Posts Tagged ‘pain’
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011
If you visit clinician be it orthopedic surgeon or a neuro-surgeon and complain of back ache you are more than likely to be advised to have a MRI.
Low back pain is a very common condition. The Need for diagnostic imaging for patients with low back pain has often been exaggerated. ‘Evidence indicates that routine imaging is not associated with clinically meaningful benefits but can lead to harms’, reports Annals of Internal Medicine.
Usually diagnostic imaging in this condition should be indicated only if low back pain is associated with progressive neurologic deficits or signs or symptoms that suggest a serious or specific underlying condition. This evidence-based recommendations from the American College of Physicians(ACP) and the American Pain Society (APS) appear to be grossly neglected. Routine imaging does not seem to improve clinical outcomes and exposes patients to unnecessary harms.
Overuse of imaging imposes severe financial burden on patients who already suffer lower productivity due to the menacing low back pain. Reducing unnecessary tests or ineffective treatments decrease the costs associated with low back pain. In addition to the direct costs imaging also causes additional expenses by leading to additional tests, follow-up, and referrals. It may also result in an invasive procedure of limited or questionable benefit.
The appropriateness of many of the low back imaging studies obtained in clinical practice has long been questioned. The ACP/APS low back pain guideline recommends selective imaging for patients in whom it is clinically indicated.
There are numerous factors that explain why routine imaging does not seem beneficial. Most lumbar imaging abnormalities are common in persons without low back pain and are only loosely associated with back symptoms. Although advanced imaging can detect more and smaller abnormalities, these abnormalities are not necessarily clinically relevant. This means a rapid MRI need not always be of greater practical value than radiography for evaluating low back pain.
Many abnormalities detected with advanced imaging are so common in asymptomatic persons that they could be viewed as normal signs of aging. The presence of imaging abnormalities need not mean that the abnormalities are responsible for symptoms.
Acute low back pain has a favorable natural history and the expected yield of routine imaging is low. Most patients show significant improvements in pain and function in the first 4 weeks; routine imaging is unlikely to improve on this. Imaging results rarely affect treatment plans. Thus they often have a low impact on clinical outcomes.
Routine imaging is associated with potential harms:
- Lumbar radiography and CT contribute to cumulative low-level radiation exposure. They may promote the development of cancer.
- The use of iodinated contrast in lumbar CT is associated with hypersensitivity reactions and nephropathy (disease associated with the kidneys).
- The average radiation exposure from lumbar radiography is 75 times higher than for chest radiography. This is particularly harmful to young woman because of the proximity to the gonads (sex glands). The amount of female gonadal irradiation from lumbar radiography is supposed to tantamount to having chest radiography daily for several years.
Most clinicians routinely order imaging for all cases of lower back pain even in the absence of a clear clinical indication though ACP/APS guideline suggests a trial of management without imaging in adults with no risk factors other than older age. The use of advanced imaging modalities like MRI and CT scans is skyrocketing. A large number of clinicians hastily jump to these modalities irrespective of any guidelines.
Patient expectations and preferences about diagnostic testing also add to the cause. They expect a clear diagnosis for their low back pain. Some attach a clinician’s decision to not obtain imaging with low-quality care. There are patients who think that their pain is not legitimate or important if the clinician doesn’t order for imaging. Wanting diagnostic testing is a frequent reason for repeated office visits for chronic back pain. There are ones who insist that they need imaging even after the physician explains that it would be unnecessary.
The potential solutions include:
- Clinicians should adhere to the ACP/APS recommendations on use of imaging so as to reduce overuse. Most patients do not need immediate imaging, and an initial trial of therapy before imaging is warranted in many cases.
- Advanced imaging should be reserved for serious situations, i.e. only when the results are sure to influence clinical decision making. Conditions like major trauma, severe neurologic compromise, or vertebral infection qualify for being imaged using an MRI or CT scanner. In the absence of strong risk factors for cancer and lack of neurologic signs, initial imaging with lumbar radiography and evaluation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a reasonable approach.
- Patients should be educated about the pros and cons of imaging. Face-to-face information with patient hand outs, self-care education books, online materials, mass media educational campaigns help.
Source: ‘Diagnostic Imaging for Low Back Pain: Advice for High-Value Health Care from the American College of Physicians’: Annals of Internal Medicine.
Source-Medindi
by Dr. Nithin Jayan
Read more: Does Routine Imaging in Low Back Pain – Do More Harm Than Good? http://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/Does-Routine-Imaging-in-Low-Back-Pain-Do-More-Harm-Than-Good-80842-1.htm#ixzz1Dylv7n6r
Tags: back injuries, back pain, back surgery, healing, herniated disc, Imaging, Lower Back Pain, pain
Posted in Reposted from another source | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011
The following excerpt is taken from CBC News in Canada. See the full story here.
In the 1960s, adults who developed low back pain were undiagnoseable. Plain X-rays don’t reveal much about this condition, and physical exam usually reveals little. Physicians of that era, anxious not to cause harm, usually recommended an extended period of bed rest, which was often quite effective.
Beginning in the 1980s, however, with CT and subsequently MRI scanners, physicians could see all sorts of abnormalities in and around the spines of individuals with back pain, some of which seemed to be surgically manipulable. Surgery rates for back pain began to climb; technology melded with medicine to address what was in some cases incapacitating illness.
The problem, however, is that three decades later there is increasing evidence that surgery for lower back pain generally doesn’t work. A publication in International Orthopedics in 2008, for example, shows that although surgery carries with it a risk of complications, it appears to offer no benefit for patients with back pain. (This is a general finding for large populations … Patients with significant pain should still see their physician to get individualized advice.)
Tags: back pain, back surgery, Lower Back Pain, pain
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Wednesday, January 19th, 2011
If you are one of the millions of Americans who suffers from Sciatica, you know all too well how it can negatively affect your life. But what is Sciatica? How is it diagnosed? Can it be healed?
What is Sciatica?
Many folks confuse sciatica to be a diagnosis. It’s not. It’s a symptom of a different problem. But finding the problem can be…well, a problem. Think of it this way: You pull out a string of Christmas lights to put on your tree. You plug it in to be sure they work…but they don’t. So you check the fuse. It’s good. Now what? You systematically start looking at each bulb to find the one that is missing or burned out. It’s a painstaking process of hit and miss. That’s the same kind of problem doctors are facing—albeit much more intricate and critical—when they are trying to pinpoint the cause of sciatica.
Finding the source of sciatica can be difficult at best because it can be caused by a number of different conditions anywhere along the roots of the five sciatic nerves. The roots stem from the lumbar and sacral nerve lines which string down the spine in the L4 to the S3 vertebrae regions. Just about anything can go wrong in that area and cause sciatica to manifest itself in your buttocks, leg, knee or foot. You’ll know it when it occurs because it hurts! But moderate to severe pain is not the only challenge. Numbness, tingling, pins and needles and muscle weakness are signs of sciatica as well.
The most common culprit behind sciatica is nerve pinching. Nerves can get pinched in a variety of ways ranging from lumbar misalignment, a sacroiliac joint misalignment, Piriformis syndrome, greater Trochanteric Bursitis and most commonly, disc herniation.
How is Sciatica Diagnosed?
The standard protocol no matter what kind of doctor is consulted is for an examination to be performed first. If the sciatica does not extend below the knee, it is less likely that it is due to a disc problem, and it’s more likely that it’s due to a lumbar misalignment, a sacroiliac joint misalignment, Piriformis syndrome or Greater Trochanteric Bursitis. If on the other hand the sciatica does extend below the knee, it is somewhat more likely that it is due to a disc lesion.
Once the examination is performed the next steps differ depending on what type of doctor is doing the examining. If it’s a chiropractor, it is most likely that after the examination he will take an x-ray to rule out any kind of pathological process (such as bone cancer), and then treat the patient with chiropractic adjustments and physiotherapy. If the patient does not respond favorably within a week or two to this conservative approach, then the doctor will request pre-authorization from the insurance company for an MRI. It is unlikely that an insurance company will approve an MRI until after conservative treatment has been tried first and failed.
If however the patient is complaining of neurological symptoms such as numbness in the leg or weakness of any of the muscles of the leg, particularly the inability to walk on their heels (a condition called foot-drop), or loss of control of bowel or bladder function, then those neurological signs justify immediate approval and performance of an MRI. To not do an MRI in such a case could constitute negligence and could jeopardize the patient’s life, if not their ability to walk normally for the rest of their life.
If the patient goes first to an MD instead of a chiropractor, it is likely that they will first be prescribed some pain killers and anti-inflammatory medication. If that doesn’t work then they’ll prescribe physical therapy. If the therapy doesn’t work then they’ll order an MRI. Unless of course the patient demonstrates neurological signs and symptoms in which case the same urgency exists as in the above paragraph.
It is important to note that X-rays do not show whether or not a disc is bulging or ruptured. They only show the disc space, showing if it’s normal-sized, or thin. If it’s thin it may or may not show signs of arthritis. Occasionally an inflamed disc can show up on an x-ray as somewhat thicker than usual.
MRI’s and CT’s both show discs and will differentiate a normal healthy disc from an unhealthy one. They will also show if a disc is bulged or herniated and will show how well hydrated it is. Generally speaking, CT’s are best to show hard tissues such as bone, and MRI’s are best to show soft tissues like discs and nerves. So if arthritis or fractures are suspected by the ordering physician, a CT is ordered. If a disc bulge or herniation is suspected, then an MRI is ordered. Other diseases can also show up on CT’s and MRI’s such as spinal cord tumors, bone cancer, bone abscesses, meningeoceles, etc.
Can Sciatica be cured?
The more correct question is, “Can sciatica be relieved?” Remember sciatica is a symptom not a diagnosis. So whether or not sciatica can be relieved depends on whether or not the cause of the sciatica can be fixed.
The good news is that since the most common cause of sciatica is an impinged nerve usually resulting from a herniated or bulging disc, the answer is yes: Sciatica can be relieved with a fairly high success rate depending on how the problem is addressed. Many successful tactics can be implemented by your chiropractor or MD. They range from spinal decompression to surgery on the extreme end to core muscle strengthening, stretches, yoga and acupuncture on the more conservative end.
If the diagnosis is something other than a disc problem, the treatments can vary quite a bit…more than can be covered in this article.
Conclusion
The cause of sciatica can be very hard to diagnose. If you or a loved one is suffering, definitely seek help. Visit your chiropractor or MD, based on your preference. To do nothing may cause irreversible damage that may affect your ability to walk. Rest assured, help is out there. Relief is within reach.
Tags: back pain, back surgery, herniated disc, Lower Back Pain, pain, sciatica, spine
Posted in Articles by Michael Harris | 2 Comments »
Monday, December 13th, 2010
The following article is a repost from Newsmax.com. You can read the original post here.
There are many myths about back pain including:
Myth 1: The spine can be easily injured.
Fact: One of the most common back pain myths is that compared with the rest of the body, the spine – being extremely delicate – is more prone to injury and can be easily injured. The truth is, that the spine is not delicate, as the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support and surround the spine render it a very well designed and sturdy structure that is both supportive and flexible.
Myth 2: Lower back pain increases with age and becomes debilitating.
Fact: One myth is that lower back pain at a younger age gradually gets worse as we grow older. Research suggests that, on average, lower back pain reaches its peak between the ages of 35 and 55. After the age of 55, back pain treatment may be required to treat the problem of disc degeneration that occurs as part of the aging process as a natural phenomenon. Spinal paralysis is not genetic and lower back pain is not among its symptoms. However, spinal tumors, spinal infections, and unstable spine fractures do increase the risk of spinal paralysis.
Myth 3: Causes of back pain are hereditary.
Fact: You cannot assume that your lower back pain is due to a genetic predisposition. Parents play absolutely no role in passing their lower back pain on to you.
Myth 4: Causes of back pain can only be discovered by expensive MRI scans.
Fact: High-end diagnostic tests like MRI are not the only way to diagnose the underlying causes of back pain. This is one of those back pain myths that have no scientific basis whatsoever. While a good physical examination and a thorough analysis of a person’s medical history usually suffice in understanding the causes of back pain, only a few specific cases need diagnostic tests. This usually happens when the patient does not respond to any appropriate common back pain treatments. While the results of an MRI scan may suggest certain spinal abnormalities, there is enough medical evidence to prove that people with no lower back pain can sometimes have more serious problems and abnormalities like a herniated disc or a degenerative disc as revealed by their MRI results. In addition, lower back pain cannot be assumed to be a good indicator of the severity of spinal damage.
Myth 5: Active people don’t need back pain treatment.
Fact: Athletes, sportspersons, and home makers who lead an active life assume that they will never need back pain treatment. While a good amount of physical activity provides quicker back pain relief if the body is well-conditioned, there is no hard and fast rule that states that active individuals are less prone to lower back pain compared to sedentary individuals. Irrespective of the level of activity, an individual may need back pain treatment. In fact, some sports such as golf, volleyball, and gymnastics can sometimes lead to back pain.
Tags: back injuries, back pain, herniated disc, Lower Back Pain, pain
Posted in Reposted from another source | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
Did you know that virtually all back braces on the market today are based on the same working concept that was first developed way back in 650 A.D.? Sounds crazy but it’s true. That concept has been to immobilize the area of the back that is experiencing the pain. Immobilization is best accomplished using a belt or brace that squeezes tightly, similar to a woman’s corset. This is referred to as constriction.
However, in the 1990’s with the onset popularity of spinal decompression therapy one company designed a new kind of brace from scratch…a brace that could achieve a similar effect achieved during decompression therapy. (Decompression therapy is the use of computer guided spinal adjustments that targets herniated or bulging discs while you are lying on a spinal decompression therapy table. The adjustments expand the space between the two compressed vertebrae thus allowing the disc to distract [return] into its proper place and begin healing.)
The resulting new brace is the SR 500…a brace that inflates with air and expands vertically once adorned. As it expands vertically it pushes up against the rib cage and down against the pelvic girdle. This action helps offset the effect of gravity and stretches the lower spine thus creating decompression.
Since its invention and introduction to the U.S. market, the SR 500 has gained many fans, sworn advocates and users. The exclusive US distributor of the SR 500 is Spinal Rehab Solutions, Inc. (and the owner of this blog). It has received numerous testimonial letters at its offices in Henderson, NV. Many of them tell of how the SR 500 has practically healed them, saved them from spinal surgery and/or has afforded them a normal life again. The following is one such testimony:
“I have been using the SR 500 for about 18 months now. I first injured my back over 17 years ago when I fell on a ceramic tile floor. The fall caused my L5 disc to bulge. Since then my lower back had gotten worse as my discs had degenerated. No doctor or surgeon could help me. Weekly visits to my chiropractor were all that was saving me. During this time I never stopped looking for a remedy. Every three months or so I would use Google to search for various key words for back pain remedies. Then finally I found the SR 500 and I have been wearing it religiously since. I love it! It works! I can definitely tell my back is finally healing. I am no longer in pain and am even able to start exercising again. My chiropractor even got mad at me because he knows I am doing something that is healing my back but I haven’t told him what! I estimate that in another 6 months my back will be totally healed.”
Kathy Benkert
Lathrup Village, Michigan
Here is another testimonal from a gentleman in Kansas City, KS–a man that happens to actually work in the medical equipment supply industry and was already familiar with the various constriction braces on the market. Here is what he had to say:
“I was first introduced to the SR 500 Brace at a company training. Spinal Rehab Solutions founder and CEO Steven Fontana had flown out to our corporate headquarters in Kansas City, KS, to educate our staff on how this new brace works so we could best represent it to our client base. As Steven began to explain how the brace creates decompression of the spine by lodging up under the rib cage and pushing down against the pelvic girdle, my interest immediately began to intensify.
I approached Steven after the training to inquire about getting one. I explained to him how I had been suffering from chronic back pain for the last 8 years (since my spinal compression fracture) and was on the verge of agreeing to back surgery.
Steven was kind enough to leave me with a sample brace and I began wearing it that day. I was very anxious to see if it would do what Steven claimed it would do—decompress my spine. I had a 3 day ministry convention coming up where I would be standing in a booth long periods of time. I figured that would be the ultimate test for the SR 500.
Well, it has been a month since I first started wearing the brace and I can honestly say I am very blessed to have received it. My back pain is pretty much eliminated. I still wear the SR 500 from 2 to 4 hours per day. If I have a particularly long day on my feet, or have to do a lot of walking, or any serious lifting (not often, but occasionally) I still feel that old ache… but it is SIGNIFICANTLY improved! So much so, that I have really put off the idea of surgery!
I used to have nights when I couldn’t sleep, even with pretty heavy doses of anti-inflammatory medication, and sometimes even with prescription pain meds; I have not had a sleepless night (well, at least from back pain) since about a week after I began wearing the SR 500.
I wore the SR 500 for most of the time that I worked the 3-day ministry conference; I wore it under my polo, over a t-shirt, and it was quite comfortable for the extended hours I worked our booth. I am gearing up to work another 3 day festival on Labor Day weekend, and will be counting on my SR 500 to pull me through again!
Thanks again to Steven and Spinal Rehab Solutions for providing this incredible product to me. I’m serious… I LOVE it!”
Jim Gillespie
Knit-Rite
Kansas City, KS
If you suffer from a bulging or ruptured disc please consider the SR 500 brace. It could help you like it has helped thousands already. You must first obtain a prescription from your doctor. Most insurance companies will cover the SR 500 as will Medicare. If your doctor is not familiar with the SR 500 you may want to visit www.SpinalRehabSolutions.com and print off appropriate material to take to him/her. If your doctor still will not prescribe you one (although rare, it has happened. Some doctors just don’t like new things or change, or they may have financial motives to steer you toward surgery or other remedies), then please move on to another doctor, or call the Spinal Rehab offices at 702-586-5107 to inquire about a doctor in your area that is known to be familiar with the SR 500.
Happy healing!
Tags: back brace, back pain, back surgery, chiropractics, decompression, herniated disc, Lower Back Pain, pain, spinal brace, spinal decompression, spine, sr 500
Posted in Articles by Michael Harris | No Comments »
Friday, October 29th, 2010
If you were to do a search online for the “SR 500” you would likely come up with some links to a Yamaha motorcycle. You would also find the SR 500 is the given product name for a certain type of back brace, however, the SR 500 is no normal brace. Normal braces—or braces that are “common” on the market—are constriction braces. This means exactly what the term implies…they constrict. They are designed to cinch tight around the abdomen to immobilize the area. The theory is less movement less pain.
This simple logic has been the “backbone” of back bracing theory for hundreds of years. Then in the mid 1980s a new kind of treatment started to take hold in America—spinal decompression. By the late 1990s decompression therapy had made significant advances in technology and popularity. It was about that time that a Korean Medical company asked the question: Why can’t there be a brace that produces some of the same effects as decompression therapy?
The result of that question led to the world’s first ever decompression brace. I’ll spare you the details of exactly how it evolved, but evolve it did to what is now known as the SR 500. So let’s take an inside-out look at the SR 500. What makes it unique? What makes it a “decompression” brace?
First of all, the SR 500 is not a constriction brace. It does not immobilize the spine. When properly adorned, it actually promotes healthy movement. This helps avoid muscle atrophy which is a known side effect of the constriction back brace.
What the SR 500 does is expand vertically. In order to obtain a decompression effect, the designers created unique air chambers or cells made of a rubber bladder-like material that, when filled with air, expand upward. As they expand they cause the overall profile of the belt to grow from just 4 inches in height to over 7 inches in vertical height. As it does it lodges up under the rib cage pushing upwards and down against the pelvic girdle pushing downwards. The result is an unloading of the lumbar spine as the weight-bearing forces are offset. As this occurs, something quite magical takes place inside the spine. Discs that have been “compressed” due to an injury (such as a herniated or bulging disc) or due to a long life of poor health and poor posture (results are disc degeneration) can now “decompress.” That means they can distract or facilitate back into their original space and shape. As they do they reabsorb any lost fluids and begin to heal.
The decompression effect achieved by the SR 500 is a scaled down version of the decompression achieved on a decompression table at a qualified chiropractor’s office. Decompression tables use computer guided micro movements to target and adjust specific discs for short periods of time while the patient is on the table. This pinpointed effect has produced thousands of positive results for chronic back pain sufferers. The SR 500 offers the chance to continue decompression into the home between visits or after the therapy ends. It serves as a perfect supplement to the table treatments and it has helped speed the recovery of many patients. It has even allowed many patients freedom from pain killers and the elimination of the possibility of spinal surgery.
Included with the SR 500 is a hand pump that has a built in pressure gauge to insure proper inflation, a owner’s manual and a laundry bag. The SR 500 is 100% machine washable. The brace also comes with a rigid front and rear panel for those individuals who need more spinal stability in the initial stages of healing.
The design behind the SR 500 is patent protected and is available by prescription only. Medicare and private insurance companies reimburse for the brace. Visit your doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist or other care provider to inquire about obtaining your own SR 500. You may want to visit www.spinalrehabsolutions.com first and print off some information to show your provider in case he/she is not familiar with this type of brace.
Tags: back brace, back injuries, back pain, back surgery, chiropractics, decompression, discs, distraction, Durable Medical Equipment, healing, herniated disc, Lower Back Pain, pain, spinal brace, spinal decompression, Spinal Rehab Solutions, spine, sr 500
Posted in Articles by Michael Harris | 10 Comments »
Thursday, October 14th, 2010
If only there were a study done regarding how effective back surgery is in relation to not having back surgery. I wonder what the results would be? Maybe some day someone will conduct such a study.
Well, that someday is today! In a very thought provoking article, MSNBC contributor Linda Carroll reports on just such a study. It is a great article that tells the story of a Scottsdale, AZ woman who has endured two back surgeries only to find her pain increasing.
The article also reports on what researchers found when they combed through over 1400 patients in the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Comp database. The results regarding back pain sufferers who went under the knife vs. those who did not are nothing less that shocking!
Read the entire article here.
Tags: back brace, back injuries, back pain, back surgery, discs, DME, Durable Medical Equipment, HME, Home Medical Equipment, Lower Back Pain, MSNBC, pain, spinal brace, spinal decompression, spine, sr 500
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
The following is a repost from Readers Digest
Back pain is hurting us—in the wallet. According to new government numbers, we spent nearly twice as much on the problem in 2007 as we did in 1997: more than $30 billion, up from an inflation-adjusted $16 billion a decade earlier.
Generally, the passage of time and extra attention to body mechanics are enough to ease the discomfort (pain relievers help too). But you may be able to lower your risk of a recurrence by strolling down the right aisle in the supermarket. The research isn’t all in, but intriguing evidence suggests that certain foods can quash inflammation that contributes to some kinds of back pain—especially bouts linked to arthritis. Here, from Kitchen Cabinet Cures (Reader’s Digest, $31.96), foods to eat and to avoid.
Eat More
- Cherries. One study showed that drinking 12 ounces of tart cherry juice twice a day for eight days reduced muscle pain and strain. Fresh or canned tart cherries are also helpful.
- Olive oil
- Canned salmon, sardines packed in water or olive oil, mackerel, albacore tuna, flaxseed, and walnuts—all good sources ofomega-3 fatty acids
- Vegetable protein (such as soy)
- Vegetables and fruits of every hue (canned or frozen are fine, as long as they’re not packed in heavy syrup or loaded with salt)
- Nuts of all kinds
- Green tea
- Ginger. Try steeping a bit of grated root in boiling water for tea.
 Cherries are high in antioxidants. Eat less
- Certain vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed, or “mixed” vegetable oils
- Margarine and vegetable shortening
- Processed foods
- Products containing high-fructose corn syrup
- Foods high in saturated fat, including meat, tropical oils, and full-fat dairy products
- Foods made with trans fats
A lack of vitamin D, the “sunshine” vitamin, may contribute to back pain. In one study, more than 80 percent of people between 15 and 52 with chronic low-back pain were deficient in the vitamin—and when they started supplementing, their back pain improved. Some nutrition experts suggest taking 1,000 IU of D3 daily.
Tags: back pain, back surgery, healthy foods, Lower Back Pain, pain, spine
Posted in Reposted from another source | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
Tags: back brace, back pain, back surgery, DME, Durable Medical Equipment, herniated disc, Lower Back Pain, pain, prescription drug addiction, spinal brace, spinal decompression, spine, sr 500
Posted in Articles by Michael Harris | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
If you are one of the millions of Americans suffering from disc-related back pain it is important for you to understand the difference between the three major types of disc dysfunction and how to treat them.
A disc can suffer damage from an isolated incident such as a fall or a car accident, or it can gradually weaken with age. Either way, the result is most likely severe pain.
This is because discs are in such close proximity to a slew of delicate nerves. One slip, bulge, break or squeeze from the adjacent disc and you can experience pain that will stop you in your tracks, most likely in the form of sciatica pain (the nerve that goes through your buttocks and down your legs).
Here’s a summary of everything you ever needed to know about your discs but never knew you needed to ask:
- A healthy disc has a fibrous outer shell with a jelly-like, squishy substance in the middle called the nucleus. It is that center substance that gives the disc its shock absorbing traits and keeps the vertebrae from rubbing against each other.
- A bulging disc is when, most likely through an injury, the disc is over compacted (squished) between the two vertebrae it protects, forcing the nucleus to push against the fibrous shell with such force that it actually bulges the wall of the shell.
- A herniated disc is when the nucleus actually penetrates the fibrous wall spilling out into the inter-vertebra cavity. This is also called a ruptured disc.
- Disc degeneration is not necessarily caused by injury although an earlier injury may be the partial cause. Degeneration is a much slower onset and is due to age, poor health and poor posture. All these combined gradually wear the disc down. The disc loses its height and elasticity. As it loses height it begins to allow the vertebra to touch and rub. This in itself can be painful and will likely result in osteophyte formations (bone spurs on the outer rim of the vertebrae). Signs of early disc degeneration are referred to as disc thinning.
No matter your disc ailment, believe it or not there is something you can do. Discs can heal if given the opportunity. That opportunity is in the form of added space. All of the above ailments are caused by either a onetime violent squeeze on the disc or a life time of squeezing from gravitational effects. Either way the disc’s natural residing area was compromised forcing it to flatten. With no room to spare in the inter-vertebral disc space, the disc, or parts of it, is forced out. Or in the case of degeneration, cell by cell, over time the disc dissipates.
Give the disc back its original space and the disc will reassume its original shape…and heal! Well, most likely. Extremity of the injury or the advancement of the degeneration may be deterring factors…as will age and patient’s overall health.
How do you give a disc more space? Depends on who you ask. A spinal surgeon is likely to tell you it can be done through surgery (by cutting off the herniation or carving into the vertebra to create more room) or not at all (in which case they may recommend a spinal fusion of the two vertebrae in question thus totally eliminating the need for the disc).
A chiropractor will tell you otherwise—particularly a chiro who specializes in decompression therapy. Modern decompression therapy involves computer guided micro adjustments that can target the specific disc in question. The adjustments expand or stretch the two vertebrae thus creating more inter-vertebral disc space. The result is the disc distracts back into its place and begins the healing process. Full distraction is accomplished over the course of 15 to 30 sessions. These sessions may be augmented with a decompression brace.
Of course, it should go without saying that exercise and good health can make a huge difference in both preventing disc problems in the first place, and in helping them heal. This is especially true with degenerative disc disease. If your core muscles, (the ones responsible for lower spine support) are kept strong, natural weight-bearing forces are kept off the discs to begin with thereby sparing your discs the wear and tear that promotes degeneration.
Tags: back injuries, back surgery, healing, herniated disc, Lower Back Pain, pain, spinal decompression, spine
Posted in Articles by Michael Harris | 17 Comments »
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