It has been reported that herniated discs tend to protrude in the posterior or posterolateral direction as a result of the load applied to the disc and the posterior longitudinal ligament.
In 2005, Aultman et al. conducted an experiment using donors to determine the direction in which herniation protrusion tend to occur. The experiment consisted of repeatedly bending and stretching the donors in a given direction at an arbitrary angle and observing in which direction the hernia protruded. The results showed that the nucleus pulposus moved in the direction opposite to the direction of bending in all cases. This result confirms that the way the body is moved has a great influence on the direction of hernia protrusion.
This is why at the rehabilitation section of the ILC International Lumbago Clinic, we work with our patients and ensure their safety by counseling them on a way to alter the way they perform repetitive movements during their everyday workouts so that the motions are made in the direction opposite to their disc protrusion, as well as by making them aware of the need to avoid moving their bodies in that direction when they train.
