Herniated Discs: A Primer

A case of a herniated disc occurs when the rubbery cushion (intervertebral disc) in between the vertebrae of your spinal cord either pushes out of place, bulges, or ruptures.

This can often happen due to overuse, injury, or slow degeneration over time.

Generally, herniated discs happen in four stages.

First, there is disc degeneration, which happens due to chemical changes that come along with advancing in age. The disc starts to dry out and becomes less useful as a shock absorber.

Second is the prolapse stage, which is when the position or form of the disc changes, which can be a slight bulge or protrusion, which will end up crowding the spinal cord. 

Extrusion happens next the wall of the annulus fibrosis starts to experience breakthroughs from gel-like pulposus which still remain inside the disc.

Lastly, sequestration occurs, which is when nucleus pulposus breaks through the anulus fibrosis, moving past the disc and into the spinal canal.

Chiropractic treatment has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of herniated discs at any stage. If you believe you have a herniated disc and would like a drug-free solution, contact Holmes Chiropractic today to learn more!