Bulging Discs – Herniated Discs – Slipped Discs – Back Pain – Sciatica
Have you ever heard of a slipped disc? It’s a misnomer. Discs almost never truly “slip”, but they can often times bulge or herniate. When they do, our team can almost always be able to help. Intervertebral disc disorders are referred to as “contained” or “non-contained.” A bulging disc is considered a contained disc disorder.
What is a bulging disc?
A bulging disc is actually the tough outer layer of cartilage in between your vertebrae that has not fully broken open – think of squeezing a balloon filled with hair gel. The disc may protrude into the spinal canal without pain or breaking open, instead, a small bubble pops out but remains attached to the disc.
Discs are exactly the right size to fit between your vertebrae so when a disc bulges, it extends outside the space it should normally occupy and can push into nerves in your spinal column.
Bulging is considered part of the normal aging process of the disc making bulging discs an extremely common spinal injury. A bulging disc can stay relatively pain free and undetected until you twist the wrong way, lift the wrong object, sneeze, or cough. A bulging disc can cause excruciating pain, lead to a diminished range of motion, and can in some cases cause organ dysfunction.
The good news is that even an acute disc bulge can heal itself over time and your chiropractor can likely help the healing process happen more efficiently.
Here are 4 steps you can follow to ease the pain of a bulging disc:
- Develop a relationship with the team at our office!
There are many bulging disc treatments; talk to your chiropractor and ask questions about your MRI or X-ray. Everyone is different and a good chiropractor can help you find the correct wellness path and will not close off any avenue to get you well. In our office we offer several diffferent methods of Chiropractic, Active Release Technique, Cox Flexion Distraction Technique and many others for helping you deal with the pain and related issues of discal problems.
- Improve your posture
Reduce or eliminate bending, lifting, twisting and even sitting for too long. Sleep on your back with your knees propped up, or on your side with a pillow between your legs. These simple adjustments will ease the stress on the disc in question. We often overlook something as basic as good posture in cases of a disc related issue, but it is paramount to keep the disc as centered and comfortable with the loads being distrubuted evenly.
- Strengthen your core
Your abdominal muscles and leg muscles all support your back. While the core was once thought to only be the abdominal muscles, we now commonly refer to the core as being everything from the diaphragm which attaches to your thoracic spine. Modified yoga or Pilates routines that eliminate twisting, stooping or bending can help heal your bulging disc or help to prevent further damage. Our pilates team in Mount Laurel offers modified courses in ELDOA and Pilates which target specific types of back pain related disorders as well.
Contact our team at Dr. Mark Kemenosh and Associates today if you are suffering with the problems listed above. We look forward to hearing from you soon, 856.228.3100
If you have questions and need to email our doctors, please use the Contact Us Page on our website today!
To visit the website for our Pilates – Barre – ELDOA clases, please visit Frame Work Bodies today!
— Craig S. Evans, DC