Herniated Discs – What They Are And What You Can Do For Healing Herniated Discs

herniated discs are one of the most significant problems an individual could suffer with related to the back. In fact, this condition can result in intense pain in addition to disability. This article will discuss what bulging discs in back are, what causes them, the most common symptoms associated with them, as well as the most effective treatments for herniated discs.

In order for us to understand what bulging discs in back are, however, we must first discuss what a normal disc of the spine is. The spinal discs are cushions that separate each set of bones in the back. Each disc is composed of a strong outer covering called the annulus, as well as a soft jelly center called the nucleus.

When a person has bulging discs in back, the outer covering tears for one reason or another (which we’ll discuss in just a moment), and the jelly begins to move away from the center toward the torn part of the disc. This causes a “bulge” in the wall of the disc, which is why the condition is referred to as a bulging disc.

The cause of this can vary, but usually this condition is caused by a traumatic event (such as a car accident, a fall, or picking up something heavy). It may also be caused by a genetic weakness in the wall of the disc, as well as toxins building up in the body. Toxins, believe it or not, will weaken the walls of the discs of the spine, predisposing you to developing bulging discs in back.

These toxins typically build up in the system because of poor dietary choices, not consuming enough water, smoking, drinking excessive alcohol, etc. All of these things make a significant difference in the health of your spinal discs.

One thing you may find interesting about the spinal discs is that they are designed to not feel pain sensations. Now, this may sound odd at first, because this health problem can result in quite a bit of pain. However, if you think about it, it makes sense – the main job of the discs of the spine is to absorb shock, and if you were able to feel this, you would be in pain all day!

So, if this is true, why is this condition so painful? Well, the spinal nerves are located directly behind the spinal discs, so if you develop bulging discs in back, the bulge will typically apply pressure on these nerves, which can be very painful.

Not only that, disability is often associated with bulging discs in back as well, simply because the spinal nerves control everything in the body. If there is pressure on these nerves, they will stop working properly, and other problems will be the end result.

For example, bulging discs in back in the cervical spine (neck) will not only result in neck pain, but you may also experience headaches, shoulder, arm and hand pain, numbness or weakness, chest pain, thyroid problems (which could lead to weight problems), as well as ringing in the ears and blurred vision.

You may not have thought that these symptoms could be caused by a problem in the neck, but this is very common because these body parts are controlled by the nerves in the neck.

In the thoracic area (upper back, between the shoulder blades), bulging discs in back can lead to upper back pain, pain traveling around the rib cage, chest pain, heart palpitations (feeling like your heart is beating very strongly and quickly in your chest), difficulty breathing, and headaches.

And finally, bulging discs in back in the lumbar region of the back (the low back) can result in low back pain, pain traveling down the leg (this may also be experienced as a burning sensation or numbness), pain in the feet, bowel and bladder problems (constipation, diarrhea, problems controlling your bladder), as well as sexual organ problems.

So, the question is, how do you deal with this condition? Unfortunately, the traditional treatments for herniated discs are usually not very effective for this problem.

Most physicians will prescribe medications (such as pain relievers and muscle relaxers), pain injections (such as cortisone or epidurals), physical therapy, and surgery (typically as a last resort, because the success rate of surgery for the back is very low).

The reason these treatments are not very effective is because they are all designed for one thing – their purpose is to numb the affected nerve and reduce the inflammation in the area (which is also primarily affecting the nerve).

While this goal sounds good since the source of the pain is the affected nerve, any relief you experience from these treatments is usually temporary because they do not heal the source of the problem, which is the damaged disc.

The problem with bulging discs in back is that the discs of the spine do not receive very good blood flow. Blood is responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients to damaged tissues for faster healing, and because the discs do not receive this blood supply, they tend to be very problematic when it comes to healing.

What are your options, then? There are alternative methods that are usually more effective at getting to the source of the problem, and actually helping the disc to heal which leads to longer-lasting relief.

For example, chiropractic is usually very helpful, as well as massage therapy, acupuncture, axial decompression therapy, and cold laser therapy.

However, after helping thousands of patients with this condition over the past 8 years, I can tell you from experience that it usually requires a specific combination of these treatments in order to achieve the best results.

If you would like to learn more about the most effective treatments for bulging discs in back, as well as the combination of those treatments that I recommend for the best results, you can click here (relief from herniated discs) to get all the details.

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