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Herniated DiscFor detailed information on disc herniations, please visit my Herniated Disc Site on the Cure Back Pain Network.
What is a Herniated Disc?A herniated spinal disc, (also called a bulging disc, slipped disc, prolapsed disc or disc protrusion) occurs when the inner core of the disc (nucleus pulposus) bulges against a defect in the outer disc wall (annulus fibrosus). The outer wall typically maintains its structure and just bulges asymmetrically. Sometimes, an annular tear develops and the nucleus actually spills out of the disc. This is typically called a ruptured or extruded disc.Herniated discs are pliable and are not the consistency of bone. It is difficult to imagine them compressing anything, but nevertheless, this is the diagnosis in most disc events. The actual process of compressing a spinal nerve root is diagnosed as foraminal stenosis, which means the disc pinches the nerve root as it exits the spinal column through the neuroforamen. If the disc instead compresses the entire spinal cord or cauda equina structure, then the condition is diagnosed as spinal stenosis. In some instances, a ruptured disc is blamed for spilling theoretically irritating proteins onto sensitive nerve structures, causing radicular pain. This diagnosis is called chemical radiculitis. Please read more about
sciatica from a herniated disk. Disc Herniation CausesBack injury (trauma) can cause a spontaneous disc herniation. Most traumatic events will cause pain and this discomfort might be severe. However, even the worst of these sudden herniations will usually resolve within 6 to 8 weeks time, with or without medical care.Normal aging processes, such as degenerative disc disease, can make a spinal disc more likely to suffer a herniation or rupture. However, these degenerative herniations are far less likely to be painful and most go completely unnoticed, since they do not cause any symptoms at all. Bulging discs are not likely to cause long term pain, despite their fearsome reputation for doing so. Remember, the basis for most prolapsed disc pain diagnoses counts on the physical compression of a nerve structure. This event is theorized to be painful, but is also scientifically proven NOT to cause long term pain symptoms. In fact, research has definitively shown that long term compression of a nerve will cause that nerve to stop signaling all together. The resulting effect is numbness, not lasting pain... Herniated Disc AdviceDisc herniations are perhaps the most frightening of all back pain diagnoses. When a patient hears that they have a herniated disc, they are instantly affected by the considerable nocebo effect of the diagnosis. This is a real shame, since herniated discs do not enjoy their fearsome reputation for any tangible reasons inherent to the actual condition. No, the condition is only thought to be so stubborn due to the common misdiagnosis of herniations as the actual source of pain. Of course, herniations do not respond well to treatment, for they are rarely the real source of pain…Learn the facts about sciatica, especially if your pain is being blamed on a lumbar bulging disc. For 18 years, I embraced the diagnosis that my 2 lumbar herniations at L4/L5 and L5/S1 were the major cause of my own horrific agony. I tried everything to beat this pain, same as most of you have done. However, nothing worked… Luckily, I learned the truth while there was still time to repudiate the diagnosis which led me down the wrong path for so long. I am now pain free and did it without any medical treatment, exercises or supplements whatsoever. I used the simple and proven knowledge therapy approach to become fully functional and pain free. I recommend these techniques to every patient with a disc herniation. There are no risks and no expenses. In essence, you have nothing at all to lose, except of course, for your sciatica… 7/5/08 Revised 6/29/10
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