Cervical Herniated Disc Treatment

Herniated discs are discs which have degenerated or been torn, and become weak enough to expand beyond their normal border.  This process can cause pain from the outer disc fibers, cause disc collapse over time, put more pressure on the joints, result in joint degeneration, and pinch nerves sometimes. 

As you may know, there are 24 spinal bones/vertebrae in your spine, and 23 spinal discs between these bones.  The discs are made of two components; an inner “nucleus pulposus”, and and outer component called the “annulus fibrosus”.  The outer annulus component is made of 12- 25 tough, fibrous, concentric layers of tissue that enclose the inner component.  Imagine a jelly donut, with the outer donut component and the inner jelly component. 

When these outer layers tear, as commonly happens, when we age, they may permit the inner component to push out, i.e. bulge or herniate, and escape their confine.  The spinal nerves are behind the discs and can get pinched when the disc material comes out.  These nerves are very sensitive to disc pressure, and the resulting pressure on them will cause, and perpetuate, a chemical process called inflammation.  Inflammation includes five components- redness, swelling, heat, pain, and  compromised function.  So long as there is pressure on the nerve it will be painful. 

Sometimes the herniated disc is small and causes a mild, brief episode of pain, and you get better without treatment.  Other times the pain can persist for years and ruin your quality of life.  When medical treatment is sought, we start with the simplest, safest treatments and proceed to more aggressive treatments, including injections and surgery.  Generally, the first treatment suggestion is medications and physical therapy or chiropractic treatment.  If that fails, injections of cortisone may be recommended.  If that fails you may be recommended to do surgery.  Surgery is appropriate in about 2% of patients who seek treatment for a herniated disc. 

As far as non-surgical treatments, such as physical therapy and chiropractic, either is fine to try, but in my experience a treatment called spinal decompression is most effective.  This treatment involves placing the patient on a spinal decompression table, and providing a kind of traction that gently pulls the vertebrae apart and reduces the compression of the disc, joints and nerves.  Since almost all pain in the spine arises from these three tissues, decompressing them alleviates most spinal pain. 

If you’re looking for non-surgical herniated disc help in Atlanta or Decatur, please call 404-558-4015.

Whether it’s a dull throb, shooting pain, or that pins-and-needles feeling down your arm, it can mess with your whole day. Sleep, work, and even driving become a hassle. But here’s the good news: if you’re in Atlanta or Decatur, real relief is closer than you think.

At Backstrong, we don’t believe in cookie-cutter care. Our team goes deep to figure out what’s going on—and we fix it. Whether you need expert Cervical Herniated Disc Treatment in Atlanta or a full-on Cervical Treatment in Decatur, we’ve got your back… and neck.

Why Does My Neck Hurt So Much?

You’d be surprised how easy it is to mess up your neck. Sitting at a desk all day. Scrolling through your phone. That fender bender from three years ago. It all adds up. The neck (or cervical spine) is loaded with nerves, joints, and discs that are sensitive to stress.

Common causes of neck pain include:

• Herniated or bulging discs
• Poor posture (hello, tech neck!)
• Sports injuries or car accidents
• Aging and joint wear
• Muscle tightness or nerve compression

If it’s not handled right away, it can go from “kind of annoying” to “can’t move my neck” real quick.