RISK FACTORS AND MANAGEMENT OF INTERVERTEBRAL DISC HERNIATION

Abstract

A herniated intervertebral disc is one of the most common and complex pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, causing significant harm to both the physical and psychological health of an individual. Each year, numerous people develop disc herniation, which lowers their quality of life and imposes a substantial financial burden on both patients and the state. The aim of the study was to identify the risk factors contributing to intervertebral disc herniation in order to define management methods. A descriptive quantitative study was conducted using a specially designed questionnaire. Data from 120 respondents were analysed and processed. Respondents were surveyed through Google Forms.

According to the study data, 56,67% of respondents had lumbar disc herniation, 21,67% had cervical, and 14,17% had thoracic damages. The condition was 1.2 times more frequent in men than in women, and more than two-thirds of the cases (72,5%) were diagnosed in individuals aged 30–59. Among the affected individuals, potential risk factors for disk herniation included: Professional activity: 66,7% of respondents were engaged in office-based work, and of them, 67,5% spent more than 4 hours in a seated position; Occupational workload: in 69% of cases, workload contributed to the frequency and severity of the condition; Smoking: 55,8% of participants were smokers. The most effective preventive measures identified were physical exercise (39,2%) and maintaining proper posture at work (22,5%). Rehabilitation-based management approaches were found to improve quality of life in all cases, with significant improvement reported by 46,67%.