Every year, millions of people experience car accident injuries that are serious enough to require medical attention. Common among those injuries is the herniated disc.

You might have heard of a herniated disc before (you may also hear them referred to as prolapsed, slipped, or ruptured discs), but what does that mean? Between each vertebra, you have a disc made of a soft, spongy material encased within a firmer membrane, like a water balloon. A “herniation” occurs when the membrane (called the annulus fibrosus) ruptures and the softer material inside (called the nucleus pulposus) “leaks” out. (If the outer membrane does not rupture, this is known as a bulging disc.) This material puts pressure on nearby nerves and contains inflammatory proteins that can send pain throughout the body. And yes, they’re as painful as they sound.

The force that a car accident exerts on your body can easily create herniated discs in the back or neck (they may occur along with whiplash).

Herniated discs differ in their level of severity, so each patient’s situation is unique.
To provide you with effective treatment, your chiropractor should look at imaging of your body (either an x-ray or MRI) to evaluate what is happening inside your body.

One of the most common techniques for herniated discs is flexion-distraction. This involves a gentle pumping to slightly flex the spine and “plump up” your discs, reducing the pressure put on your nerves. While herniated discs typically don’t “heal” without surgery, chiropractic care has the capacity to reduce or even eliminate your pain.

Presented as a service to the community by: Union County Chiropractic Clinic, 110 Skyline Drive, Maynardville, TN (865) 992-7000 www.unioncountychiropractic.com