In the absence of trauma, spinal pain is often linked to factors such as injury, poor posture, repetitive strain or a sedentary lifestyle. In today’s technology-driven environment, many people spend up to 10 hours a day sitting at desks and looking at screens. Our bodies, however, are designed to move regularly throughout the day.

Every day, the body responds and adapts to the physical stresses placed upon it. Most of the time this happens without us being aware of it. When movement, joints or soft tissues stop functioning as efficiently as they should, pain, stiffness or discomfort can become more noticeable. A physiotherapist in Nine Elms, chiropractor or sports massage therapist may help identify contributing factors and support better movement and recovery.

Between each vertebra in the spine is a disc that helps absorb load and reduce pressure through the spinal column. If the spine is exposed to excessive stress, either from one significant load or repeated smaller stresses, a disc can become irritated and may place pressure on nearby nerves. This can contribute to symptoms such as numbness, pins and needles, arm pain, muscle tension, spasms, neck pain and upper back pain.

It is also important to understand that disc injuries may be described in different ways, including slipped disc, prolapsed disc or disc herniation. These terms describe similar problems involving the spinal disc. Symptoms can vary depending on the location of the disc, the degree of irritation and whether nearby nerves are affected.