Chiropractic Education

A new article is posted each month to this section of the Web site to enhance site visitor's knowledge of chiropractic care and to assist them with their goals of comprehensive health and wellness.

Intervertebral Discs

The intervertebral dics are little pads that lie between the vertebrae; each disc has a tough outer ring (annular fibrosis) and a soft gel-like center (nucleus pulposis).

The discs separate the vertebrae and, because they’re knitted into the bones, also join them together. They act like little shock absorber’s, cushioning the bones so that they don’t crash against each other as we walk, which would be very painful. Discs help give the spine its curve, flexibility, and strength. The 23 discs in our spine also make up about 1/3 of the length of the spinal column and that’s why we are about a quarter-inch to a half-inch taller in the morning than we were the night before; the discs flatten out a little after a day of standing and then regain their volume when we sleep.

Disc Herniation, Protrusions and Prolapse:

There two types of herniations: Protrusions and Prolapses. A protrusion can occur if the nucleus pulposi bulges, pushing the annular fibrosis out of shape. A prolapse occurs if the nucleus bulges out so much that it actually separates from the rest of the disc.

If the prolapsed disc goes into the spinal cord or puts pressure on nerves, it may cause severe pain that could make sitting, standing, walking, lifting, urinating, defacating, sneezing, coughing and moving nearly impossible. In extreme cases, foot or leg numbness or a loss of muscle control may occur. Fewer than 5 percent of those with low-back pain have any disc problems.

Back Surgery:

While spinal surgery is sometimes necessary, especially in cases of trauma or severe bone, disc, and nerve destruction (due to variety of causes, from infection to cancer), the vast majority of people with low-back pain and / or sciatica never need it.