Your spinal discs are nestled between your vertebrae and act as shock absorber while also helping to facilitate movement. However, if they are subjected to acute or repetitive stress, disc problems can develop. Disc issues can take many different forms, and in today’s blog, we want to take a closer look at some of these common disc problems and explain how Dr. Jackman and his team can help you overcome them.
Different Types Of Disc Problems
Your discs are fibrous and strong on the outside, which helps to protect their jelly-like center, but too much force either in a moment of stress or as a result of years of physical activity can cause problems for these discs. Here’s a look at some of the disc problems we help treat in our office.
- Thinning Disc – Just like our muscles eventually weaken as we age, so too can our spinal discs. As we get older, the discs can lose some of the water content housed within the gel-like center of the disc, which can eventually lead to the weakening and thinning of the outer layers and the disc as a whole. This can also cause the discs to become more brittle, putting them at risk for other problems on this list. Treatments like exercise, physical therapy and weight loss can all help to take pressure off the discs and slow thinning or alleviate symptoms. In more severe cases, a minimally invasive corrective procedure may be necessary.
- Degenerative Disc – A degenerative disc and a thinning disc are oftentimes one in the same, but a disc can also be degenerative without losing its water content. Due to stress and repetitive strain, these discs can slowly wear down and weaken, making them less capable of handling certain amounts of pressure. They can become painful if the discs or nearby vertebrae become more mobile as a result of this degeneration. Again, physical therapy, weight loss, dietary improvements and corrective surgeries can all help combat disc degeneration, although they won’t help to regenerate what’s been lost.
- Bulging Disc – A bulging disc is another issue we commonly see in patients. It occurs when stress changes the shape of the disc, causing it to become oblong or bulge in a specific area. The good news about bulging discs is that the nucleus has not broken out and it remains contained within the disc. You can manage a bulging disc with physical therapy, activity avoidance, weight loss, stretching exercises and similar non-operative methods. Failure to take steps to treat the bulge can cause it to become the next type of disc issue.
- Herniated Disc – A herniated or ruptured disc occurs when the disc is overloaded with stress such that the nucleus breaks through the fibrous protective layer. This herniation will likely compress nearby nerves and make movement painful. While they are serious and quite uncomfortable, even these types of disc injuries can heal with the help of rest, physical therapy, corticosteroid injections and gentle stability exercises. These are more likely to need surgery to address than other disc issues on this list, but remember that surgery is not a given, and you can oftentimes avoid an operation by consulting with a specialist and following an individualized treatment protocol.
If you suspect that you’re dealing with any of these disc issues, or you’ve just been bothered by neck or back pain recently and you want to put an end to it, reach out to Dr. Jackman and his team today at (651) 430-3800.
