What is a "slipped" disc?
The disc is a circle of cartilage between each vertebra in the spine that acts as both a shock absorber and a shock distributor. If you jump up and down, imagine what would happen to the stack of bony vertebra that make up the spine without the cushioning of the discs. Move your back side to side. Again, you can visualize the give and take of the discs between the vertebrae. Without discs, the spine simply could not function.

Discs don't really "slip". Instead, they bulge, herniated, or rupture. Saying a disc has "slipped" does suggest that something has "slipped out" and is not where it's supposed to be, which is what happens in disc injuries. Most often we hear about low back disc cases, but discs can "slip" out in the neck and mid-back regions too.

The low back "slipped disc" is almost always the result of a process. As is often the case with joint and back injuries, the problem starts small and then builds until it becomes symptomatic. It's a little corny to talk about "the straw that broke the camels back", but it gets the point across.

Discs depend on water to keep their height and perform efficiently. When we're young, discs have their own circulation that helps keep them hydrated. As we get older, this circulation ends and the spine must move so that water can be drawn into the discs. If discs become dehydrated and lose their height, they become more vulnerable to cracks and fissures.

Discs are integral parts of our body's mechanical system that allows us to move. Chiropractors are especially interested in seeing how injuries in one part of the body relate to the mechanical system of the body as a whole. Chiropractors look at injuries specifically, but they also try to determine in what way an injury is the outcome of disturbances elsewhere in the body.

Through spinal examinations, doctors of chiropractic can determine whether a slipped disc case can benefit from chiropractic treatment.  Using x-rays and other imaging devices, we can usually determine if the disc is involved by the positioning of the bones and joints.  Neurological and orthopedic test are also used to evaluate each case.  As a rule, we only accept those cases with a maximum chance of recovery.

[ Home ] [ Up ]

Last modified: 09/27/06