Some of the most common spinal conditions can also prove
among the most debilitating. One such condition involves the flattening and bulging
of the vertebral disks that normally act as shock absorbers for the spine. A
bulging disk can cause severe pain and other disabling symptoms, especially if
the disk in question herniates.
Fortunately, you can provide your ailing spinal column with the
right kind of conservative care to reduce your symptoms and promote better
overall function once you understand something about bulging disks and their
treatment. Consider the following four key points.
1. Bulging Disk Causes
In most cases, vertebral disks bulge as a natural
consequence of the aging process. Under ideal conditions, these disks maintain
a constant height thanks to a plentiful supply of fluid within their tough
casings of cartilage. Unfortunately, the body tends to lose water content with
age, affecting everything from skin elasticity to disc height.
As your vertebral discs lose some of their inner support,
they start to collapse or flatten, spreading outward in the process until they
protrude from the spinal column. If the protrusion involves at least onequarter
of the disks' circumference, you have a bulging disk. (A protrusion involving
less of the disk qualifies as a herniated disk.)
2. Bulging Disk Symptoms
Many people have bulging disks without even realizing it
because their condition causes no obvious symptoms. However, if the protruding
part of your bulging disk puts pressure on the spinal cord or major spinal
nerve roots, it can interfere with the normal function of that nerve tissue,
creating a variety of unpleasant problems.
Bulging disk symptoms depend on the condition's severity. If
the outer casing of a bulging disk tears open, the inflammatory substances
inside the disc can prove especially irritating to the surrounding tissues. You
may experience tingling, numbness, pain, or weakness in any limb served by the
affected nerves.
Bulging disks can create other spinal problems as well. For
example, the loss of disk height may strain the facet joints connecting
adjacent vertebrae. These changes in your spinal alignment can inflame the
facet joints and cause them to develop osteoarthritis, which produces its own
share of spinal pain and stiffness.
3. Bulging Disk Diagnosis and Treatment
An experienced chiropractor can diagnose a bulging disk
through a combination of techniques. Your age, medical history, and current
symptoms may all point to the likelihood of a bulging or herniated disk. Your
chiropractor will also use X-rays or other imaging methods to look for
flattened, compressed, or misaligned disks.
If you have a bulging disk, your chiropractor may prescribe
several non-invasive treatment strategies to ease your symptoms without
surgery. Even if your condition has grown serious enough to require eventual
surgery, conservative treatment as a first response may permit you to delay such
surgery.
Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy can prove quite
successful as a bulging or herniated disk treatment. In this technique, a
special kind of traction table pulls gently at the spine. As the vertebrae pull
away from each other, a vacuum forms between them. This vacuum helps to shift
the disks away from nerves.
Non-surgical spinal decompression can also help take
pressure off of inflamed facet joints. The same vacuum pressure that realigns
the disks also infuses them with much-needed water. This infusion can help
bulging disks regain some of their former height, thus lending more support to
the facet joints.
Other conservative treatment measures may also help you
minimize the effects of a bulging disk. Your chiropractor may recommend exercises
to improve spinal strength and flexibility, weight loss to remove unnecessary
pressure on the disks, or chiropractic adjustments to soothe arthritic facet
joints.
Corner Chiropractic Center can help you cope with one or
more bulging disks and regain your quality of life. Contact our office
to
learn more and set up an appointment.
