The Slip of Your Disc

Injuring your back; it’s fairly easy to do and quite painful if and when you do it. One of the most common back injuries reported is a slipped disc. The slip of your disc is not actually a disc slipping out of place, but a bulging or rupture of the disc. An intervertebral disc can rupture at any level throughout the back, however the low back area is the most common slipped disc location. There are several causes of a slipped, or herniated, disc including degeneration issues leading to a loss of elasticity, fluid levels and range of motion. Other causes can include injury due to repetitive, excessive movements and less commonly due to sudden trauma or force.

Symptoms 

As the nerves of the body are intimately connected with the spinal column and exit at each level of the spine, a slipped disc can cause symptoms of pain that can travel to any level along a specific nerve. A slipped cervical disc can produce pain, numbness, tingling and weakness that may be felt in the neck, shoulder, arm or hands. A herniated disc in the lower back region can cause similar pain sensations into the buttocks, legs and feet. Conservative care is generally indicated for this type of back injury and chiropractic care has been shown to be successful in treating symptoms of a slipped disc. A chiropractor will provide a patient with a complete health history and physical examination followed by other diagnostic tests such as reflex and nerve function, muscle strength and postural testing as well as diagnostic imaging. If any of the findings are unusual, a chiropractic physician will refer the patient to the proper medical specialist before proceeding with care. Conservative care such as chiropractic is generally successful in the complete treatment of a slipped disc and is recommended prior to a patient seeking more aggressive treatment such as surgery.

References Cited in this Article

 www.emedicinehealth.com

 www.spineuniverse.com

 www.spine-health.com