Herniated Disk Research Paper

After a quick x-ray I wait for the doctor for what seems like hours, when she finally enters the room she looks in my eyes and says the exact word I was praying not to hear... “unfortunately”. My heart drops, she continues, “The x-rays showed a significant change in your curve.” I sit there, staring at the doctor, pale faced and in shock. When you have scoliosis, your spinal curve is measured in degrees, at around a 20 degree curve you would be

The spine is one of the most important structures in the human body. The spine is located in the dorsal cavity and consists of 24 bones, called vertebrae. These vertebrae play a crucial role in protected the body’s command center, the spinal cord. But what happens when a disorder prevents the spinal column from functioning correctly? Scoliosis is a musculoskeletal disorder that causes abnormal lateral curvature of the spine and it effects millions of people in the US per year. I have chosen this disorder because I am aspiring to become a chiropractor and scoliosis is a typical condition that chiropractors help treat on a daily basis.

Usually a herniated disc heals on its own. So most of the time nonsurgical treatment is tried first

Herniated discs are particularly brutal, due to their position directly behind the spinal cord. When a disc ruptures, the ‘jelly’ inside can spill out into the nerves. This results in severe pain that radiates through the back and sometimes down the legs, as in my case. For more than two years, it felt like I had a knife embedded in my lower back.

Scoliosis is described as an abnormal curvature of the spine in a sideways direction. The condition can be categorized as either a “C” curve or an “S” curve. Now, I have an “S” curve which means my spine has two curves, one to the left and one to the right, each different from the other. I first became diagnosed with this condition when I was

The protrusion of an organ, typically the stomach, through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm (large dome-shaped muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen) that allows a portion of the stomach to move up into the chest cavity.

In a normal skeletal structure, the adult vertebral column shows four slight bends called normal curves when it is viewed from the side. The vertebral column consists of seven cervical vertebrae, twelve thoracic vertebrae, five lumbar vertebrae, a sacrum and a coccyx. The curve of the vertebral column help maintains the upright position, protect the vertebrae from fracture and absorb shocks during walking. However, osteoporosis results in three types of abnormal curves of the vertebral column which is kyphosis, lordosis, and scoliosis. Kyphosis is a condition of an outward curvature of the spine causing hunching of the back where it is common among females with advanced osteoporosis. Meanwhile, lordosis is an excessive inward curvature of the

Our spinal column is made of twenty four independent vertebrae, responsible for the body flexibility and mobility. It also protects the central nervous system, which control and coordinate with every tissue, muscle, and organ of the body. Thus, for a healthy lifestyle, and overall well being, it is imperative that the spine is functioning properly. The improper functioning of two or more vertebrae is called as subluxation or misalignment, and calls the need of a specialist who can heal the problem.

Human race has been affected by back pain and leg pain since the beginning of history. Even though there are various pathological conditions which present as back pain, most common condition giving rise to back pain is LUMBAR DISC HERNIATION.

Kyphosis or Kyphotic also described as a “C”- shaped curve to the spine, where the curve of the spine produces the opening of the “C” to the anterior of the body. With this condition it affects the Thoracic Spine (upper back) that has a normal outward curvature, which the spine is bent forward. The individual bones (vertebrae) are what make up a healthy spine that looks like cylinders that are stacked in a column. A normal thoracic spine extends from the 1st to the 12th vertebra that is measured at 20-40 degrees . If the curvature of the spine approaches 45-50 degrees or more you are then looking at an abnormal spinal deformities . Leading the thoracic spine to curve outside of its normal range creating a rounding of the back or hunchback where

Millions of Americans suffer from low back pain. Low back pain is the second most reason people go to visit their doctor. Back pain is the leading cause of disability in people under the age of 50. It leaves about 2.4 million Americans chronically disabled. Low back problems have effects on the spine's stability, strength, and flexibility, which can cause pain, discomfort, and stiffness, weakness which can lead to loss of function. One of the most common causes is degeneration of discs in the spine. The current treatment for this condition includes exercise and physical therapy, medications such as anti-inflammatories and narcotics, therapeutic injections, and ultimately surgery. All these treatments do not address the cause, but address only the symptoms of spine and joint pain. The cause of pain is due to degeneration of healthy cells that become fibrotic which lead to the degeneration of the disc’s structure.

A normal human thoracic spine begins at the first vertebra (T1) and ends at the twelfth (T12). When viewed laterally (side), the thoracic spine presents a normal forward curvature, which ranges from twenty to forty-five degrees in roundness (Scoliosis Research Society, 2015). Excessive curvature that exceeds forty-five to fifty degrees causes an abnormal slouched posture known as kyphosis. According to Kamiah A. Walker (2011), “The vertebrae stack one on top of each other and are supposed to be rectangular” (para. 11). However, Walker adds that kyphosis “causes the vertebrae to become triangular or wedge shaped” (2011, para. 11). This results in an inward and forward postural change of the upper spine.

- Distinguished by associated paresthesias or radiation of pain into the posterior thigh, loss of motor strength to the extremities {e.g.,arm in cervical disc, leg in lumbar

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that if left untreated can lead to medical complications. A healthy spine the small bones called vertebrae align in a series to compose the spine. Ligaments and muscles connected to the spine provide stability while allowing movement. The curve in the neck area is called the cervical spine, the second curve forms the thoracic spine located in the upper back, the third curve forms the lumbar spine located in the lower back. Scoliosis causes an abnormal side to side curve of the spine, this effects the structure and posture of the body. One hip or one shoulder blade may seem higher than the other. Shoulder blades may stick out and the body may lean to one side. Scoliosis is a progressive condition

ach disc of the spine is designed much like a jelly donut. As the disc degenerates from age or injury, the softer central portion can rupture (herniate) through the surrounding outer ring (annulus fibrosus). This abnormal rupture of the central portion of the disc is referred to as a disc herniation. This is commonly referred to as a "slipped disc." The most common location for a herniated disc to occur is in the disc at the level between the fourth and fifth lumber vertebrae in the low back. This area is constantly absorbing the impact of bearing the weight of the upper body.