in this MRI?
How To Determine If A Herniated Disc
Is Causing Your Low Back Pain… Or Pinching Your Nerve
PLUS, DISCOVER A LITTLE-KNOWN HERNIATED DISC TREATMENT…
Do you have a herniated disc in your low back that’s causing your low back pain? If you’re not sure, read this article to help you. Your spinal disc is the shock absorbing cartilage between each bone in your spine. Your disc is like a jelly doughnut.
The center of the disc is like petroleum jelly. The outer part is tough and strong and circles the center – like the rings of a freshly cut oak tree stump. What makes the outer layer so strong is the type of tissue it’s made up of. And the opposing criss-cross pattern of each layer or ring.
So how can your disc rupture, herniate or “slip” if it’s so tough and strong?
The answer: as your disc ages or when it’s injured, tears in your disc fibers occur creating channels for the liquid part to work its way out towards the edge and eventually break through the outer most layer. Hence, the term “herniated disc.” It’s similar to stepping on a jelly donut until the jelly leaks out to the point where you can see it.
Here’s the strange part…
Research tells us that about 50% of people have bulging discs. And 20% of us have herniated discs but have NO PAIN AT ALL! This makes diagnosis tough, since an MRI or CT scan may show a herniated or bulging disc, but how do we know that’s the disc that’s causing your pain or tingling or numbness?
Also, how can you tell if you have a problematic herniated disc in your low back? Below are some clues.
A problematic herniated disc in your low back will create low back pain. Plus… if your disc is pinching a nerve… you’ll usually feel shooting pain down one leg and/or foot – a condition known as sciatica. You may also have numbness or tingling in your butt, thigh, leg or foot. Your leg and foot may also feel weaker. This weakness will cause you to sometimes trip… or lose your balance. You may also have trouble going up stairs.
If you have any of the above symptoms,
your herniated disc is most likely
already pinching one of your nerves.
To stop the damage, you NEED to get your pinched nerve unpinched… QUICKLY. We must also keep your spinal joints moving properly. This will help give your low back discs or lumbar discs the hydration and the nutrients that they need.
relieve your back pain or sciatica leg
pain by gently unpinching your pinched
sciatic nerve.
The sooner you get treated, the better your prognosis. If the damage in your low back disc or joint is not treated properly… or soon enough… your other joints around the damaged area will compensate. This will cause these other joints to degenerate and decay as well.
Meaning… you will start to see degenerative arthritic damage to your discs and joints above and/or below the original damaged area. Getting proper treatment right away may prevent your low back problem from spreading up and down your spine. Even if you’ve had low back pain for a long time, treatment may keep the damage from getting MUCH worse. If you have low back pain and any of the herniated disc symptoms mentioned above, call our office at (831) 475-8600.