Disc Bulges and Herniations
You probably know someone or have heard of someone that has a herniated or bulging disc in their neck or low back (aka protrusion, extrusion, slipped disc, prolapsed). But what is it exactly, how do you get it, and how do you fix it? Some red flags for a potential disc injury are as follows: central spinal pain worse bending forward than leaning backwards, deep pain that doesn’t cause any palpable superficial tenderness, weakness in the legs, feet or toes, or any pain, numbness or tingling extending into the legs, feet or toes. This makes disc injuries especially risky; if a disc issue is not properly addressed, there is a potential for a permanent loss of function. If you feel you might have a disc injury, call our doctors today for a free consultation. We will take the time to understand your issues and provide our expert advice on next steps.
At Back Works Chiropractic in Chicago, our doctors have a special treatment protocol designed for people with disc problems. Our doctors use a special machine called a flexion distraction machine, which is designed specifically for treating disc problems. He combines this with other forms of chiropractic, physiotherapy, and exercise therapy to get excellent results. If you think you might have a disc injury, it should not be taken lightly. Because of the potential for permanent neurological damage, you should have it evaluated by a professional as soon as possible.
To understand disc bulges and herniations, you must first understand how a disc is constructed. Your spine is made up of 24 moveable bones called vertebrae and a sacrum. Between each of these bones is a disc. These discs help provide support to the spine while also allowing for your movement. They act as small shock absorbers when you run, jump, and move. These joints are constructed in a specific way in order to have the ability to perform all of these tasks. In the middle of the disc is a jelly like material, and this is surrounded on all sides by fibrous ligaments. This allows one vertebra to twist, slide and bend over the top of another one. When these ligaments are injured, stretched or weakened, the jelly in the core of the disc can migrate away from the center and the disc can balloon out, thus causing a herniated disc. This can put pressure on your adjacent spinal nerves causing pain and dysfunction not only in the area where the nerve exits the spine, but along the whole path that the nerve follows. For instance, a disc herniation in the low back can cause pain, numbness or weakness shooting into the leg.
These disc issues can come from a specific injury, or they can come from an overuse injury in which the disc can break down over time. Typically, this will happen with some sort of flexion or rotational type of injury, from repeated bending or from prolonged forward posture. This happens when your body is bent forward compressing the disc or when it is rotated, causing the disc to twist. Disc injuries can be avoided by avoiding these types of activity, keeping proper posture (especially when lifting), and by strengthening and stretching their muscles of the body’s core (stomach, back, and hips). Training the body’s balance and using controlled movements during workouts, or daily routines can also help eliminate risk.
Once diagnosed with a bulging or herniated disk, you will typically be treated conservatively at first (Chiropractic, Decompression, and Physiotherapy), and if this fails, more invasive procedures may be needed. Sometimes, a cortisone shot can help manage the pain associated with such cases. In the most severe cases, surgery may be your only option.
Did you get enough information about bulging and herniated disks? If not, schedule a free consultation today with one of our doctors to understand your treatment options.
