Is Your Disc Slipped, Ruptured or Herniated?

Chances are that you have at least heard the term "herniated disc." However, even understanding that you probably have heard of a herniated disc, you may not really understand what a herniated disc is all about. In fact, this condition most commonly is known the public circles as a slipped disc. However, the term slipped disc simply is not correct. The disc in a person's spine that is suffering from a herniated disc does not "slip" out of location.

In fact, a herniated disc is a condition in which a tear in the outside fibrous rind of what is known as an intervertebral disc occurs. This tear allows the soft, middle potion of the disc (which is known as nucleus pulposus) to bulge outward.

In addition, the tear that has been described a moment ago can, in some cases, result in the release of inflammatory chemicals that end up causing severe pain in a person who is afflicted with a herniated disc. (Because of this effect, anti-inflammatory medications are prescribed for the pain that is associated with a herniated disc because of this situation.)

Historically, most medical experts believed that the back pain that is associated with a herniated disc was the result of the physical herniation itself. Therefore, one of the goals of surgery to correct a herniated disc was intended to relieve pain. However, as mentioned above, it is now becoming clearer that the major source of pain associated with a herniated disc really is the release of chemicals that cause inflammation as mentioned earlier in this article. Therefore, in order to control the pain associated with a herniated disc more immediately, it is important to deal with the chemical release which causes the inflammation and a good share of the pain that is connected with a herniated disc in most instances.

If you believe that you may be suffering from a herniated disc it is important that you seek medical attention sooner rather than later. By failing to obtain medical attention in a timely manner, you can end up further aggravating the herniated disc condition.

You do need to keep in mind that a herniated disc can be resolved through surgery and, in some instances, through other treatments. You need to understand that in vast majority of cases you simply do not have to suffer from the pain associated with herniated disc over the course of the long run. Therefore, and as was mentioned, you need to make sure that you do seek medical attention immediately. In the end, you will be happy that you sought out appropriate medical attention in a prompt manner.