About the condition: The discs are made from a tough, fibrous case, which contains a softer, gel-like substance. A slipped disc occurs when the outer part of the disc ruptures (splits), allowing the gel inside to bulge and protrude outwards between the vertebrae.
The damaged disc can put pressure on the whole spinal cord or on a single nerve fibre. This means that a slipped disc can cause pain both in the area of the protruding disc and in any part of the body that is controlled by the nerve that the disc is pressing on. Slipped discs are most common in people between the ages of 30 and 50. The condition affects twice as many men as women.
A slipped disc occurs most frequently in the lower back, but any disc can rupture, including those in the upper back and neck.
Disorders affecting spinal nerves, but not directly affecting the cord, cause sensory or motor abnormalities, or both, only in the areas supplied by the affected spinal nerves. Chiropractors are trained to evaluate and diagnose which spinal level and segment the cause of the problem is originating from.
Symptoms: With most slipped discs, pain is caused when part of the disc begins to press on one of the nerves that run along the spine. The sciatic nerve is the most commonly affected nerve.
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body and is made up of several smaller nerves. It runs from the back of the pelvis, through the buttocks and all the way down both legs, ending at the feet.
If you have pressure on the sciatic nerve, it can cause a lasting, aching pain, numbness, a tingling sensation in one or both of your legs. These symptoms often start in the lower back and travel down the buttocks, into either of the legs.
If the slipped disc presses on any of the other nerves that run down your spinal cord, your symptoms may include:
muscle paralysis (weakness)
muscle spasms, when your muscles contract tightly and painfully
loss of bladder control
Muscle spasms and paralysis tend to occur in your arms, legs and buttocks. The pain that you experience when a disc presses on a nerve is often worse when you put pressure on the nerve.
Treatment: A recent research study stated: “although some patients will ultimately require surgical intervention, given that many patients will improve with non-operative therapy, a trial of conservative management (including chiropractic treatment) is appropriate.” Studies have shown that chiropractic manipulation alone and in conjunction with soft tissue techniques and exercise will alleviate pain resulting from slipped disc and aid recovery.
“With disc injuries and trapped nerves the resulting pain is commonly caused not by direct pressure of the disc protrusion or bony outgrowth but from the inflammation that these problems cause. If you can settle the inflammation and increase the movement of the nerve at that level the pain will significantly subside. These injuries will take time to resolve as they are a severe injury and can often be long term in nature. I aim to try and speed up the healing process and then maintain the improvements we have seen and try and limit these problems happening again” explains Dr Alex.
