Collapsed DiscDisc collapse is a normal process inherent to spinal aging. All of us will suffer some degree of collapse of our lumbar and cervical intervertebral discs as we age. There is nothing fundamentally painful about disc collapse, but it must be mentioned that this degenerative process is one of the main facilitators of spinal osteoarthritic conditions. Collapsed Disc Structure
A disc collapse is always thought to be the harbinger of pain and chronic
suffering
for any affected patient. This is a ridiculous part of medical mythology, since degeneration of the
intervertebral disc
structures is a normal and universal part of getting older. Degeneration consists of the dehydration and shrinkage of the normal disc anatomy. This process is not inherently problematic, but does leave the disc susceptible to herniation. Luckily, most
bulging discs
are also not painful and many exist undiscovered for many years, since they are totally asymptomatic. When discs do collapse, they create the ideal circumstances for arthritis to occur on the vertebral endplates and within the spinal joints. The closer vertebrae come to one another, the greater the incidence of bony interactions which can result in general arthritic debris and even osteophyte formation. Collapsed Spinal Disc ConcernsGenerally, medical science views degenerated discs and herniated discs as possible sources of discogenic pain, spinal stenosis and foraminal stenosis enacting pinched nerves. While these conditions might exist in some rare patients, they certainly do not describe the experience of the average person affected by degeneration of the spinal discs.In fact most discs deemed to be pathological are
misdiagnosed
as the source of any severe or
chronic back pain,
leading the patient to attempt many unsuccessful
herniated disc treatments.
It is no surprise that a variety of seemingly appropriate therapy options fail, since the vilified disc is innocent and coincidental to the painful complaint. Collapsed Disc AdviceIf you have pain from a herniated disc enacted by a traumatic back injury, you should expect to enjoy relief in 6 to 8 weeks. Ongoing disc pain is rare, even if the injury is severe. Degenerative disc disease and herniations which result from the normal degenerative processes should not be painful at all or mildly symptomatic at the worst. Patients whose back pain is blamed on DDD or a non-injury related herniation must be careful that they are on the right track when seeking treatment. This was my exact situation and I endured 18 years of failed therapies, since my pain was grossly misdiagnosed.If your doctor used the diagnostic term disc collapse to describe your spine, be sure to discuss with them the exact definition that they intend to convey from the pronouncement. Some doctors will describe collapsed spinal discs casually, taking for granted that the patient understands that this is a normal and universal event to experience. Meanwhile, the patient might be terrified to learn that they have a collapsed spacer in between their vertebrae. On the other hand, a doctor might play up a collapsed spinal disc diagnosis, making it seem like a terrible thing which will surely cause pain. Clarify these points to be sure of your doctor’s intent and also to better understand the degree of collapse in the disc structure itself. Collapsed Disc to Back Pain 6/15/09 Revised 12/24/11 |
Sensei Adam Rostocki
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