Ever heard of a friend who slipped his or her disc? What is it and how does it happen? How do you know if you have it? Here, we find out:
First, some basics, a little anatomy lecture for you guys. Your body is made up of a large number of bones. Among those, you have a spinal column which is a group of 26 bones stacked on top of each other. In between each spinal bone are discs which cushions and absorbs the shocks from daily activities like walking, heavy lifting, and simple body movements. The discs also help maintain your back’s flexibility and enable you to maintain a wide range of movement. They are all made up of two parts – a soft, gelatinous inner portion and a tough outer ring.
Injury or weakness can cause the inner portion of the disk to protrude through the outer ring. This is known as a slipped or herniated disk. What you will feel when this happens is mainly pain and discomfort. Pain is mainly felt on the back and neck. Whats worst is, if the slipped disk compresses one of your spinal nerves too, you may also experience some form of numbness, electric-like sensation, and weakness.
In severe instances, you may require surgery to remove or repair the slipped disk. A chiropractor however, can help address back pain and slipped disc symptoms. Initially, your chiropractor will review your medical history, perform a physical exam, and perform orthopaedic and neurological tests too.
To treat a herniated disc, your chiropractor will come up with a treatment plan unique for your needs. This may include spinal manipulation, also known as spinal adjustments, and other chiropractic techniques to help relieve your herniated disc symptoms. This will be an individualized treatment plan, but it may include manual therapy and therapeutic exercises too.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions to your chiropractor about what types of treatments are most effective and why. You want to make sure you understand what will be done and how it can help relieve your pain.
Leave a Reply