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Burlington and Hamilton Pain Relief is Possible for Free Fragment Irritation

Does the expression free fragment sound familiar to you? It is a type of disc herniation in the spine experienced by Burlington and Hamilton residents that can press on a spinal nerve or inflame it that results in spine pain and pain radiating into the arms and legs. So, what is a free fragment (aka extruded disc or non-contained disc herniation)? Can you find help in Burlington and Hamilton? Sure can! Spinal Care Clinic understands the free fragment and offers gentle chiropractic care to coax it back to being non-irritating with time.

extrusion of discNow, the free fragment is a piece of the disc that protrudes from the inside of the disc to become set apart outside of the disc as a free fragment. How does this happen? The outer lining of the disc (remember the normal disc between vertebraedisc is the pad of cartilage between the vertebrae that allows movement and resists the effects of gravity on the spine?) develops a tear. It is through this tear that the inner part of the disc, called the nucleus pulposus, passes to gain access to the spinal canal where the spinal nerves lie.

What causes this tear in the disc that allows the inner disc to escape? The tear can occur with such a simple movement as twisting at the waist as in starting the lawn mower engine, shoveling dirt, throwing a bowling ball, lifting the baby, reaching for an object from the top shelf in the kitchen cabinet, or other such twisting motion. It is also interesting that when the tear occurs, not only does the disc protrude to form a free fragment, but within only 3 weeks to 3 months, the disc itself will lose its fluid and degenerate. (1,2)

What happens to this free fragment that may compress or irritate the nerve? The good news is that it will shrink with time. That time element is disconcerting to the Burlington and Hamilton back pain patient because no one knows exactly how long it will take to shrink sufficiently to stop causing the nerve to hurt. But Spinal Care Clinic has some good news. Read on ...

In treating these free fragments, there are forms of treatment to assist in shrinking the fragment and hasten its heal. One such method is Spinal Care Clinic's Cox Technic Flexion Distraction and Decompression, a specialized form of spinal manipulation. Scientific studies show that this treatment lowers the pressure inside the disc; this helps the disc heal faster as the pressure on the torn disc is reduced. The treatment also enlarges the nerve openings through which the nerve passes, and research has shown that this space increases by up to 28%. The stimulation of the circulation around the free fragment helps in shrinking the size of the free fragment by absorbing the fragment and soothing the inflammation it creates around the nerve.

Other names for such free fragments of disc material are sequestered disc, prolapsed disc, and extruded disc. Regardless of what it is called, the free fragment hurts, heals and finds relief gradually oftentimes in the hands of your Burlington and Hamilton chiropractor and time.

Contact Spinal Care Clinic if you find yourself with lower back pain, neck pain, leg pain or arm pain that may be due to a free fragment. In Burlington and Hamilton the free fragment may meet its match in our chiropractic care!
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."