Slipped Disc


The spine forms the centre piece of our body, and it is quite a complex structure that is made up of bone, muscles and nerves. The spinal column is made up of vertebrae, and between each vertebrae is a cartilage disc. This disc is made up of two parts: surrounding connective tissue and a gel-like centre piece. The gel-like centre should remain within the connective tissue; however, sometimes the gel-like centre pushes through the connective tissue resulting in a . The problem comes in when the protruding disc pushes against nerve roots.
This may sound painful but a can actually be free of any symptoms. A normal reaction would be pain, but some people also experience more severe symptoms such as paralysis of certain muscles, and radiating spasms and pains into the legs or down the arms. The professional responsible for making the diagnosis of a often requires the use of a CT scan or MRI to make sure and to see where exactly in the spine the injury has taken place. Pain at different spinal level will require slightly different treatment depending on where it is. A can occur in anybody and any number of things can cause the injury to occur. More commonly, people over the age of 30 experience a , because as you age that connective tissue slowly start breaking down and softening. The lower back is the culprit for this kind of injury, more so than in any other part of the spine; however people over the age of 40 can experience s in the neck. A funny movement, injury or accident could cause a , so it is important to make sure you have strong core muscles to support you spine with any heavy lifting or carrying.
Initially, you would want to try conservative treatment which includes heat, massage, anti-inflammatory medication and rest before resorting to the extreme solution of surgery. Each person is different naturally and therefore treatment may different slightly. A consultation with a physiotherapist or chiropractor first will provide a good indication of the treatment procedure.