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What is a "slipped" disc?

The disc is a circle of cartilage between each vertebra in the spine that acts as a shock absorber . If you jump up and down, imagine what would happen to the stack of bony vertebra that make up the spine without the cushioning of the discs. Move your back side to side. Again, you can visualize the give and take of the discs between the vertebrae. Without discs, the spine simply could not move properly.

Discs don't really "slip". Instead, they bulge, herniate, or rupture. Saying a disc has "slipped" does suggest that something has "slipped out of place" which is not what happens at all.

Slipped discs in the lumbar spine often pinch the nerves that go into the leg and cause leg pain, or Sciatica

The Chiropractic approach to treating a "slipped disc"

Chiropractic is conservative care, which means it is non-surgical and drugless. In treating low back "slipped discs," most spine experts agree that conservative care should be tried before surgery is considered, except in severe cases.

Chiropractic care has a long history of successfully curing disc injuries.

In our clinic we use a combination of Chiropractic manipulation, traction and a treatment known as "Flexion-Distraction". We practice a form of chiropractic called the "Gonstead" System, which is a very precise method of analyzing and adjusting the spine. Chiropractic has a very high success rate in treating disk injuries, and we incorporate the latest information and technology into our treatment programs.

Disk injuries are one of the most difficult things we treat. Depending on the severity of the problem, most patients will find relief within three to six weeks of beginning treatment. As your disc heals, we will teach you exercises and counsel you in other ways on how to prevent a relapse of the problem. As with treating all chronic problems, we are most interested in providing a long term cure of the problem when possible.

More about Disk problems