Orem Chiropractor - R. Ned McArthur, D.C. Discusses Back Pain & Disc Bulges

Do Disc Bulges Cause Back Pain?

Based on the common belief that a disc bulge causes back and leg pain I found the following article very interesting. “Prevalence of Disc Herniation in the Asymptomatic Population: A Compilation.”

The following table shows different researchers on the far left and the percentages at which they found false positives for different conditions. One of things that makes this study and this chart particularly interesting is that absolutely none of the people involved had low back pain or leg / sciatica pain.

To aid in your understanding of the table here are some definitions

Disc Protrusion (B)

Commonly called a disc bulge, a disc protrusion occurs with the spinal disc and the associated ligaments remain in tact, but form an out-pouching that can press against the nerves.

Disc Extrusion (C)

A disc extrusion occurs when the outer part of the spinal disc ruptures, allowing the inner, gelatinous part of the disc to squeeze out. Disc extrusions can occur with the ligaments in tact, or damaged.

Disc Sequestration (D)

A disc sequestration occurs when the center, gelatinous portion of the disc is not only squeezed out, but also separated from the main part of the disc.

False Positive Rates for Lumbar MRI
Investigation:	Disc Bulge	Disc Protrusion	Disc Extrusion	Disc Pathology (Bulge, Protrusion,extrusion, sequestration)	Root Deviation or Compression
Boden et al.		20%		NA
Jensen et al.	52%	27%	1%	64%
Boos et al.*		63%	13%		4%
Greenberg et al.	39%	18%		57%
Weishaupt et al.	24%	40%	18%		4%
Wood et al (11)*	53%	37%		63%
*	Because these investigation used a 'high risk' asymptomatic groups of people, i.e., people whose occupation required frequent heavy lifting, twisting, and bending; frequent exposure to vibration; and sedimentary occupations, I have EXCLUDED the results from the averaging below.
AVERAGES:	38%	29%	9.5%	60.5%	4%

Here's the bottom line: If we we’re to gather a group of middle-age folks (45 average age) who have NEVER had back pain before and perform MRI scans on them all, here's what we would find: 38% would have disc bulges, 29% would have disc protrusions, 10% would have disc extrusions, 0% would have disc sequestrations and 4% would have nerve root compression by the disc herniation. A more shocking statistic is that 60% of asymptomatic middle aged people would have findings of disc bulge or worse (protrusion, extrusion) on MRI!


Read what others have said about Dr Ned here.

Orem Chiropractor - R. Ned McArthur Discusses Proper Breathing

Did you know that the average adult can take as many as 30,000 breaths a day? (That’s a lot of hot air!) Most of never even think about our breathing, unless something interferes with our breathing, like strenuous activity or holding our breath. Not having to think about breathing is actually a good thing though. Can you imagine . . . people would pass out or even die because they “forgot to breathe!”

Just because breathing is an automatic process doesn’t mean that we’re always doing it right. Breathing “right” means providing maximum oxygen to the lungs. Maximum oxygen means more nourishment to all the cells in your body.

So how does breathing happen? The breathing process starts in the blood. All of our cells are continually active doing whatever it is they do. A by-product of their activity is carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is an acid. The part of our brain that controls breathing monitors the acid / CO2 levels in our blood. When CO2 levels reach a certain level we breathe in oxygen and blow out carbon dioxide, thus lowering the acid / CO2 level. Because those cells are continually doing what they do, creating more and more CO2 we continually breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide.

The first thing that happens when we take breath is the diaphragm contracts. The diaphragm is a muscle that runs side to side below the lungs. Think of it as a floor the lungs sit on. It contracts or tightens like any other muscle. When the diaphragm contracts it drops down. When it drops the lungs go down with it, which results in them expanding and you breathe in. When the diaphragm relaxes it returns to the original position, pushing up on the lungs, causing you to breathe out.

In simpler terms correct breathing as known as "abdominal" or "belly" breathing. f you’re breathing properly, your lower belly will rise more than your chest.

There are many reasons why healthy people don’t breathe correctly. It could be malfunction, stress, fear, pain, or maybe just trying to make the stomach look tighter. All of these will lead to shallow breathing, which will decrease the amount of oxygen you bring in.

So, how are you breathing? Take a tape measure around your waist, just below your belly button. Pull the tape measure snug, taking note of what the measurement it. Take a deep breath and notice how much your belly expands with a deep breath. Do the same thing two more times. If your belly is not expanding by an inch or more you’re not breathing correctly.

Improper breathing can contribute to headaches, dizziness, fibromyalgia, numbness, sciatica, insomnia, neck pain, back pain as well making it more difficult for your body to heal.

Proper breathing will result in more relaxation, lower heart rate and overall better function because your tissues are receiving adequate oxygen.

Read review of Dr Ned on Google

Orem Chiropractor - R. Ned McArthur, D.C. Discusses Neck Pain & Car Accident Injuries

Whiplash is a condition where the neck and shoulders are whipped forward and backward or side to side, depending on where the impact took place. This whipping movement can either strain or tear ligaments, tendons and muscles.

Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, numbness, tingling, headaches, muscle tightness, stiffness are all common symptoms in car accident injuries.

Seat belts will save your life and it’s against the law in most states not to wear your seat belt. Seat belts also help prevent you from slamming into the steering wheel, dashboard, console and other parts of the car. Having said that though, seat belts are what produce whiplash injuries. Imagine sitting in your car with your seat belt on. The shoulder harness locks your shoulder in place, such that when your car impacts another object your shoulders don’t move, but the head and neck move freely. This is what produces the whipping affect of the neck.

Most times it’s the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) that are injured. There can also be damage to nerves. More severe injuries can include, fractures, dislocations, disc herniation's, and even brain injury.

Research shows that under standard medical care that only about 50% return to pre accident status and 10-12% will develop chronic or on going symptoms. Research also show that more often than not it’s younger people who get in these accidents, which means there is a lot of quality of life that is lost.

This is why being evaluated by your Orem Chiropractor – R. Ned McArthur, D.C. is so critical. These injuries can be very painful, debilitating and long lasting. Also, because of the build of scar tissue symptoms may not be felt until days, weeks or even months later. If you’ve been in an accident visit with “Dr Ned” he will help you identify your injuries, and get lasting relief, preventing long lasting effects of your injuries, just like he has for hundreds and hundreds of other car accident victims.


Orem Chiropractor - R. Ned McArthur, D.C. | 801-225-1311 | http://www.AskDrNed.com | specializes in restoring your quality of health, increasing your well-being, and getting you pain free again.