Asheville Chiropractor Treats Ruptured Discs
Article Source: HealthSnare.com
When discs in the spine become compromised or ruptured, severe pain and other health problems can develop. The discs in question are often thought to be the bones of the spine but are in fact cartilage between the vertebral bones.
Dr. David Nygaard, founder of Atlas Family Chiropractic in Asheville, North Carolina, treats patients with all manner of back issues including herniated, ruptured or "slipped" discs.
"When we talk about discs, we're not talking about the bones, but the cartilage between," explains Nygaard. "The cartilage is fibrous tissue covering a soft, jelly-like center. The discs act as shock absorbers while connecting the bones of the spine and providing proper spacing between those bones. "
Trauma Causes Disc Problems
Trauma caused by repetitive motion, poor posture, improper lifting, slips, falls and car accidents can cause the spine to shift pinching the discs or forcing them out of position. When trauma occurs, discs can bulge, protrude, become wedged, herniated or rupture.
When discs, muscles or tendons are out of alignment, they cause crowding, stress and inflammation around nerves that leads to pain. "In the case of a ruptured or herniated disc, pain primarily results from pressure on nerve roots or nerves around the spinal cord," says Nygaard. "Symptoms include pain that often radiates to the extremities, numbness, altered or impaired sense of touch, muscle spasm and even loss of bladder or bowel control. "
The nerves that run through the spinal column relay messages to and from the brain through nerve roots that branch out from the spinal canal. When a disc becomes ruptured, the outer fibrous tissue is weakened and the soft nucleus bursts or bulges out causing irritation or even damage to the nerve roots and surrounding spinal nerves.
When the discs are healthy and performing normally, they allow for normal turning, bending and load carrying ability. In comparison with other tissue, the spinal discs have a relatively low blood supply making the circulation of fluids in surrounding joints and nerves essential to expel waste and receive nutrients.
Non-Surgical Treatment - Spinal Decompression
Spinal decompression is a non-surgical treatment option designed to treat the cause of the troubled disc, not just its symptoms. Decompression works by gently stretching the spine. This creates a vacuum effect that can restore disc alignment and reduce bulging disc conditions. By adjusting the alignment of the spinal discs, bones, muscles and tendons that are pinching, nerves are returned to their orthogonal or natural position allowing the nerves to heal and function properly.
Dr. Nygaard believes that the best way to heal is by allowing the body to heal itself. "Chiropractic care helps to restore the way your spine works, reducing nerve irritation and revitalizing your own healing ability."
Atlas orthogonal chiropractors like Dr. Nygaard use highly-advanced equipment to diagnose misalignments of the spinal column and through gentle, painless adjustments, realign spinal bones so that healing can commence.
Dr. Nygaard says that research has shown that non-surgical spinal decompression can create a negative pressure within the disc causing a "vacuum effect." This vacuum effect can suck the disc material back inside its normal position, reducing the size of the herniation and relieving pressure from surrounding nerves.
This allows damaged and dehydrated discs to be restored as nutrients and water that have been lost due to trauma are replaced naturally. Bulging discs are reduced and even herniated disc material subsides. For most patients suffering from lower back pain the process is painless.
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Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2010 Time: 8:19 PM
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