Men Are More Prone to Spinal Disc Injuries: Here’s How to Mitigate Your Risk

At Interventional Sports and Pain Management Associates in Humble and Baytown, Texas, board-certified pain management expert Dr. Okezie N. Okezie knows that when it comes to preventing chronic, disc-related pain, personal risk management is key.

If you’re a man, this means recognizing that your gender effectively doubles your risk of sustaining a herniated disc at some point in your life. But why is this the case?  

This June, in recognition of Men’s Health Month, Dr. Okezie discusses why men are twice as likely as women to experience spinal disc injury — and explains what you can do to mitigate your risk, protect your health, and stay active. 

Healthy discs facilitate motion and mobility 

As your body’s central support structure and nerve center, your spine plays a vital role in your ability to function and move normally. What your spine does for your body is exactly what your discs do for your spine — facilitate normal function and movement.   

Situated between each vertebra of your spine, discs are resilient, donut-like cushions with a tough, rubbery exterior (annulus fibrosus) and a soft, gel-like interior (nucleus pulposus). 

These inherent qualities are what enable these “cartilaginous joints” to be just as effective at facilitating normal spinal flexibility, dynamic alignment, and range of motion as they are at absorbing the shock force of motion to protect your spine.  

Disc injuries can happen suddenly or gradually

Herniated lumbar discs are a leading cause of chronic lower back pain, persistent leg pain (sciatica), and impaired mobility; damaged cervical discs are a frequent cause of ongoing neck pain and limited function. Simply put: Many cases of chronic pain have their origin in a spinal disc problem. Such injuries can happen in one of two ways:

Sudden, acute disc injury

An acute disc injury is the result of sudden trauma that forces a disc to slip out of position, or herniates (rips) the fibrous exterior and allows the gel-like interior to spill out. This type of disc injury can occur during contact sports, in an accidental fall, when lifting something heavy, or during a movement that pushes the spine past its rotational limits.

Gradual, degenerative disc injury

Spinal disc injuries can also emerge gradually, as a result of age-related degeneration. These injuries can be accelerated or compounded by habitual prolonged sitting, excessive physical exertion (especially if it involves heavy lifting or twisting), and unhealthy habits like smoking.   

Why are men more vulnerable to disc injuries?

Men are twice as likely as women to experience slipped or herniated discs. Why? Some men may have a higher-than-normal risk of disc injury because of a genetic predisposition that makes the problem more common among men in their family.    

While risk factors for spinal disc injury aren’t bound by gender lines, some risk factors (like smoking or having a physically demanding job) are more common among men — and these factors can exacerbate the effects of the risk factors that affect men and women equally (like older age). Let’s take a closer look: 

Physical occupation

Having a physically demanding job that requires repetitive lifting, pulling, bending, or twisting increases the odds of lumbar disc herniation and lower back pain.

Poor biomechanics

Poor biomechanics when lifting a heavy object (i.e., loading your back rather than your legs) places a high degree of stress on lumbar discs that can lead to an acute rupture.  

Being sedentary

A sedentary job or inactive lifestyle accelerates disc degeneration in the lower back through sustained compression on the lumbar spine during prolonged periods of sitting.   

Frequent driving 

A job or lifestyle that requires frequent driving can strain the discs in your lower back via prolonged sitting along with the constant vibration of the roadway. 

Being overweight 

Excess weight places extra pressure on the discs in your lower back, and having weak core muscles in your abdomen and back exacerbates the problem.  

Smoking cigarettes

Smoking reduces blood flow to spinal discs, depriving them of oxygen and accelerating their degeneration. This unhealthy habit also interferes with healing when they rupture. 

Getting older

Discs and their supporting ligaments degrade naturally as you age. Other risk factors, like smoking or carrying extra weight, can make this degeneration more rapid. Once spinal disc degeneration is more advanced, herniation can occur under relatively minor strain.   

Take these steps to lower your disc injury risk  

While you can’t change certain risk factors for disc injury, you can mitigate your risk by acting on the factors that are within your control. For men and women alike, this means:

• Reaching and maintaining a healthy body weight 
• Staying physically active; strengthening the core
• Quitting smoking; abstaining from tobacco use
• Practicing proper postural habits and lifting form
• Knowing and respecting personal physical limits 

Ready to safeguard your spinal health? We’re here to help. Call or click online to schedule an appointment at your nearest Interventional Sports and Pain Management Associates office in Humble or Baytown, Texas, today.