Slipped Disc? A Pop Quiz

Is your back pain the result of a ‘slipped disc’? The International Intradiscal Therapy Society offers the following quiz. If you score 40 or higher, you may be suffering from disc-related problems.

1. Did the pain begin in your back then move to one leg? (15 points)

2. Is your leg pain worse now than your back pain? (10 points)

3. Is the leg pain sharp, squeezing or piercing? (10 points)

4. Does the pain decrease when you lie on your back or unaffected side with knees flexed or elevated on pillows? (10 points)

5. Does sneezing or coughing increase the pain? (10 points)

6. Do you get a tingling pins and needles or cold feeling in the calf or foot of the affected area? (5 points)

7. Does bending over or lifting make the pain worse? (5 points)

8. Are you more comfortable sitting in a hard chair than a soft one? (5 points)

9. Is it less painful to stand and move around than sit or lie down? (5 points)

10. Is it very difficult for you to straighten up and get out of bed in the morning? (5 points)

While discs may bulge or herniate rather than actually ‘slip’, this condition causes the disc to impinge upon a delicate spinal nerve and can cause permanent damage if not treated properly. The standard of care for disc herniations is conservative treatment, such as what is offered in many Chiropractic facilities. If expedient care is not rendered or in some severe cases, surgical intervention may be necessary; but this should be the last resort after conservative care measures have been exhausted.

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