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Don't Blow that Disc!

"Blown,” "herniated,” "slipped," or "bulging disc" are all terms you've heard or maybe experienced. These are painful and CAN be avoided!


Discs are specialized joints that exist between each of your vertebrae in your spine. They are all shaped differently depending on where they are within your spine and are aligned in such a way to support and protect your central nervous system. Basically, they act as shock absorbers. A disc has a soft gel-like nucleus that is housed by annulus fibrosis that makes up several interwoven fibers to create strong rings around the nucleolus. When healthy, these all work well together to handle the daily compression and tension we tend to put on our bodies. 



Discs are stronger than vertebrae, but they do not have their own blood and nutrients. They get their nutrients through bone, basically, by diffusion or movement across a membrane. So, as we are moving, the disc is being nourished by the bones, which is why movement is key to healthy joints. 


When your spine is subluxated, it's as if it stops the flow of blood. The disc then starts to break down due to the lack of nutrients. Those outer disc fibers have no pain receptors, so, unfortunately, years or even decades of damage can happen, and the discs can become deformed. This is where the disc bulging or extrusions come into play. Your body is constantly trying to heal itself; it does this with inflammation. When a compressed (pinched) nerve is causing pain, it's really the inflammation around the disc that is signaling your body that something is wrong. There are pain receptors in the neurochord, and if irritated, it can be extremely painful and possibly herniated, or bulging on the outside. Think of a jelly donut, if it gets compressed on one end, the jelly (or nucleolus) will ooze out, and that "jelly" can feel pain! Often times surgery is recommended and is considered the "quicker" option. But since our bodies are amazing, we can actually heal ourselves with time and proper care. 


We have ligaments along the spine that also help protect the spine. You can help strengthen the muscles and ligaments that house the spine through proper posture while sitting and standing, especially with our heads down looking at our devices. Being careful when lifting: hinge at the waist, and keep the back straight. We want our spine to handle the load evenly, as it was designed to do. Strengthening our core with planks or ab isolation exercises will help as well. 


As you get checkups from your dentist, spine checkups are just as important. Sure, you may twist wrong or lift a heavy object and "throw out your back," but it's not so much what you did. If you practice good habits to support your spine, you won't blow that disc!


Just as we have our teeth checked regularly by our dentists, so spine checkups are just as important.

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