Chiropractic and Disc Problems
You have discs – spongy pads found between most of your vertebrae (spinal bones), in your jaw joint (TMJ) and between your pubic bones (in women, they separate a little during the birth process).
The discs help give your spine its curves and flexibility and make it better able to withstand stress. Discs also prevent your vertebrae from crashing into each other (that would hurt a lot!). And they also help create spaces (foramina) through which your nerves travel on their way to your internal organs.
But there are times your discs can cause you pain. If your discs flatten out, are twisted or bulge or are otherwise distorted, you can suffer from a lot of neck, back, leg and other pain.
Do You Have a “Slipped” Disc?
A disc cannot “slip” since it is knitted into the vertebrae from both above and below. What sometimes do slip are the vertebrae, which may stress the disc and contribute to its damage. Many “slipped discs” would be more accurately called slipped vertebrae or subluxations.
Disc Damage
Disc damage may be due to an accident or fall (called macro-trauma) or from doing the same thing over and over (called micro-trauma). In addition, long-standing subluxations (tiny spinal distortions) can cause disc damage.
Disc damage may cause pain. The pain can get so bad people have resorted to surgery. But there’s another approach to disc problems – chiropractic!
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For Your Health,
Dr. Scott Van Dam
