Five Signs You Slipped A Disc

Feb 13, 2023

One of the most common injuries that I treat are spinal disc injures, AKA a slipped disc. It’s the most common reason I see patients in excruciating pain or unable to walk normally. If you’re dealing with lower back pain you should know what the signs of a spinal disc injury looks like so you can make the best decision about treating your injury. Today I want to share 5 signs that are commonly associated with a slipped disc.

 

4-MINUTE READ

THE SPINAL COLUMN

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The spine is made up of 24 moveable vertebrae. When the vertebrae (bones I the spine) are in a proper alignment they protect the nerve system. The fact that they can move allows us to bend, twist and be athletic. At the same time their ability to move leaves the vulnerable to shifting and getting stuck out of proper alignment. When this happens, the vertebrae cause the nerves to become obstructed, causing pain & other symptoms.

The joints in the spine are connected by a ligament called a spinal disc. The disc acts like a spacer that maintains an opening for nerves to exit the spine and connect (like electrical wires) to other tissues and organs in the body. When proper signals sent from the brain, through the nerves to the body, the body functions optimally. But when the signal is obstructed, the body cannot function properly and over time pain & symptoms show up.

FIVE SIGNS OF A SLIPPED DISC

These Five Signs Can Be Used To Help You Or Someone You Know Determine Whether The Injury Is A From A Spinal Disc Injury. My Hope Is That It Will Guide You Towards Making The Best Health Decision Going Forward.

1. One of the first signs of a slipped disc is muscle spasm along the spine. These muscles are called the erector spinae muscles. Their job is to stabilize and support the spinal column. When someone slips a disc the nerves in that area become irritated and obstructed. The erector spinae muscles go into spasm to cast and strap that area of the spine in place so the bones & disc don’t continue to move in a direction that damages the sensitive nerve system.

2. Another common sign of a slipped disc is swelling around the spine. Any time there is an injury in the body there will also be swelling. The swelling may show up in multiple forms. It can be on the right or left side of the spine or it can be on both sides. If the swelling begins to form a pillow of fluid covering the bones of the spine it usually indicates a severe spinal disc injury.

3. A decreased range of motion is a common sign that someone has experienced a slipped disc. If you have a slipped disc it is common to not able to take full strides when you walk. You may feel like you are shuffling your feet or can barely move depending on the severity. Another form of a decreased range of motions is the inability to stand fully erect causing a bent forward posture. If pain is also involved you may be leaning away from the pain which is called an antalgic lean.

4. The fourth sign of a slipped disc is a limited ability to move from a seated to standing position. When the disc is bulged or herniated it typically happened towards the back of the joint. This causes a physical barrier that limits the joints ability to move when trying to stand up.

5. The fifth sign of a slipped disc is experiencing pain, numbness or tingling. This is especially true when the symptom is traveling into an arm or a leg. Additionally, the further that the symptom is traveling, the worse the disc injury typically is. Another symptom of a disc injury that can be in this category is muscle weakness. It is common for a disc injury to cause the muscles on one side of the body to become weaker than the same muscle on the uninjured side of the body. Denver Gonstead Chiropractic

As a Gonstead Chiropractor in Denver, I use an objective measurement to find structural shifts in the spine as well as nerve irritation. My goal is to make a long-term correction of the spine back within a normal functional range. This is very similar to how an orthodontist corrects the alignment of teeth.

We use objective indicators such as nervoscope, posture analysis & Xray to identify structural shifts of the spine. This is similarly to how an engineer assessing the structural integrity of a building. I pair the information that we find to create a

DENVER GONSTEAD CHIROPRACTIC

As a Gonstead Chiropractor in Denver, I use an objective measurement to find structural shifts in the spine as well as nerve irritation. My goal is to make a long-term correction of the spine back within a normal functional range. This is very similar to how an orthodontist corrects the alignment of teeth.

We use objective indicators such as nervoscope, posture analysis & Xray to identify structural shifts of the spine. This is similarly to how an engineer assessing the structural integrity of a building. I pair the information that we find to create a well-rounded care plan to help patients get from where they are to where they want to be.