What is a herniated disc?
Each disc has two parts—a soft, gelatinous inner portion and a tough outer ring. Injury or weakness can cause the inner portion of the disk to protrude through the outer ring. This is known as a “slipped” or herniated disc. This can cause pain and discomfort. If the herniated disc compresses one of your spinal nerves, you may also experience numbness and pain along the affected nerve.
A few factors that can cause a disc to herniate.
- Too much stress on the disc due to poor posture
- Too much stress on the disc from being overweight
- Injury
- Combination of these factors
Below are a few potential symptoms of a herniated disc:
- pain and numbness, most commonly on one side of the body
- pain that extends to your arms and/or legs
- pain that worsens at night
- pain that worsens after standing or sitting
- pain when walking short distances
- unexplained muscle weakness
- tingling, aching, or burning sensations in the affected area
and did you know chiropractic spinal manipulation has been demonstrated to be a safe and effective tool in the management of disc problems.