The vertebrae are the 24 bones in the spine which curve from the neck to pelvis, each one stacked upon the one below. The disks between the vertebrae act as a link between the vertebrae’s and they also keep them in the right position. The disks also protect and cushion the vertebrae when we jump or run. Tendons and ligaments also act as support for the disks and vertebrae.
The disks have a soft inner and a tougher outer part and a slipped disk occurs when the outer part gets damaged and the inner part, the gel, pushes through into the spinal canal. This can cause pressure on the spinal cord as a whole or on a single nerve. The pain will be felt either at the specific spot where the disk has slipped or in the part of the body the nerve runs to.
The spinal cord, which runs from the brainstem to the lower back, houses the nerves which take messages from the brain to the rest of the body: the muscles, organs and other soft tissue. A slipped lumber disk will cause pain and discomfort because it presses against the dangling nerve roots at the end of the spinal canal – there is no spinal cord here to protect the nerves.
Treatment for slipped disks varies. It can be painkillers or eventual surgery or the patient can elect to use the services of a chiropractor. The latter solves problems and the resultant pain by manually manipulating the spine in an effort the re-align the spine. These non-evasive procedures are safe, so much so, that babies, the elderly and pregnant women also benefit from these adjustments.
The symptoms of a slipped disk are pain along the spine and pain or pins and needles in one of the legs or feet. The hip and shoulder blades can also experience pain. When the disks have returned to their original position, the body goes back to its normal functioning, and it is also put in a position to heal itself.
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