Herniated Disk After an Accident: What It Is and What Care Looks Like

Quick answer: A herniated disk is a disk in your spine that ruptures, which lets its jelly-like center leak and irritate the nearby nerves. It can cause sciatica or back pain. MedlinePlus says that with treatment, most people recover, and that treatments include rest, pain and anti-inflammatory medicines, physical therapy, and sometimes surgery. If you were hurt in a car accident in San Diego and your back or leg hurts, an exam is how you find out what is going on.

What is a herniated disk?

MedlinePlus explains it this way. Your spine is made up of 26 bones called vertebrae. Between them are soft disks filled with a jelly-like substance, which cushion the vertebrae and keep them in place. As you age, the disks break down and lose some of that cushioning ability, which can lead to pain if the back is stressed.

A herniated disk is one that ruptures. It goes by a lot of other names, including bulging disk, slipped disk and ruptured disk, so you may hear any of them from a doctor or read them on a report. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases adds that this often occurs at the lumbar level but can be present in the cervical spine as well.

Can a car accident cause one?

The institute says back pain can come on suddenly from an accident, a fall or lifting something heavy, and it describes a herniated or ruptured disc as “an event causing a disc to compress and irritate nearby nerves.” It also says back pain can come from age-related changes in the spine, and that several factors can be present at the same time.

So a crash may be part of the story, and it may not be all of it. An exam and your history help sort that out. If you are working out how an injury affects a claim, your insurer or attorney is the right person to ask.

When should you get help right away?

MedlinePlus says to call 911 for an injury to your neck or spine, particularly with loss of feeling or inability to move. It says to go to an emergency department or call 911 for severe pain anywhere on the body, or for dizziness or weakness that does not go away. Dr. Anderson’s own advice is to consult with your doctor before making an appointment for chiropractic care after an automobile accident.

How is a herniated disk diagnosed?

MedlinePlus says your doctor will diagnose it with a physical exam and, sometimes, imaging tests. At this office, your first visit includes your medical history and a full exam, and Dr. Anderson may order X-rays, MRIs or CAT scans if they are needed.

What does treatment include?

Here is MedlinePlus’s list, and where each part may come from:

On the MedlinePlus list	Who it usually involves
Rest	You, with advice from whoever is treating you
Pain and anti-inflammatory medicines	Your medical doctor or pharmacist
Physical therapy	A physical therapist. Dr. Anderson’s office offers rehabilitation and corrective exercises
Surgery, sometimes	A surgeon, if your doctor refers you

Dr. Anderson’s care doesn’t include medication or surgery, so if those come up, they are a conversation for your medical doctor. The office consults with your general practitioner before performing any adjustments, and that is one reason it matters.

What do the words on your report mean?

If you have seen a scan report or a doctor’s note, some of the words are worth knowing. Here is how the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases defines a few of them:

• Sprain: an injury to the ligaments that support the spine
• Strain: an injury to a muscle or tendon
• Degenerative disc disease: aging causes the discs between the vertebrae to break down
• Spinal stenosis: a narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves

Ask whoever wrote the report to explain what it means for you. A word on a report is a starting point for that conversation.

Where does spinal decompression fit?

MedlinePlus’s list is general, and it doesn’t name spinal decompression. It is a service Dr. Anderson offers, and you should think of it that way: one option to ask about, not a promise.

The office uses a traction table to gently stretch the spine. Read what spinal decompression is and what happens first. Whether it fits your case comes out of your exam. If it doesn’t, your plan may draw on other therapies and adjustments, including corrective exercises to do at home.

What should you ask at your exam?

These are good questions for any provider who sees you for a disk problem:

• What do you think is causing my pain, and how sure are you?
• Do I need imaging, or do I have it already?
• What are you suggesting, and what are the other options?
• What should make me call you, or go to the emergency room?
• Are you talking to my general practitioner?

“Went here for some upper back pain due to a slipped disc. He treated me with heat therapy. He was really knowledgeable and knew what he was doing,” wrote Andrew Reddy (Drewski) in a Google review.

Why see Dr. Anderson for a disk problem in San Diego?

Herniated discs and sciatica are on the office’s list of conditions, and back pain care starts with evaluating the whole person. If a crash is why you are here, read about car accident care and what MedPay can pay for.

The office is in Scripps Ranch, also serving Poway, and walk-ins are welcome. Call (858) 549-1088 or contact the office.