A spinal disc refers to the disc which contains another layer of the fluid-filled sac that is between the vertebrae that provide cushion for the vertebrae, absorbs most of the shock from the vertebrae, allows enough space for movement of the nerves going from the spine to other parts of the body, and maintains structure and motion of the spine.
While the spinal discs can handle a lot of pressure and strain, certain pressures, actions, health conditions, leg pain, etc. combined with our daily wear and tear of the spine cause the discs to rupture or get irritated and cause issues.
The usual symptoms of disc issues are back pain, back pain that could get worse with movements, sneezing, coughing, numbness, tingling, pins and needles sensation, etc. The pain caused can also be called disc pain.
Disc pain can arise from:
- Age
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Poor posture
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Improper form while doing tasks or working out.
- Lifting heavy things or twisting and turning a lot.
- Injury
The type of disc pain can be:
- Herniated/ slipped/ protruding disc: The disc ends up getting a tear in the outer disc and the inner sac starts to slip or protrude out of the tear causing pain.
- Degenerative disc disease: As we age, due to certain activities, or due to lack of proper blood flow to the spine, the disc and sac dry out and there isn’t much fluid in the discs to provide a cushion or absorb much of the shock it used to. This causes the vertebrae to rub against each other, and pinch the nerves causing pain.
- Disc infections: infections of the spinal discs, usually by a bacterium but can be viral too, that causes inflammation and swelling of the disc and causes extreme pain.
- Disc strain/ sprain: irritation and/ or inflammation of the spinal disc due to too much pressure causing sprain or strain, like any other soft tissue.
All these situations lead to the disc not having proper healing and being the root cause for the pain.
Doctors would usually recommend a lot of antibiotics, therapy, medications, surgeries, etc. to get rid of the pain and cure the root cause.
But, these are expensive, time-consuming, have the possibility for relapses, not suitable for people of certain ages and health conditions, etc.
Then there is spinal decompression.
Chiropractic spinal decompression is a non-invasive, pain-free treatment for a lot of spine-related issues.
Spinal decompression involves the gentle stretching, or elongation, of the spine in certain angles, levels, directions to elongate the vertebrae, thereby elongating the discs and causing them to pop back into space, forming a negative intradiscal pressure allowing the protruded to get back in, there is improved circulation which allows an influx of nutrients.
The benefits of decompression for disc pain include:
- It is non-invasive, pain-free, less time consuming
- The procedure is effective in treating and pain management
- Suitable for people of all ages and most health conditions
- Less expensive
- Improved posture
- Addresses root cause
- Provides long-term results
- Increased body immunity, improved circulation, improved mobility and flexibility
- No side-effects
- Improved mind and body alertness, but still relaxing
So, if you are experiencing back pain and think it might be disc pain, book an appointment with your nearest licensed chiropractor and get rid of that pain.
Happy healing!