Boomers, who account for a quarter of the U.S. population, tend to have more active lifestyles than previous generations. They are as active now as they were when they were younger. But now Boomers are living with chronic low back pain, herniated discs or osteoarthritis. Back pain is a common complaint among middle-aged Americans as they deal with hectic daily schedules, increasingly demanding jobs, and caring for children, grandchildren and aging parents.

Low back pain will affect four out of five adults during their lifetime. Here's How:

The most common symptom of a herniated disc is "sciatica". Sciatica is best described as a sharp, often shooting pain that begins in the buttocks and goes down the back of one leg. This is most often caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve that exits the spinal cord. Other symptoms include:

- Weakness in one leg or both legs
- Numbness and tingling in one leg (pins and needles)
- A burning pain centered in the low back
- Loss of bladder or bowel control (seek medical attention immediately)
- Back pain with gradually increasing leg pain. (If you have weakness in both legs. Seek immediate attention.)

Why did my discs herniate?

The normal changes associated with aging are not helpful to the back. As we grow older, (after the age of 30), the back and abdominal muscles weaken and become less stretchable. Also degenerative changes begin to take place in the structure of the discs. They become softer and thinner, which decreases their shock-absorbing quality.

While aging, excess weight, improper lifting and the decrease in water in the discs all contribute to the breaking down of discs, the primary cause of a herniated disc or bulge is uneven compression and torsion that's placed on your lower back.

This uneven pressure is caused by imbalances in muscles that pull the spine out of its normal position. Your body is forced to function in what I call a physical dysfunction. Every human being develops these dysfunctions over time and eventually they cause enough damage to create unbearable pain.

Your Doctor's Traditional Treatment Options May Not be the Best Treatment for Your Herniated Discs and Low Back Pain

When it comes to treating herniated discs, there are traditional treatments such as ice/heat, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, cortisone injections, anti-inflammatory medications and even surgery. While these may deliver some relief, it will usually be temporary.

The major problem with these traditional treatments is that they only address the symptoms of a herniated disc. They do not address the actual cause of the problem. For example, even if you were to have invasive surgery and get some pain relief, the fact is the root cause that caused the disc to become herniated in the first place is still there.

Why?

Because, our bodies adapt and change to our environment. This adaptation over time will cause muscle Imbalances. Those imbalances will cause postural dysfunctions. If the dysfunctions are not addressed, they will continue to place uneven pressure and strain on the discs. Sooner or later you will likely have another problem with that disc, or others.

To reduce low back pain and herniated discs, you must identify the underlying cause of your problem. Unfortunately, most doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists don't spend time or focus on identifying the hidden causes or physical dysfunctions that are responsible for the condition. So most Boomers jump from one useless traditional treatment to the next and suffer with continuous herniated disc flare-ups for months or years unnecessarily.

Here are My Top 3 Treatment Options to Help You Reduce Back Pain Virtually Overnight:

1. Know your Habits, Patterns, Postures and Positions: Understanding the many different causes of muscle imbalances is the first step to a pain free back. It begins with not what we are doing today but what we have done in the past 40 years. What did you do for work? Did you sit? Stand in one place? Were you lifting, bending or otherwise putting your body through hell every day?

2. Review Your Photo History: Simply knowing what you have done to develop your imbalances is only step one. Now you have to prove it to your self that those changes did take place over time. Open your family photo albums and find photos that have you in it from the front and from the side. Then take some of your own right now from the front, from the back and from the side and compare. Now it is natural to see changes but to see the changes and not take action to correct or control the physical changes will not help you.

3. Get the RIGHT Help: Find a qualified Manual Physical Therapist, that is trained to assess postural dysfunction and demand that they create both a short term and a long term plan of recovery for you.

Understanding back pain and taking action are two totally different animals. No one thinks that it will happen to him or her. And because it takes so long for our bodies to reach the point of pain, almost no one takes action to prevent back pain. So if back pain is an issue for you then educate your self and take action everyday. It is never to late to start a program of recovery on your own or with help from an expert.