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It goes without saying that most people are aware that they have a spine and spinal discs. Most people have also heard of someone having a “disc bulge” at someone point in their lives- maybe even you’ve been told that by a doctor along the way. However, most people don’t really understand what any of it means. The following article should help to clear up some of the misconceptions about spinal discs and the misnomers that go along with them.

The intervertebral disc (also regularly referred to as IVD or just plain “discs”), is found between nearly ever segment of your spinal vertebrae. In our youth, these discs are like fresh jelly donuts- soft, mushy and moist on the inside with a strong but slightly flexibly outside layer. Their purpose is to help absorb the pressure imposed by gravity, and the shock we place on our body during everyday activities like sitting, walking, running, and all the other crazy things we put it through. When healthy, the discs also work in conjuction with the bones of our spine to provide extreme strength and protection to our spinal cord and all the nerve roots that extend from it out into our body.

However, as we begin to age, the moisture and nutrients that help to provide the integrity our discs begins to dry up. (Think day-old jelly donut at this point- still good, just not as good.) Most disc injuries actually take place between 25-45, when the disc still has a good amount of “give” but when we have the tendency to demand the most from it. Because of the way the layers of the IVD develop, rotation, flexion and sudden weight loads are the most common ways to injure the disc. Individuals that are overweight, have poor lower extremity flexibility and weak core strength are also predisposed to disc problems, since all components place an increased stress and load on them.

Now introduce poor nutrition, repetitive activities, poor body mechanics when lifting, and other areas of muscular imbalances, and you can probably guess what to expect- it’s a picture for disaster. If you’re not taking care of the health of your spine, eventually something’s got to give, and for some unlucky individuals, it’s the disc.  What I most commonly see is one of two things:  For many people disc changes and spinal changes take place over a significant amount of time. As the disc is asked to take repeated stress and activities eventually the body reaches its limit and the disc is flattened to the extent that the space it used to make for the nerves beside it starts to decrease, OR the disc gets “smooshed” in a certain direction to the degree that it starts to place pressure on the surrounding structures (nerves, ligaments, bone). The latter case is often called a “herniation” or bulge. In either case, it’s this shift from “normal” that creates irritation and thus painful inflammation.  This pain can range from brief local pain that disappears in a few days to the type that creates sharp or burning sensations in other areas of the body such as arms or legs. However, every individual is different, and not all disc issues are the same. Sure there are “text book” signs and symptoms, examinations, and personal history’s that are usually pretty common among disc pain suffers, but the degree and extent of discomfort can also differ according to whatever other issues the patient may or may not even know at the time they have.  The unfortunate truth is that although the body is an amazing structure, sometimes even picking up a shampoo bottle from the shower floor is more than it can take.

Luckily, there are ways to help prevent disc injuries, and maintain an active, pain free lifestyle even if you already have had a disc injury in the past.  Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind about spine and disc health:

1. Nutrition is Key: Even if you’re eating organic, you might not be getting enough of the nutrition you need to keep the discs hydrated, surrounding cartilage smooth, and muscles inflammation-free. Keeping a balanced, regular, whole food diet with supplementation according to your lifestyle needs is the first and best way to maintain and prevent disc irritation and flare ups. Here’s one of my favorite supplements for maintaining disc health and decreasing the pain of their injury: Disc-Flex
2. Remember to visit your Chiropractor: How often you should be seeing your Chiro is generally determined by your overall health and your ability to not only recognize but attend to issues as they begin to develop. “Regular” visits to your chiropractor helps to maintain joint fluid flow (nutrition) , remove restrictions in the nervous system that can create structural imbalances and motion restrictions, and can help maintain overall musculoskeletal and immune system health. Visiting every 3-6 weeks is generally recommended, but can vary according to your activities and stress. And YES, a chiropractor CAN help you even if you have a disc herniation.
3. Keep Stretching! Even if you can’t make it to the gym or don’t have time to go for a walk, you can ALWAYS make time to stretch. I don’t care if your butt is glued to your office chair, there are still stretches you can do right there while sitting and writing your emails.
4. If you’ve already had a spinal fusion, stretching, proper nutrition, and maintaining motion of the surrounding joins and vertebrae is absolutely imperative. when your motion has been limited in one area of your body, other areas that are still left freely moving have to make up for the motion and shock absorption that was removed during the fusion. If you don’t take the time to keep those areas healthy and free of imbalances, changes such as arthritis, ligament damage and fracture can occur in time.
5. Whenever changing position, lifting heavy objects or running, be sure to keep your abdominals tight. Without core strength, there’s nothing to help support your spine.
6. If you’re overweight, lose the weight. You might feel great right now, and diets might be tough, but no amount of difficulty can compare to what you’ll feel like down the road when spinal, hip and knee damage has happened. If you need assistance to help get you going, just ask us and we’re happy to help!

If you don’t think you have time to stretch, eat right, and take care of your body, you probably just haven’t made it a priority.  My advice? Make it one before it forces you to!

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