Abstract
The second most common lumbosacral diagnosis in the United States is a herniation or prolapse of the intervertebral disc. Individuals with herniated discs can have a wide variety of clinical presentations, ranging from asymptomatic to severe spinal cord compression and pain. Studies suggest that an individual’s pre-existing perception of a condition is likely to influence their course of recovery. Currently, perceptions the general public holds regarding the consequences of disc herniation is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess current views regarding disc herniations in the general population with their reported prevalence and clinical outcome. This was determined via an electronic Qualtrics survey. This survey included demographic questions, medical history questions, disk herniation perception questions, and coping/resilience questions. Upon conclusion of survey administration, data analysis was performed via JASP. A key finding of this study was that resilience levels play a major role in participant’s views on herniated intervertebral discs (p=0.040). Participants with greater resilience levels had views on disc herniations that were more consistent with the findings in the literature (p=0.018). This may implicate low resilience levels in negative catastrophizing, which can impair the recovery process for patients. Due to this, healthcare providers should further consider a patient’s mental characteristics such as resilience and coping style when administering treatment. By further educating patients on their specific prognosis for a disc herniation, providers may be able to improve their overall perception of herniated discs, leading to a possible improvement in outcome.
Thesis Completion
2022
Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair/Advisor
Hanney, William
Degree
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
College
College of Health Professions and Sciences
Department
Health Sciences
Degree Program
Health Science; Pre-clinical track
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Release Date
5-1-2022
Recommended Citation
Gant, Jonah D., "The Relationship Between the Population's Perception of Herniated Intervertebral Disks and Their Known Physical Presentation" (2022). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 1136.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/1136