I Slipped a Disc!

A "slipped disc" is referred to by a variety of terms: ruptured disc, torn disc (or disc tear), slipped disc, collapsed disc, disc protrusion, disc disease, and black disc. This can be frustrating as patients hear their healthcare providers refer to their condition using different terms. Hopefully this will help clear some of that confusion!

A common area is the lower back which can give rise to a condition called "sciatica." This is pain that shoots down the back of the leg when the disc bulges and presses on a nerve. However, disc herniations can happen in any area of the spine.

Disc bulges typically cause pain along the path of the nerve that it is affecting. The pain is often shooting, stabbing, or burning in nature but can also feel like an aching or throbbing pain

Often times the disc bulge is due to accumulated damage to the disc rather than one solitary event. Years of added stress to a structure combined with poor hydration or improper nutrition is often a recipe for injury.

Think of the disc as a spacer between the spinal bones. It's an important structure because it provides a space between the bones for the nerve to exit the spinal canal and carry function to the rest of the body. The disc is somewhat like a "jelly-doughnut." Soft on the inside, firm on the outside. What happens in a disc bulge is that when too much stress is placed on the disc it can force the "jelly" center out through the edge of the disc and push on the nerve giving rise to pain.

Other variables involved include how hydrated the discs are, the nutritional status of the individual, whether the bones above or below are properly aligned.

How Do I Know If My Disc Is Slipped?
The best way to tell is to have an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). However, several tests can be performed that are quite good at predicting whether or not their is a disc bulge without the high fee of an MRI. Your chiropractor is trained to test both orthopedicaly and neurologically to determine what may be causing your symptoms. If need be they can also refer you for an MRI. If you're having shooting, burning or stabbing pain down an extremity and the pain is worse when you "bear down" such as when coughing or sneezing, you likely could have a disc herniation. If there has been any change to your bowel or bladder function - seek help immediately as this can be a sign of a medical emergency!


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