Who said, “A disc ‘slips’ out of place?”
If you didn’t know, spinal discs have a very poor blood supply, they also depend upon the circulation of joint fluids to keep them healthy. If a spinal joint loses its normal mobility and this pumping action is affected, the health of your spinal disc will decline.
Just like a moist sponge, a healthy disc moves, and is flexible. A dry, hard sponge is like a rock and can crack easily, under stress. This is how many disc rupture.
Because of the way discs move and is attached to the vertebral segments above and below, a disc can’t “slip” as commonly thought.
However, traumas like slip and falls, car accidents, sport injuries to the spine and believe or not improper prolonged sitting can cause discs to bulge, herniate, or even rupture altogether. This can be extremely painful, putting abnormal pressure on the spinal cord, nerve roots, and blood vessels in the spine often decreasing normal function.
The conservative chiropractic approach Dr. Angulo takes to disc problems is to help restore normal mobility and position to the spinal segments (known as joints).
The goal is to reduce disc bulges, increase spinal function to reduce spinal inflammation while slowing down the degenerative changes and increase the healing process of the surrounding soft tissues.
Please remember, every patient will respond differently to conservative treatment, and results cannot be guaranteed, many patients have avoided needless surgery or a dependency on pain medication by electing to use conservative chiropractic adjustments.
Traditional orthopedic approach to disc problems often ignores spinal function. Gentile chiropractic adjustments are safe and in many cases more effective than back surgery, all together.
What is a disc tear?
The most common type of disc injury is a small crack or micro-tear in the tough connective tissues of the disc known as the outer cartilage material called the annular fibers. Which allows for the spinal fluid to leak out, and the disc begins to wear out faster, thinning over time.
What is a bulging Disc?
The soft jelly-like substance inside the middle of the disc will push towards one side leading to swelling, which will compress a nerve. The center portion of the disc is still contained within the tough outer fibers of the disc, but can still cause intense pressure upon a nerve, leading to severe pain.
What’s a herniated disc?
The soft center of the disc is a jelly-like substance called the nucleus, which is located in the middle of the disc. It ruptures through the tough, outer fibers then extends to the outer edge or beyond the normal limits of the disc.
What’s a prolapsed disc?
An actual piece of disc material brakes away then becomes a fragment to float freely in the spinal canal.
What’s a desiccated disc?
This is when the disc loses its fluid content and degenerates all the way down to a rough, worn-out, non-functional disc. This will typically occur as the bones begin to rub together and fuse.
What is the intervertebral disc?
The common culprit to severe spine-related pain is a disc that is compressing a nerve root. Yet health related problems, in the spine are often misunderstood in the medical community.
Just remember that the disc is a small cartilage like pad that lies between spinal bones. The soft jelly-like substance that is located in the center of the disc is contained by layers of fibrous connective tissues. Each disc serves as a shock absorber or spacer for the spine. A healthy disc will allow for normal turning and bending.
Call my office today and ask for Dr. Louis Angulo at (212)769-9065 for more information about natural pain management and conservative program that may include specific spinal adjustments, muscle and fascial therapy, rehabilitative exercises and nutritional advice. Which will be based on your health history, age, current lifestyle, diagnostic findings, and present symptoms.
