Make Healthy Easy

10 Tips for Navigating the Best Care for a Herniated Disc

February 18, 2019 By Jenna Braddock Leave a Comment

It took me 5 months to figure out that my daily pain was being caused by a herniated disc and what I needed to do to fix it. To help this NOT happen to you, here’s my story plus 10 tips for navigating the best health care for a herniated disc.

My herniated disc journey began in February 2018, before I had a clue that I had any type of problem. At a normal workout I decided to do a set of back extensions on the apparatus where you tuck your feet in and raise your torso. I hadn’t done this exercise in a while but decided that day I wanted to do something to strengthen my lower back. The next day however, I woke up and my back and left hamstring were in noticeable pain. As many regular exercisers often think, I thought I had simply strained a muscle and needed to stretch and rest it. The weird thing is that the pain didn’t seem to match the action that I thought had caused it. It REALLY didn’t make sense that my hamstring was also hurting badly. It took a couple of weeks to feel better and I returned to my normal routine.

Tip 1: If your pain doesn’t match the offense, get a professional opinion.

At the beginning of June our family returned from our vacation in Utah on a lengthy, 5 hour flight. When I got home, my hamstrings felt really stiff, so I foam rolled them and went to bed. The next morning I woke up to significant back and hamstring pain. I didn’t connect any dots yet but after a couple of weeks the pain subsided. The month of June was filled with a lot of sitting, as I studied and took the ACSM Personal Trainer certification exam and also did some crazy traveling with LOTS of sittings for a friend’s funeral. My body was not quite right this whole time, but I still wasn’t thinking something was really wrong….

Dinner Ideas for Two with ALDI

Planning a special night at home? Look no further than these simple, yet elegant, dinner ideas for two that encourage being together over being perfect. This post is sponsored by ALDI. I am honored to work with them. Valentine’s Day is kind of a funny holiday. Some see it as a wonderful reason to celebrate…

Defining Your Own Healthy

What does healthy mean to you? Really, take a minute to think about this question. Are you letting someone or something define healthy for you? Is that the right definition for YOU? It’s actually much harder than you may think, because the term “health” has many facets. As an official definition, health is…

Healthy Lunch Ideas

Whether you are experienced or not at bringing your lunch, you might need to rethink your Monday-Friday situation. I’ve got you covered with tips and healthy lunch ideas that are also quick and easy. In my Make Healthy Easy philosophy, lunch should be an easy slam dunk for healthy eating. For most adults, they are…

Avocado Kale Salad

Raw kale is quickly transformed in to a delicious, fresh salad by adding creamy avocados and sweet balsamic vinegar to the party. Try this easy Avocado Kale Salad and you’ll have everyone shouting “Kale Yes!” This post was originally published in 2015 and was updated in January 2019. Kale has become so trendy in the…

2018 Recap – Scars & Glory

Hindsight is 20/20. The past couple of weeks I have been mulling over the events of 2018 looking for themes or lessons that would help me process the year. Reflection is really important for gaining clarity from past experiences and creating direction for where you want to go in the future. It’s been good for…

Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini

Sun-dried tomatoes, lean sausage and cheddar jazz up the quinoa based filling for this delicious stuffed zucchini dish. It will have even quinoa-haters thinking twice. This stuffed zucchini recipe has been a favorite of mine for a long time. Why? See, I love quinoa, and my boys will sort of eat it too. But Coach,…

2018 Christmas Gift Guide

Looking for something unique and special this holiday? I’ve put together a short, but very sweet list of my favorites from 2018 to make up my Christmas Gift Guide. Seriously check out these perfect finds for that special person in your life. This post contains affiliate links that help support Make Healthy Easy to continue…

Roasted Okra with Smoky Red Pepper Ricotta

Elevate your appetizer or side dish scene with this sophisticated, yet simple to prepare, okra appetizer. Okra is the unsung hero of vegetables. At least this is how I feel about it. Most people are only familiar with fried okra or okra in gumbo. While both of these dishes are delectable, it’s only the beginning…

Healthy Holiday Food Hacks

The holidays are here and I’m so freaking excited!! With our boys now bigger boys, and not toddlers, there are so many fun things we can do together, including staying out just a little later when needed. 😉 This holiday will be unique for us because I am having back surgery on November 30th. I’m…

Things I’m trying

This year I’ve tried some new products in food, supplements, jewelry, and fashion. Some I have loved, some I just liked, and other were not winners, for me. Here’s a list of things I’m trying out and whether or not I recommend you do too. This post contains affiliate links and is partially sponsored by…

Dietitian Picks at ALDI - the healthy foods you should be buying at ALDI

Dietitian Picks at ALDI: Volume 2

It’s been 4 years since I wrote my first Dietitian Picks at ALDI post. While I’ve had the privilege of working with ALDI and even visiting their headquarters, it’s my personal passion for the store that brings me to writing this post. I continue to personally shop at ALDI and keep finding more amazing products…

Should you take a Collagen Supplement?

Considering taking a collagen supplement? Here’s what you need to know to decide if it’s right for you. What is Collagen? Collagen is a protein. In fact, it is the most abundant “extracellular matrix protein” in animal tissues (yes, humans count as animals). Our bodies are made up of trillions of tiny cells, and collagen…

Have a hankering for refried beans? With a few ingredients and easy steps, you can be enjoing this Vegan Refried Bean recipe in a snap as a dip or filling.

Vegan Refried Beans

One night, long ago, I had a hankering for refried beans at dinner. I often get these random food inspirations flying into my head during dinner prep. These tacos would be even better if they had refried beans in them! A thorough search through my pantry revealed there were no refried beans to be found….

Feed your family a fast, nutritious & delicious meal with this Quick Cuban Dinner. It's sure to please everyone and is a great choice for the young athletes in your home.

Vegetarian Cuban Dinner

Feed your family a fast, nutritious & delicious meal with this quick Vegetarian Cuban Dinner. It’s sure to please everyone and is a great choice for the young athletes in your home. This post is sponsored by Unilever as a part of the 2017 Agents of Change program. Dinnertime can be such a disaster without…

Back to School Lunch Ideas

Poof! That’s what I feel like has happened with the month of August. Poof! It’s gone. Here we are, the beginning of September, and so much has happened. (I’ll get to the Back to School Lunch Ideas in just a sec.) The boys have been in school for 3 whole weeks now. It already feels…

This easy, kid-friendly snack recipe simply requires 3 ingredients. It's perfect to cool off on a hot day.

Crunchy Frozen Yogurt Snack Bites

This post is sponsored by Unilever as part of their Agents of Change Program. I have to admit that snack time can get a little monotonous in our household. I typically use yogurt as our go-to afternoon snack because it’s easy, delicious and nutritious. However, I’ve been noticing that Team Braddock gets bored of a…

Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken AND Help with Healthy Meal Plans

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me about meal plans I would be rolling in the Benjamins, or rather, the Washingtons. Meal planning is something we ALL struggle with, myself included. It takes practice and the ability to tweak to the many changes that occur in a week’s time. However, I…

Boozy Blueberry Bacon Bites

Disclosure: This post was made in partnership with the US Highbush Blueberry Council. Football is coming. I can almost smell it. (If you really want to know, I’ll tell you how football smells.) It’s currently the end of July and for our family, it’s the calm before the storm. In just a week our life…

Blueberry Coconut Energy Balls

Snack time sometimes needs a remake in our house. We can get in such a rut and eventually, certain young members of Team Braddock revolt against the typically healthy options. To help with this, I created these Blueberry Coconut Energy Balls.

Father’s Day Ideas

Don’t settle for average food to celebrate the important dad in your life. Try these knock-your-socks off Father’s Day ideas for your celebratory spread. This TV segment was sponsored by ALDI. I really love making Coach an awesome meal that I know he will love, but many times I’m actually pretty self-conscious about the menu….