HERNIATED DISKS

WHAT ARE HERNIATED DISKS?

The 24 vertebrae of your spine are separated from one another

by pads of cartilage called discs.  These discs have a fairly tough

outer layer with a soft interior to cushion against the shocks and

strains experienced as you move and put various stresses on your

spine.  The discs are subject to injury, disease, and degeneration

with use over time.  Certain activities and types of work increase

the risk of discs being damaged or deteriorating.  When the soft

interior material of a disc pushes out through a tear or weakening

in the outer covering, the disc is said to be herniated. 



Herniated discs are also called protruding, bulging, ruptured, prolapsed,

slipped, or degenerated discs.  There are fine distinctions between these

terms, but all really refer to a disc that is no longer in its normal condition

and/or position.  Herniated discs cause pain by impinging on (intruding

upon, irritating, and pinching) and even injuring nerves in the spinal

column.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TYPICAL SYMPTOMS OF HERNIATED DISKS?

Most disc herniation takes place in the lower back (lumbar spine).  The

second most common site of herniation is the neck (cervical spine).  A

herniated lumbar disc may send pain shooting down through your

buttock and thigh into the back of your leg (sciatica).  Cervical disc

herniation may cause pain in the shoulder, arm, and hand.  Herniated discs

can cause muscle weakness, make it hard to get up when you've been

sitting or lying down, cause pain when you strain to do something, even

when you cough or sneeze.  They sometimes produce pain in the lower

right side of the abdomen.  Herniated discs may also affect nerves to the

bladder and bowel, causing incontinence.  This symptom signals the need

for immediate, emergency attention. 

WHAT CAN CHIROPRACTIC DO?

There is broad acceptance among health care professionals and the public

of the recommendation that the pain from herniated discs be initially

treated conservatively.  That is, as long as there are no signs (such as

severe pain, numbness, or functional impairment from nerve involvement)

of the need for more invasive treatment, two or three months of

chiropractic care may be the best choice before considering to spinal

surgery or shots of analgesics (painkillers) in your back.  And only a

minority of disc herniations turn out to require treatment as traumatic and

costly as hospitalization and surgery or with as many side effects

(especially for older people) as opioid analgesics and muscle relaxants.

A chiropractor will examine and question you carefully, take a complete

history, and conduct appropriate diagnostic tests.  He or she will focus on

exactly what symptoms you've been suffering and determine which parts

of your spine are the likely cause of your pain and loss of function.

Chiropractic provides the special training, techniques, and experience

needed to safely and effectively adjust your spine so that the stress on

the discs is minimized, the pain relieved, the damaged or displaced

structures given a chance to heal, and your ability to return to normal

functioning restored.