What Damaged Discs Actually Look Like (And Why Your Back Feels So Weird)

Before I started studying corrective exercise more seriously, I was sometimes a tad fuzzy on what people actually meant when they said they had “disc issues.”

Then I came across this image and suddenly a lot of chronic movement patterns — and a lot of low back pain — started making more sense. Frankly, it also explained why some people get out of bed looking like they just lost a fight with a medieval drawbridge.

Things to know about the discs:

• Healthy discs act like cushions and shock absorbers between the vertebrae.

  
  

• Over time, discs can lose hydration, flatten, bulge, or become compromised.

  
  

• This doesn’t always equal pain — but it can absolutely affect movement and stability.

  
  

One reason I’m so interested in strength, alignment, and controlled movement these days? Helping clients support the structures around the spine as intelligently as possible.

Because once you see what the spine is actually dealing with, “move better” stops sounding like vague fitness advice and starts sounding like something you actually want to do.

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