How do we Determine a Disc Injury?

The key to diagnosing a disc that has bulged or ruptured causing pain or back problems is the combination of a few things. We can determine a lot from an MRI image, for example, but this is just one test.

Here’s an analogy: We can predict with relative certainty if someone is lying by having them take a lie detector test. Why can’t we then use this in court? The answer is that there may be a small percentage of tests that come out incorrect- maybe someone can beat the test, maybe on rare occasions it doesn’t really work or is unable to be read clearly, who knows. The bottom line is that you don’t want to put someone in jail for life if they didn’t do it! Same goes for reading an MRI. I don’t want to recommend someone to see the surgeon if the pain or problem doesn’t warrant it.

Some doctors or even surgeons may see an MRI and say “Back Surgery.” However, the good ones won’t dare to cut someone’s back without combining the pictures with an exam and the patient’s history. You really need all of these things. So, if your doctor gets your history and MRI, but doesn’t do an exam, this is not the best. Or, if he does an exam but doesn’t get the patient’s history … same thing.

I have found we need all of these things to really make a determination. Patient’s come to our office for DRX Spinal Decompression and the same holds true. Now, don’t get me wrong, spinal decompression is nothing like surgery. DRX 9000 spinal decompression is safe, non-surgical, and very successful, but I don’t want to treat someone with it that I don’t think is a candidate for the DRX 9000. So, call our office so we can fully examine your case to see if the DRX 9000 may be your answer to lower back pain or sciatica.

The Glastonbury Chiropractor is located in central Connecticut, in Glastonbury, Near East Hartford- CT Spine and Disc Center specializes in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call our chiropractic office at 860-633-8756 to schedule an appointment and to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression


Additional Reading Resources:

• The Differences in Various Lumbar Conditions
  
• Heat vs Ice For Lower Back Pain Relief
  
• Is Your Lower Back Pain Or Leg Pain The Result Of A Lumbar Radiculopathy?
  
• Non Surgical Spinal Decompression in Connecticut
• Contact the Glastonbury Chiropractor

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I have suffered from disc degeneration/herniated disc and spinal stenosis....

“For the past 3 years, I have suffered from disc degeneration/herniated disc and spinal stenosis and seriously sought surgery as the only option. Knowing how expensive the surgery is, I did not care as long as my condition was relieved. I had continuously attended chiropractic sessions and had a Cortizone shot with minimal results. Searching the internet for alternatives I contacted Dr. Bellinger’s office regarding the DRX 9000. After reading other patient testimonials about the success of the treatment, I viewed the treatment as experimental. Nonetheless, I decided to try the DRX 9000 simply because it was much less costly than surgery.

After my fifth session on the DRX 9000 I had my full range of motion and most of my pain was gone. By the end of all twenty sessions, I resumed my normal activities including gym workouts as I was now pain-free. This treatment is incredible and I have not been this happy in a while. I totally recommend this treatment for anyone thinking of surgery. This treatment is the closest thing to a cure!”

-Javier. R (Willimantic, CT)

The Glastonbury Chiropractor is located in central Connecticut- CT Spine and Disc Center specializes in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call our chiropractic office at 860-633-8756 to schedule an appointment and to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression

Additional Reading Resources:

• Lower Back Pain Relief with the Drx-9000
  
• Why Does Spinal Decompression Really Work?
  
• Testimonials from patients who have sufferered from lower back pain and have tried the Drx9000
  
• What is Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
  
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression
  
• Back Pain Relief Exercise Program
  

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The Differences In Various Lumber Disc Conditions…

I often have patients that bring in their MRI report page with a very confused look on their face. Doctor- can you tell me what this word means?

The lumbar spine consists of five vertebrae or spinal segments. Between each segment is a disc. This disc acts as a shock absorber so we can do things like: run, jump, twist, and lift. It also acts as a spacer between segments forming a hole between spinal vertebrae. L1 refers to Lumbar 1, L2- Lumbar2, and so on. There is an L1 to L5, then you hit the sacrum which is often referred to as S1.

Disc problems are often classified into one or more of the following conditions:

• Disc Degeneration- this is age related breakdown of the disc. This is often synonymous with disc desiccation and is accompanied with fibrosis and osteophyte formation of adjacent vertebrae.
  
  
• Disc Desiccation- a disc that has fibrosed or hardened due to loss of water content. You see the disc is made up of an annulus (outer fibers which are slightly harder), then the inner nucleus which is more of a gel-like material.
  
  
  
• An annular tear refers to any disruption in the outer disc fibers. Besides a tear you can also have a rupture of the annulus fibrosis. The annulus is the outer ring of the disc.
  
  
• When someone has a herniated disc they have disc material that has broken out through the annulus. The nucleus pulposis is displaced beyond the margins of the vertebrae.
  
  
• Next is a Disc Protrusion- It is basically another name for a herniated disc. There are two types; focal disc protrusions or broad based disc protrusions. Focal is when the disc protrusion is less than 25% of the disc circumference. A broad based protrusion is when the disk protrusion encompasses 25-50% of the disc circumference.
  
  
  
• When the disc that has herniated out is more wide than it is long (meaning how far it is reaching outward) it is a Protruding Disc vs. the next definition.
  
  
  
• Extruded Disc- this means the disc has come outward further than it is wide. Extruded discs can also be classified as sequestered or migrated discs.
  
  
  
• Sequestered disc- Also called a migrated disc, is when that extrusion breaks free from its connection to the rest of the disc material and is now a free fragment or “fragmented disc.”
  

Additional Reading Resources

• The Most Common Disc Herniation in the Neck
  
• Understanding A Disc Problem with a Jelly Donut: Herniated Disc or Slipped Disc?
  
• Understanding Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
  
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression

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CT Spine and Disc Center is located in central Connecticut- Specializing in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call us at 860-633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression

Can A Disc in the Lower Back Just Go Bad?

Yes and no. Over time we will get some degeneration in our spine no matter what. Just from work, sports, physical activities, slips and falls etc . . . your body will have some wear and tear. However, that degeneration should be minimal and not cause major back pain.

What typically happens is that an injury happens to part of your back (one of your discs may sustain an injury); then over the years wear and tear and stress accumulates at that “weak spot.” Often times then something irritates that disc enough to cause nerve pressure and pain.

So you see, it doesn’t really go bad on its own. Usually something got the injury started and then it gets worse as time goes on. Sometimes it can be something very simple- a long trip on a plane, a cough, bending and lifting a child.

Here’s an example: Fred never had back pain his entire life, but after helping his neighbor move some furniture the next day he had lower back pain and soreness. The pain went away after a couple days. Fast forward six years . . . Fred presents with severe pain in the lower back that he appears to have just “woken up with” one morning. X-ray and MRI revealed one level of his spine had significant degeneration and a bulged disc.

What had happened, most likely, is that Fred injured his low back about six years ago while moving furniture; in fact, he may have had an injury even prior to that. Stress and degeneration have accumulated at that level in his spine until finally there was enough pressure and irritation to cause low back pain.

Until now, the only thing naturally that really helped with disc degeneration and bulging discs was seeing a chiropractor for spinal adjustments. Now we have a newer and more advanced method to help that gives substantially better results than anything out there. To learn more click this link: How Non Surgical Spinal Decompression Works.

CT Spine and Disc Center is located in central Connecticut- Specializing in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. We offer different treatments for chronic and acute lower back pain. Call us at (860)633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression

Additional Reading Resources:

• What Tests Will My Doctor Do To Help my Lower back Pain?
  
• Can My Back Be Causing More Than Just Back or Leg Pain?
  
• Lower Back Pain and Its Many Causes
  
• Understanding Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
  
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression
  

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Can My Back Be Causing More than Just Back or Leg Pain?

Yes, low back pain can often cause leg pain. Nerves in the low back not only communicate to your back and leg muscles but also go to the important parts of your body like you bladder, intestines, sexual organs, etc...And if pressure continues to accumulate on nerves or a nerve other problems often do start to happen.

Think of it like this – if you have extra pressure on the nerves traveling to your right kidney and nothing interfering with nerves traveling to your right kidney and nothing interfering with nerves to the left kidney, which one do your think will be working better?

This is the reason why keeping your nerves free of pressure is extremely important, one day it may be back pain, the next it could be something much worse.

Second, when your body is working to heal your back other parts of the body often pick up the slack. Remember the kidney example I just gave – the left kidney will have to pick up the slack for the right kidney. This can then lead to problems there other parts of the body as a result.

Lastly, dealing with pain can wear you out mentally, maybe causing depression, loss of sleep, fatigue, irritability… It’s is usually a downward spiral of things just getting worse..And all because of your back.

If you have back pain or know you have degeneration and pressure on the nerves of the low back, don’t wait until its too late.

CT Spine and Disc Center is located in central Connecticut- Specializing in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call us at 860-633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression

Additional Reading Resources:

• Oh..My Aching Leg?
  
• The Common Answers To Solving Back Pain From a Herniated Or Bulging Disc...And Why They Almost Never Really Work!
  
• The Two Best Stretches for Sciatica Relief
  
• Understanding Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
  
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression
  

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Herniated Or Bulging Disc? Get Help Before It's Too Late!

At CT Spine And Disc Center we take Disc Herniations and Bulging Discs very seriously. These conditions usually do not get better on their own and typically get Worse!



To help understand your spine and discs think of your discs as jely donuts. Between each bone of the spine you have one. The discs allow us to move, run, jump, and ack as a shock absorber.

When the disc gets injured (the donut), the jelly breaks free from the crust. So in other words when we have a herniation or protrusion of the disc, the inner gel like material breaks through the outer fibers.

Now, if you squish a donut and all the jelly pushes to one side, the donut will bulge there. So a bulged disc is when the inner material pushes on the outer fibers bulging them outward but not breaking all the way through like a herniation.

Why are these conditions serious?
When you have a disc herniation or bulge your disc space is now smaller; and this decreasses the space your nerve root has as it branches off the spinal cord. Also, the bulge or herniated disc can literally put direct pressure on a nerve.

Remember, different nerve fibers detect and relay pain differently, so you can have a disc problem and not necessarily have that much pain.......Yet, Anyway!

The problem is - If pressure is left on the nerve, the nerve will start to break down or degenerate. The disc will also degenerate as well. Eventually because of this we will now get pain, more pain, or even worse...

The nerves of your lower back also travel to your legs, important body parts like your bladder, intestines, your sexual organs. So if left alone and nothing is done to heal a herniated disc or bulged disc, the pain...and other health problems can and will occur.

If the disc and nerve degeneration get too far along we may not be able to help!

Now, with our DRX9000 Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Protocol, we are able to heal herniated and bulging discs, relieving pain and improving one's health.

Do not put off doing something about your back pain because it's "not that bad" or it "only acts up when...". It can get alot worse very quickly, and if left alone too long the breakdown and degeneration of the spine, discs, and nerves, can reach a point where they are too far gone to repair.

At CT Spine And Disc Center we will perform a detailed examination and history, and review all x-rays, MRI's and other imaging studies to determine if we can help!

An effective treatment for Serious Excruciating Back Pain

SIMPLE, SAFE AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR SEVERE LOWER BACK OR LEG PAIN FROM HERNIATED DISC, BULGING DISC, OR DEGENERATED DISC
Many treatments, therapies, medications and surgeries have been used to combat serious back and leg pain. When the pain results from bulged, herniated or degenerated disc, the majority of the time the “usual” treatments failed. Sometimes they’ve even made people worse.

It wasn’t until fairly recently a newer treatment evolved called Non surgical spinal decompression. Decompression is performed by a machine called the Drx9000.
The Drx9000 non surgical spinal decompression treatment has helped thousands get out of pain, return to work and get their life back. The treatment is easy to do, gives fast results and has no documented side effects.
The typical treatment takes about 30 minutes followed by ice and interferential muscle stimulation. The average number of treatments will vary depending on someone’s condition but on average will last 16-30 treatments, over the course of 4-8weeks.
Another great benefit of the treatment is that most people are completely relaxed hardly even feeling anything. Some actually nap while on the Drx.
In addition, a lot of time pain sufferers start experiencing relief very quickly, so you know its working….And here’s the big one- In a large amount of the cases the pain goes away and stays away for good. So now with the Drx9000 non surgical spinal decompression individuals who are dealing with excruciating back pain or leg pain have new home. Many successes even have multiple disc problems or have even already had back surgery.

by Dr. M Bellinger

Matthew Bellinger DC is Director of CT Spine and Disc Center LLC. His office is located in Glastonbury, CT. Dr. Bellinger treats patients for severe lower back pain due to sciatica, Disc Bulge and disc herniation in the lumbar spine, and disc degeneration. He specializes in non surgical spinal decompression at his central connecticut office, utilizing the Drx9000. Call 860-633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for this low back treatment.

I was diagnosed with 5 or 6 bulging/herniated discs...

My name is Peter Ward and I have had back problems for years and years. I am 20 years old now and they have been progressively been getting worse for 5 or 6 years until it got to the point where I couldn't walk anymore. I was diagnosed with 6 bulging/herniated discs. I saw the Drx9000 on the internet and thought I had no other options anymore. I previously tried everything- cortizone shots, steroids, pain managment, physical therapy et... So I came to CT Spine and Disc Center and the people were very nice plus after the first week of treatment I was 80% pain free and it fixed my worst nightmare. Thank you guys so much for everything and giving me my life back”
- Peter Ward, August 21, 2008, Meriden, CT

How does Chropractic care help a disc herniation?

The the goal of chiropractic treatment is to put the spine in alignment. When the spine is in the normal, healthy alignment it holds the disc into place better. The adjustment helps take pressure of the nerves and restore motion back to the affected joints. Putting motion back and taking pressure off the nerves restores the function of the area. Fluid can be absorbed and released properly, nutrients can as well, waste material can be released, and inflammation will go down.

What is a Herniated Disc?

A Herniated Disc or Disc Protrusion or Extrusion or Prolapse or Slipped disc all essentially mean the same thing. Part of the disc has pushed out possibly putting pressure on a nerve or creates inflammation that is putting pressure on a nerve.

Technically speaking the diference between a Disc bulge and a disc herniation is that a disc hernation involves the inner part of the disc breaking out through the outer layers.

The disc is made up of an inner gel like part called the nucleus and an outer more cartilaginous section called the annulus. So a bulge is when that annulus is pushing outward or “bulging” outward but the border is not broken. A herniating disc, that inner material actually breaks through the annulus to the outside. A common analogy is a jelly donut – the nucleus is the jelly and the annulus is the rest of the donut. If you squeeze the donut the jeely pushes toward one side bulging the donut on that side. “a bulged disc” When you squeeze that donut and the jelly comes out that’s your disc “herniation”. Either a disc bulge or herniated disc can put pressure on a nerve. Typically a herniation creates more pressure but not always.