Disc Herniated

When a spinal disc is herniated, it can be one of the most painful and debilitating conditions a person could experience related to the back.  In this article, we will discuss what a spinal disc is, what a herniated disc is, what causes it, as well as what you can do if you develop this condition.

Each spinal disc is a special type of ligament, which holds the bones of the spine together.  There are actually 24 separate bones in the back, with a spinal disc located between each set of bones.

Not only do the discs hold the spine together, they also act as cushions, absorbing shock every time you move.  This is the most important function of a spinal disc, because it prevents the bones from having to absorb the shock, which could cause quite a bit of pain, and even fractures.

Each disc is composed of two main parts – a strong outer covering called the annulus, and a soft jelly center called the nucleus.  The nucleus is very important, because this is where each disc stores oxygen and nutrition to maintain the health of the disc, as well as help the disc heal if it is every injured.

One of the most complicating things about healing any disc condition is the fact that the discs of the spine do not receive very good blood supply.  This is why it is important to keep the jelly in the center of the disc healthy.

When a disc is herniated, the outer covering of the disc tears for one reason or another (which we’ll discuss in just a moment).  When this happens, the jelly in the center begins to shift from the center of the disc, into the area where the disc is torn.

This creates a bulge in the disc, which is why a herniated disc is often referred to as a bulging disc or a slipped disc.  Essentially, these terms all represent the same condition.

One interesting fact about the discs of the spine is that they do not have the ability to feel pain, which makes sense when you think about the function of the spinal discs (to absorb shock).  However, if you’re living with a disc that is herniated, you know that this condition can be very painful and debilitating.

So, what causes all the pain?  Well, if you take a closer look at the spine, you will see that the nerves of the spine are located directly behind each disc.  The spinal nerves are very important because they control everything in the body.

When a disc is herniated, it tends to bulge in the area directly in front of the nerves.  The disc then applies pressure to one of the nerves, which is really what causes the pain.  This is also why this condition can be so debilitating – since the nerves control everything in the body, any pressure applied to them will cause them to stop working properly, and whatever they are controlling will begin to malfunction.

Now that we’ve discussed what a herniated disc is, let’s discuss the causes of this condition.  The most common cause is trauma – some type of injury.  This may be a car accident, a fall, or even lifting something heavy.  These types of injuries can cause the outer layer of the disc to tear, leading to a disc that is herniated.

Genetics can also play a role with this condition.  Some people are born with a weakness in the wall of the disc, which can lead to a herniation.  In addition to this, toxins in the body will also weaken the walls of the spinal discs.  In other words, if you have an unhealthy lifestyle, such as a poor diet, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, etc., this can lead to a herniated disc as well.

The treatments available for a disc that is herniated can be quite disappointing.  Most doctors will essentially recommend the same things – medications (usually a combination of pain relievers and muscle relaxers), pain injections (such as cortisone and epidurals), physical therapy, and surgery as a last resort.

Unfortunately, these treatments usually only provide temporary relief, if they provide any relief at all.  The reason for this is very simple – all of these treatments are designed for one main purpose, which is to remove some of the pressure off of the affected nerve.

Although this sounds good on the surface, this may provide temporary relief, but if you don’t address the true cause of the problem and get the disc to heal and become strong again, the pain will inevitably return.

So, what are your other options, then?  Well, there are alternative treatments that have been found to be effective, but after working with thousands of patients with a herniated disc, I can tell you that the best results come from a combination of treatments.

Treatments such as chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, yoga, as well as many others have been found to help in some cases.  But the real goal is to learn how to utilize all of the treatment options available to you to put the odds in your favor.

What I didn’t mention earlier is the success rates of the treatments we already discussed.  For example, medications are only effective 30% of the time, pain injections are effective 50% of the time, and surgery is only effective 16% of the time.

This is why I say that these treatments are disappointing.  When you learn all of your options, as well as how to organize them for best results, you can improve your odds of healing your herniated disc to 86%, which is much higher than any of the treatments we’ve discussed in this article.

If you would like to learn more about the most effective treatment options for a disc that is herniated, you can click here for more info.

Did you find this article helpful? Here are some other related articles and resources you may also find useful:

• Here is a list of the best resources I've found for Bulging Disc / Herniated Disc relief
• Cervical Herniated Disc
• Disc Herniated
• Epidural for Herniated Disc
• More Herniated Disc Resources