Diagnosed With a Herniated Disc?

You've probarbly heard people say that they have a
 "slipped" or "ruptured" disc in the back. Sometimes
they complain that their back "went out". What they
are most likely desccribing is a herniatd disc. This 
condition is a common source of back and leg pain.

Discs are soft cushions found between the vertebrae
that make up the spinal column (your backbone). In 
the middle of the spinal column is the spinal canal, a
hollow space that contains the spinal cord. The
nerves that supply the arms, leg, and torso come
from the spinal  cord. the nerves from the neck
supply the arms, and hands, and the nerves from the 
lower back supply the butt and legs. The discs
between the vertebrae allow the back to move freely
and act like shock absorbers.

The disc is made up of two main sections. The
outer part (the anulus) is made up of tough
cartilage tha is comprised of a series of rings. The
center of the disc is a jelly-like substance called
the nucleus pulposus. A disc herniates or ruptures
when part of the jelly center pushes through the
outer wall of disc into the spinal cannal, and puts
pressure on the nerves. A disc bulge is when the
jelly substance pushes the outer wall but doesn't
completely go through the wall.

What do you feel?

Low back pain will affest four out of five people
during their lifetime. The most common symptom
of a herniated disc is "sciatica".

Sciatica is best described as a sharp, often shooting
pain that begins in the buttocks and goes down the
back of one leg. This is most often caused by
pressure on the sciatic nervethat exits the spinal
cord.

Other symptoms include:

*Weakness in one or both legs
*Numbness or tingling in one leg (pinsand needles)
* A burning pain in the low back
*Loss of bladder control (seek medical attention
  immediately)
*Back pain with gradually increasing leg pain.
  (if you have weakness in both legs seek medical
  attention)

So how do you know you have a herniated disc?

Your medical history is key to a proper diagnosis.
A physical examination can usually determine
which nerve roots are affected (and how seriously).
A simple x-ray may show evidence of disc or
degenerative spine changes. An MRI (Magnetic
Resonance Imaging) is usually the best option
(most expensive) to determine which disc is
herniated. 

Why do discs herniate?

Discs are primarily composed of water. As we
become older (after the age of 30), the water
content decreases, so the discs begin to shrink
and lose their shape. When the disc becomes
smaller the space between the vertebrae 
decreases and becomes narrower. Also, as 
the disc loses water content the disc itself
becomes less flexible.

While aging , excess weight, improper lifting and the
decrease in water in the discs all contribute to the
breaking down of discs, the primary cause of a
herniation or bulge is uneven compression and
torsion that's placed on the discs.

 This uneven pressure is caused by imbalances in
muscles that pull the spine out of it's normal position
and then your body is forced to function in what i 
call a physical disfunction. Every human being 
develops these disfunctions over time and eventually
they cause enough damage to create pain.

The best treatment options:

When it comes to treating a herniated disc, there are
traditional treatments such as ice/heat, ultrasound,
electrical stimulation, cortisone injections,
anti-inflammatory medications and even surgery.

While these may offer some relief, it will usually
be temporary if at all.

The major problem with these traditional treatments
is that they do not address the actual cause of the
problem. For example, even if you were to have surgery
and get some pain relief, the fact is the disfunctions that 
caused the disc to herniate in the first place are still
there and if not addressed, they will continue to place
uneven pressure and strain on the dics and sooner or
later you will likely have another problem with that disc,
or others.

Without identifying and addressing the underlying
cause of the problem, which is the physical disfunctions
caused by imbalances in muscles, you will likely continue
to suffer with this coondition and the continuous flare
ups for years.

Unfortunately, most doctors, chiropractors,and physical
therapists don't spend enough time or focus on
identifying the physical dysfunctions that are responsible
for the condition so most people end up jumping from
one useless traditional treatment to the next and suffer 
for months or years unnecessarilly.

If you have been diagnosed with a herniated disc, or
are wondering if your back pain may be caused by a
herniated disc, either way you must identify and
address the physical dysfunctions that are causing
your pain as part of your recovery.

To find out how over 30'000 people in over 85
coyuntries have discovered the secrets to a pain
free life follow this link and Click here now

This article was brough to you from Dr Robert Duval who
is a doctor of physical therapy and a certified athletics
trainer. He has helped thousands of people identify and
cure their back pain through articles such as the one above.