Slipped Disc Treatment

Specialist Slipped Disc Treatment London

We offer treatment for slipped discs in London at The Proback Clinic in Victoria. A slipped disc or bulging disc are popular terms for a medical condition known as a Herniated Vertebral Disc and is commonly associated with chronic, severe pain and radiating pain either down the leg when the damage is in the lower back or down the arm when the damage is in the neck.

Structure of a Vertebral Disc

The vertebrae in the spine are separated by a form of cartilage, known as discs. These discs contain a central cushioning material similar to gel known as the nucleus, and act to protect the vertebrae from the impact of daily activities such as walking, running, sitting and lifting; this gel is wrapped in multiple layers of ligament rings known collectively as the annulus.

Causes of Disc Damage

The disc material can be damaged by sudden trauma or worn down over time through poor biomechanics, incorrect posture, or sitting for long periods. The damage caused means the discs can’t give the vertebrae the right level of protection. This then puts pressure on the rest of the spine, or in some cases on a specific nerve; this damage to the disc is known as a herniation.

When discs are damaged there are multiple ways in which pain can be generated.

• When a disc tears under pressure, this can create a bulge which then puts pressure on the nerves adjacent.
• Tears in the outer fibres of a disc are directly innervated and therefore pain is felt without the need for pressure on the adjacent nerve (can create pain patterns that MRI’s don’t necessarily identify).
• Inflammation caused by damage to the nucleus or annulus can leak inflammatory chemicals which irritate the adjacent nerve (can create pain patterns that MRI’s don’t necessarily identify).
• Collapsing or wedging of the disc can cause a direct physical entrapment of the nerve often on the opposite side to the bulge.
• Degenerative damage to the disc can cause a loss of disc height reducing the space, which causes entrapement of the nerve.

Symptoms of a Slipped Disc

As explained disc pain be direct or indirect, but often the discomfort follows a nerve related pattern which has some specific tells.

• Pain is often initially sharp and can shoot down the arm or leg
• Muscle spasm often is accompanying meaning patients are braced, find it hard to straighten up or are listing to the side
• Chronic pain that is generally less intense but often with associated weakness, tingling or numbness into other areas of the body
• Severe cases can result in inability to contract muscles when weight bearing something known as a ‘drop foot’