How Do the Spinal Discs Become Injured?
Over time gravity, spinal joint dysfunction and accumulated trauma cause the discs to compress, flatten and degenerate. This constant compression prevents much-needed oxygen and nutrients from entering the disc to aid in healing and trauma recovery. This ongoing starvation causes the once-tough outer layers of the disc to soften allowing the contents of the disc to bulge outward. Significant disc damage can become a tear called a disc herniation or the inner gelatinous material of the disc can leak out called a disc sequestration. The “jelly center” of the disc can also dry out over time which is referred to as degenerative disc disease. All forms of disc injury can eventually impinge on the nerves exiting the spine (“pinched nerve”) which can create numbness, tingling, burning or sharp pain down the arms or legs. Sharp pain originating from the back and “shooting” down the legs is often referred to as sciatica. The only treatment that can reverse this degenerative compression is Non-S
