Tuesday 23 July 2013

Degenerative Disc Disease and Its Causes

WHAT EXACTLY IS DEGENERATIVE DISEASE?

WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE???


When one’s spine ages, especially the intervertebral discs, the chances for the degenerative disc disease to develop are very high. 

However, this is not to say that only old people get to experience this particular physical condition. Even young adults can experience the same as a result of an injury to one’s back. Such illness could also develop whenever that part of the body has been weakened due to wear and tear of one’s spine. To know more about what cause this disease, read the information below.

CAUSES :


One of the causes of degenerative disc disease as stated earlier is age. When this particular cause is involved, you can think of degenerative disc disease as a process. When one ages, there will be changes to his intervertebral discs. The same will later on affect his vertebrae’s other motion segments. 

As the time passes by, the disc’s outer portion called the annulus fibrosus will also change. This would result to the reduction molecules that attract water, which also reduces the ability of the disc to have back movement handled. This will make the disc thinner and less spongy. This causes problems to the stability of the spine, resulting to the wear and tear condition. 

Another cause of said disease is hypermobility. This causes the growth of osteophytes or bone spurs, which are small bony elements that stops movement. Said elements actually pinch the structures of one’s nerves sometimes, which cause pain. Another cause of such condition is one’s genes. It could be that a person is pre-disposed to disc and joint wear and tear that is excessive.

Degenerative disc disease could also develop in a person when his lifestyle is not exactly healthy. For instance, smokers are said to be vulnerable to said disease because such vice has adverse effects on the one’s discs. The same has the result of having the disc’s water amount decreased.

Sunday 21 July 2013

Bulging Disc in Neck Causes Strong Pain for me

BULGING DISC IN NECK CAUSES ME STRONG PAIN

Bulging disc in neck usually appears in the old age or may be caused by the trauma or overloads on the vertebral zone. In any case the bulging disk or the cervical disk appears as the result of the process of deterioration and is connected with the stress of the neck zone. 

One of the symptoms of the bulging disk may be 

    the strong pain in the area of the neck. 
    weakness, 
    tingling in the neck or around the spine zone where the bulging disc is located. 
    Pain and the uncomfortable feelings of weakness may spread to the other parts of the body – to the shoulders, fingers, arms and hands. 
    Age is one of the most common reasons of disc bulging as during the years discs become weaker and they deteriorate due to the loads and pressures.


The spinal discs are functioning like the cushioning pads and they decrease the pressure on the spine during the movements or physical exercises. In the middle of the disc there is a pulpous soft component, and around the disc there is a ligament, which is connecting the bones of the spine to each other. 


WHAT DOES IT MEAN BY THE TERM "BULGING DISC IN NECK" ??


It means that one of the disks came out of its normal position in one of the neck zones of the spine. If not treated in time it may lead to the difficulty in movements of the head and the movement will be causing pain. The strong pain may be the result of the nerve pressure by the expanded disc.

It is always better to try to avoid surgical methods and try physiotherapy, special physical exercises, avoiding stress in the neck. 


HOW DO I GET RID OF THIS ?

Sometimes if all this methods are not working, it may be prescribed to go through the corticosteroid treatment to decrease the risk of inflammation. Sometimes the neck brace is used to lower the load and stress in the neck area of the spine.

The neck spine surgery is usually quite hard and serious operations and it is prescribed if the pain is really hard and no other non-surgery methods provide the positive effect.

 Among the other experimental treatment of the bulging disc in neck may be the laser therapy, acupuncture, although it is always better to talk to your doctor before starting any procedures. In case of the initial symptoms appearing, like for example the pain in the neck zone, it is better to go to the doctor and not to postpone it.

What is Herniated Disc?

WHAT ARE HERNIATED DISC AND REASONS FOR IT?


Herniated discs are as result of a health disorder referred to as spinal disc herniation resulting from trauma, lifting injuries or idiopathic causes due to a tear in the peripheral fibrous ring, of an invertebral disc. A disc is a cover that serves as a blinding between the invertebral bodies which reduces the shock as a result of movement of the spinal column.

 The discs have softer cores (nucleus pulposus).

Disc herniation is as a result of anomalous tearing or breakage of the softer core of the disc. Normally, disc herniation occurs between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae in the lower back. Significant disc herniation causes the tissue to press on the neighbouring spinal nerves that depart the spine at that point and may result to pain, hence, one of the major herniated disc symptoms are pain in the lower back.
The tear in the discs may result in secretion of inflammatory chemical mediators which may set off acute pain devoid of nerve root compression. Herniated disc symptoms are of a wide span depending on the where the herniation is situated and the soft tissues affected. They span from virtually little or no pain if the disc is the only tissue affected to severe discomfort on in the neck or low back region that spreads out to areas attended by the affected nerve roots.

Diagnosis is very difficult in initial stages as patients complain of indeterminate pains in the thighs, knees and feet. In early stages herniated disc symptoms are misleading since the affected persons my think that they are suffering from leg-affecting complications.

Other symptoms are numbness in affected areas; muscular weakness; tingling; paresthesia; paralysis; and affection of reflexes. People with L3 and L5 may suffer from erectile dysfunction due to the tissues involved with the  muscle.

Herniated discs are as result of a health disorder referred to as spinal disc herniation resulting from trauma, lifting injuries or idiopathic causes due to a tear in the peripheral fibrous ring, of an invertebral disc. A disc is a cover that serves as a blinding between the invertebral bodies which reduces the shock as a result of movement of the spinal column.

The discs have softer cores (nucleus pulposus).

Disc herniation is as a result of anomalous tearing or breakage of the softer core of the disc. Normally, disc herniation occurs between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae in the lower back. Significant disc herniation causes the tissue to press on the neighbouring spinal nerves that depart the spine at that point and may result to pain, hence, one of the major herniated disc symptoms are pain in the lower back.
The tear in the discs may result in secretion of inflammatory chemical mediators which may set off acute pain devoid of nerve root compression. Herniated disc symptoms are of a wide span depending on the where the herniation is situated and the soft tissues affected. They span from virtually little or no pain if the disc is the only tissue affected to severe discomfort on in the neck or low back region that spreads out to areas attended by the affected nerve roots.

Diagnosis is very difficult in initial stages as patients complain of indeterminate pains in the thighs, knees and feet. In early stages herniated disc symptoms are misleading since the affected persons my think that they are suffering from leg-affecting complications.

Other symptoms are numbness in affected areas; muscular weakness; tingling; paresthesia; paralysis; and affection of reflexes. People with L3 and L5 may suffer from erectile dysfunction due to the tissues involved with the p muscle.