Treatment for Herniated Disc in Augusta GA

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Treatment for Herniated Disc in Augusta GA

Before a herniated disc occurs, it starts out as a healthy intervertebral disc – a strong, pliable cushion that provides your spine with shock absorption and facilitates movement. Your spine starts at the base of the brain and runs down to the lower back. It is made up of 24 individual bones known as vertebrae, plus several fused vertebrae in the pelvic region. The vertebrae themselves are composed of cylindrical bases (known as bodies) and protruding bones known as spinous and transverse processes. The processes are the protrusions you can feel when you touch your spine. There is a hollow arch created by these processes and each vertebral body that, when vertebrae are stacked on top of one another, creates a canal through which the spinal cord runs. Branching off from the length of the spinal cord are spinal nerve roots, which travel through lateral canals (foramina) formed by adjacent vertebrae and exit the spinal column to innervate other areas of the body.

Symptoms may vary greatly, depending on the position of the herniated disc. A herniated disc in the neck may cause symptoms in the shoulders, arms or chest. A herniated disc in the lower back may cause sciatica, with leg pain and other nerve-related symptoms. A herniated disc in the lower back may be felt in the buttock and down the back of the leg to the ankle or foot. There may be low back pain, but usually not as severe as leg pain. Other symptoms of a herniated disc may include severe deep muscle pain and muscle spasms. Low back pain that does not involve numbness, tingling and/or weakness, or pain in a leg is not usually due to disc herniation pressing on the nerve root. In a similar manner, neck pain that doesn’t cause symptoms in the arm and hand is not usually from disc herniation.

FAQs ABOUT HERNIATED DISCS AND BACK PAIN

HOW DO I KNOW I HAVE A HERNIATED DISC?
Just like almost any other injury, a disc tear can be painful as local nerves in the disc wall become irritated and inflamed. Additionally, as herniated discs interfere with the nearby spinal cord and peripheral nervous system, symptoms can be wide-ranging. They include neck and lower back pain, radiating or “shooting pain” in the limbs on one side of the body, muscle weakness and spasms, numbness of the limbs and difficulty walking.


WHAT CAUSED MY DISC TO HERNIATE?
Herniated discs can occur as a result of a heavy strain or fall, which causes the nucleus to break through the wall of the disc and place pressure on the nerves that branch out from the spinal cord. For example, lifting a heavy object after sitting down for a long period of time can cause a disc to herniate.


WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BULGING DISC AND A HERNIATED DISC?
A disc begins to bulge when the center of the disc pushes out against the ligament that surrounds it, much like air being blown into a balloon.

In comparison, a herniated disc is like a balloon that has popped. The disc herniates when the soft, inner material squeezes its way through ligament tendon and ruptures — like a popped balloon. Pain occurs because of the tear in the ligament, the pressure of the disc material against your nerves, and from the inflammation caused when the inner material is squeezed out of the disc.


WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TREAT A HERNIATED DISC?
Nonsurgical treatment methods are always the best option to try first. Augusta GA Chiropractor at Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic has had great success in treating herniated discs, in addition to other conditions that cause back pain.


WHAT IF MY PROBLEM ISN'T A HERNIATED DISC?
Sciatica is a symptom frequently associated with a lumbar herniated disc. Pressure on one or several nerves that contribute to the sciatic nerve can cause pain, burning, tingling, and numbness that extends from the buttock into the leg and sometimes into the foot. Usually one side (left or right) is affected. Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic has also had great success in treating sciatica.


HOW DO I GET STARTED FIXING THE PROBLEM?
To schedule a free consultation with a chiropractor in Augusta GA, you can call Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic at (706) 814-5053. You can sit down with a board-certified and licensed chiropractor, where an in-depth discussion of your current condition and health history will help determine the best course of action for your specific condition.