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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Spinal Decompression

DTS (Decompression Traction System) is a procedure designed to reduce pressure on the tissues of the nerves on your spine. The various angles of decompression cause a negative pressure within the vertebral discs that creates an optimal environment for nutrients, water and blood flow thereby allowing healing to take place.

Indications for decompression traction are to relieve peripheral radiation/sciatica and pain associated with: protruding, bulging, herniated, prolapsed disc, degenerative disc disease, posterior facet syndrome, acute fact syndrome, radicular pain, spinal root impingement, hypo-mobility, degenerative joint disease, compression fracture, joint pain and discogenic pain.

DTS uses an intermittent pull at a pre-determined level of force to help separate the joint surfaces and/or to elongate the surrounding soft tissue. It also uses a progressive/regressive mode that slowly builds up to the maximum level of pull and then gradually returns to the minimum level.

There are two different types of clinical protocols that are done at Lifestyle Chiropractic: Lumbar and Cervical.
Lumbar decompression traction can be done prone (on stomach) or supine (on back). A thorough evaluation will determine which position is best for each individual. Treatment frequency varies by condition and individual, and as frequency is reduced, the program of care will become more aggressive.

Cervical decompression is done in a reclined seated position. Typical starting force will be 15-20 pounds and any increases to tolerance to 25-30 pounds, in five pound increments.

Spinal decompression has evolved into a cost-effective non-surgical treatment for herniated and degenerative spinal disc disease, one of the major causes of back pain. Traction can be billed through your insurance, and through our services, we will verify your benefits.

Visit Lifestyle Chiropractic Helps Back Pain For More Information

Sciatica is a set of symptoms, not really a diagnosis in itself.

Symptoms of leg/buttock pain & possibly numbness & tingling along path of sciatic nerve down back of leg.

Causes include: subluxation, spondylolisthesis, piriformis syndrome, disc herniation, trauma, or tumors.

Obviously, sciatica can be very painful and debillitating and many people seek answers to this problem. The key is finding the cause of the problem and addressing that rather than merely trying to relieve the pain.

Recommended first routes of treatment for sciatica: chiropractic care, spinal decompression, stretching or massage therapy. It is important to determine the cause of sciatica and a doctor of chiropractic is best qualified to make this determination.

Chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve pressure and relieve pain. They restore the body's natural healing ability. Adjustments return a person to mobility and alignment.

A chiropractic adjustment will TURN YOUR POWER ON!!

Spinal Decompression works by gently stretching tightened muscles and relieving pressure on discs and nerves. It's non-surgical, safe and effective, and has helped many patients.