Lower Back Pain – Herniated disc
An inter vertebral disc is a flat, round structure that is located between a pair of vertebrae of the spine and surrounds a gelatinous substance. The inter vertebral discs are flexible structures that allow movements of the spine.
Physically – A herniated disc is a condition in which the annulus fibrous (outer portion) of the vertebral disc is torn, enabling the nucleus (inner portion) to herniate or extrude through the fibers. The herniated material can compress the nerves around the disc and create pain that can radiate through the back and sometimes down the arms (if the herniation is in the cervical spine) and legs (if the herniation is in the lumbar spine).
Psychologically the person may also feel “pressure”, exerted by herself or himself, to do or be something more than she/he is, or she/he can do. This pressure could also come from something or someone (or society) outside of us – instilling the feeling that we should live according to someone else’s expectations. In this case the hernia could express our desire to “break” with the rules that do not serve us. It could also indicate our desire to rebel against those cultural norms and rules.
This symptom occurs in those individuals who have difficulty making decisions. They want to avoid or escape a situation but cannot decide or find a solution that will allow them to move on. They are “stuck”, and “paralyzed”.
They are –
- trying to live up to someone’s expectations or cultural norms.
- putting undue pressure on themselves, trying to be strong and upright while not showing their real feelings.
- feeling the weight of responsibility is too much to bear.
- Feeling unsupported and abandoned.
Recommendations to recover physically, emotionally, and spiritually:
In life we must make decisions and there are always two possibilities to choose from.
- Firstly – not to decide – is a decision against the decision. Allowing the situation to culminate into trauma.
- Secondly – one should with confidence make decisions and not allow doubt or fear of being wrong to stop us. When confident we know we are doing the best we can. Confidence diminishes the need to expect support from others or to wait until we think all circumstances are safe and perfect.
As Albert Einstein said: A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new.
To recognize the true path, we must journey along a few unsafe, unsavoury, and difficult paths – how else will we know what is the right path?
Mistakes and problems are learning curves and should be recognised and appreciated for what they contribute to our growth.