Common signs and symptoms of a disc bulge or disc herniation include:
Low back pain
Neck pain
Mid back pain or upper back pain
Experience pain going into the glute or even down the leg
Experience pain wrapping around ribs
Experience pain going to shoulder or scapula
Worse pain in the mornings
Stiffness or pain getting up out of a seat
Pain with coughing or sneezing
Numbness or tingling down the leg or in the foot
Numbness or tingling down the arm or in the hand
Spasm of the back muscles
Hamstrings always seem to be tight
Pain when bending forward
Sciatica symptoms
Anatomy behind a disc
There are two main component to a disc, the annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus. The annulus fibrosus is the tougher outer layer of the disc, it is made up of interwoven fibers. The nucleus pulposus is the gel-like inner layer of the disc. This "gel" is made of collagen and proteoglycans (compound consisting of a protein), and it is the part of the disc that most absorbs and cushions your movements. The vertebrae and the disc together provide a protective tunnel for the spinal cord and spinal nerves to which is known as the spinal canal.
When a disc injury occurs a fragment of the gel-like inner layer will be pushed out of the annulus fibrosus through a tear or rupture and into the spinal canal. This adds pressure onto a spinal nerve causing your signs and symptoms (pain and or discomfort).
Different types of disc injuries
There are different forms of a disc injury (as seen in the image to the right). A disc bulge is when the nucleus has not yet fully protruded out of the annulus but is still causing compression on the nerve root. A disc herniation is when the nucleus has fully protruded out of the annulus. You can also have something known as a sequestrated disc or a free disc fragment, these represent extruded disc material that has no continuity with the parent disc and is displaced.
Click play on video below to see a disc bulge in action!
Different directions a disc can be injured
Majority of the time when a disc is injured the nucleus pulposus will take a posterior direction (in the Subarticular/Foraminal zone). This would require a more sagittal plane approach with repetitions. However sometimes the nucleus pulposus will take a more lateral or posterolateral direction (in Foraminal/Extraforaminal zone). This would require having a more frontal plane mixed with sagittal plane approach with repetitions.
Fix Your Disc Injury / Sciatica At Pro Motion Chiropractic
The golden standard to fix a disc injury is a combination of treatment methods (chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue work, exercises, etc.) but one of the most important aspects is a mixture of simple active mechanical movements! Majority of the time the mechanical movement needed are based on an extension directional preference. These do not get better over 1 night and will require you to be motivated and committed to the amount of repetitions needed to see any changes! Sure you can notice some difference within a day or 2, but research shows it takes an average of 4-6 weeks for it to fully heal.
It is important to note seeing a healthcare professional in a clinic setting is a much safer route than going blindly off youtube videos. When treating this at Pro Motion we use the MDT protocol otherwise known as McKenzie Technique. Majority of the time this will be composed of extension based directional preference exercises. Throughout the process you must keep increasing the following: 1. force 2. load 3. repetitions within a pain free range of motion. It's also important to be properly educated on the different positions to avoid that may be increasing your symptoms.
If you are dealing with similar signs and symptoms try out laying on your stomach and pressing straight up (as seen in the picture). When performing this press up do NOT push past pain, stop once you start to feel discomfort and go back down. If you feel discomfort when going back down then do not go up as high. When performing this make sure to keep everything below the belt line relaxed. If you can get all the way up with elbow locked out then when at end range try a breathe out, when you breathe out notice your hips lowering towards the table as you get a little extra end range. If the breathe out causes an increase in signs and symptoms try 8-10 reps without the breathe out first. If you have pain right away when trying to press up you can try sustained extension (will be covered in a future blog post). Please note that if you have not seen a health care professional an or do not have a disc issue this might not be the directional preference for you, in that case please see your local chiropractor or physical therapist for further instructions. Also note that this example is for a lumbar issue (low back pain). For cervical issues (neck pain) this will be covered in a future blog post.
Are you searching for a qualified sports chiropractor in Brighton, MI for your disc injury or sciatica symptoms? Pro Motion Chiropractic is one of the leading names for disc injury and or sciatica treatment in the area. We provide personalized assessments and treatment to help you get back to your sport or simply help you regain a pain free life again. If you are sick of getting corticosteroid injections or want to get a 2nd opinion before having surgery please reach out to us. We treat acute and chronic disc issues / sciatica pain and much more.
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