Disc Injury in Ellicott City MD?

Are you living with a slipped disc or other disc injury in Ellicott City MD? If you have a suspicion that your chronic back pain is being caused by a disc injury, or you have received a diagnosis that confirms you are dealing with this kind of issue, you will probably benefit from the best chiropractic care in Ellicott City MD you can find.

Your spine consists of 24 individual vertebrae stacked on top of each other. Flexible cushions called “discs” live between each set of vertebrae. The term lumbar disc lesion means that your disc has been damaged. Disc lesions start when the outer fiber of the disc become strained or frayed, if enough fibers become frayed, this can create a weakness and when the disc is compressed the outer fibers may “bulge or “protrude” like a weak spot on an inner tube. If more fibers are damaged, the jelly within the disc may “herniate” outward. The neck and the lower back are most susceptible to Disc injuries. In the Neck most disc problems occur at C5 or C6 and in the lower back, the two lowest discs, L4 or L5 are most effected. Smokers and people who are generally inactive have a higher risk of disc problems.

Disc Injury Options in Ellicott City MD

The little pads that lie between your vertebrae are called the intervertebral discs. Each of these discs has a tough outer ring and a soft gel-like center. Your disc's job is to both join and to separate your vertebrae from one another. These discs act as cushions, or shock absorbers, so that the bones don’t make contact with each other as you move around, carry large objects, and bend over. Without the discs, you would literally be unable to move your upper torso. Here are a few of the different kinds of disc injuries that make movements of the upper torso painful and difficult:

• A protruding disc occurs when the disc becomes asymmetrical and the gel is pushed out or bulging.
• A herniated disc is when the disc material has ruptured to the point that the gel pushes outward.
• A disc extrusion is the worst type of disc injury. This is when the gel balloons extensively into the area outside the vertebrae or breaks off from the disc.

Signs and Symptoms of a Disc Injury

Since the spinal cord and nerve roots live directly behind the disc, bulges or herniations that compress the nerves or spinal cord will cause pressure and inflammation. This can also cause severe pain and numbness due to the irritation of the nerves and can be very serious in many cases. In the lower back this is likely to create lower back pain that radiates into the buttocks or one or both legs. In the neck this likely to create neck pain that radiates into the upper back or one or both arms. If the disc bulge is significant enough to produce mechanical compression of your nerve, you may also experience loss of your reflexes, numbness, tingling and weakness.

How Can We Help?

If you have injured discs, don't despair, there are options. With proper care, an injured or damaged disc may be restored to health. Getting you back to normal as soon as possible is our number one goal. To do that, we will likely recommend one or more of the following:

• Joint manipulation to gently restore movement to your spine.
• Therapy modalities to ease your muscle tightness, pain and swelling.
• Myofascial release to remove your longstanding tightness.
• Therapeutic exercise to restore your mobility and strength

If you're suffering from neck or back pain that you believe is caused by a disc injury, call our chiropractic team today at Morrison Chiropractic to set up a consultation. The sooner you take control of your health the more options you will have for treatment.

The approach that is taken will be individually tailored to your specific issue and will always include gentle adjustments to the spine to relieve pressure on the nerves and deal with the pain and discomfort. If you have a disc injury, call our team at Morrison Chiropractic today to receive a consultation and start on the path to recovery.