woman from Kabul city who doesn’t want to mention her name in the program says, “I was suffering from back pain for three years. I was fine when I was taking medicine, but I could not walk or sit when I was not taking medicine. When I went to the doctor, the doctor diagnosed a lumbar disc rupture and I had a surgical operation and now I'm fine.”

Another woman, Shahin says, “I have a problem with my lumbar disc. In the beginning, I felt pain in my left leg and the pain moved to the lower part of my leg and I was not able to walk easily.”

Doctor Muhammad Qair Sina, a surgeon at Shaikh Zaid Hospital in Kabul city says, “Disks can have problems in two ways, one fast and the other chronic and slow. In the second case, the disk loses its function and its water is reduced. First, there will be a pain in the lower back, because five nerve vessels pass through this area, so there is a pain in five areas: pain in the toes, heels, back of the ankle, and numbness in the thighs that are in the direction of the disc.”

What do some patients think about the causes of this disease?

Engineer Idris says, “Lifting heavy weights causes rupture of lumbar disc.”

A woman says, “I left a heavy heater alone I faced the problem of lumbar disc disease.”

Doctor Sina says, “Rupture of the lumbar disc occurs in two forms, chronic and acute. In the chronic case, the discs become dehydrated over time due to heavy work and eating heavy foods, and the onset of heavy work in the early morning, which causes the disc to dry out and fall out of place, but in the acute case, lifting too much weight at once, slipping around or throwing itself from a distance will tear the disc and the water inside the disc will displace.”

How do some patients treat and take care of the rupture lumbar disc?

Alhaj Nimatullah, a resident of Muhammad Agha district of Logar province says, “When I lift a heavy load, I felt pain in my back. I treated it many times but I did not recover from the lumbar disc disease.

The doctor advised me some exercises and riding a bicycle and I do that and now I feel better.” 

A woman from Kabul province says, “I am suffering from lumbar disc disease. The doctor advised me to lay down on a mattress and move my leg up and down for ten minutes a day and I feel better.”

Doctor Sina talks about the care of lumbar disc disease, “In the first stage, the patient should see a doctor. The doctor performs physical examinations. If the doctor does not prescribe surgery operation, he/she can pain relief medicines, but the patient cannot take medicines for the whole life, because the medicines have side effects, but it is the care that the patient takes. Avoid lifting heavy loads; the patient should go to a physiotherapist to prescribe him/her exercises, and if necessary, the physiotherapist might reduce his/her pain with electrical shock.”