Pathological Anatomy

These discs, being unique structures, break in a unique, pressure-induced, manner by herniating. When a disc is said to "herniate", that technically means that a portion of the nucleus pulposus or other disc material has pushed through an anatomical structure meant to otherwise contain it. Many physicians refer to a herniation only when disc material is pushed through the outer capsule. This misuses the term because, then, they cannot rationally reconcile the painful events preceding a full protrusion or extrusion with their conception of a "herniation." In fact, a herniation in the absence of a protrusion is very capable of causing pain.

In this book, a herniation is used in the universal, medical, definition as being anytime a portion of the anatomy protrudes through an abnormal body opening, even if that body opening is only a few innermost layers of the annulus fibrosus (See Figure 16).

When a disc is said to "bulge," or "protrude" that should be taken to mean that the central material herniates or pushes through the annulus fibrosus to such an extent that it presses upon the ligamentous capsule causing it to deform and bulge outward (See Figures 17 & 18).

When a disc is said to "prolapse," that is usually taken to mean that the disc material has herniated through the capsule (See Figures 19 & 20).

When a disc completely herniates through the capsule it "extrudes," the ordinarily central material tears through the ligamentous, peripheral, capsular structures and often enters the spaces adjacent to the spinal column (See Figure 21).

Additionally, as a disc suffers multiple damaging events such as these, at many and varied sites within the discs, it can be said to "degenerate." When this is the case, the bulk of the inner structural integrity is lost and the annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus can become a poorly functional conglomeration of broken fibers and pieces of cartilaginous debris. This "degenerative disc disease" usually comes later in life and is sometimes so severe as to have only the capsule functioning to connect one vertebral bone to the adjacent one.

The concepts in this book apply to all these levels of damage but more so to that period of time when a total degeneration of the disc has not yet taken place. Even though this places limitations on the ability of The O'Connor Technique (tm) to benefit all disc related problems, nevertheless, the time in which relief can be expected is substantial and the principles still can be applied to relieve pain.

Further Reading:

Spinal Anatomy
Directional Terminology
Structural Anatomy
Functional Anatomy
Pathological Anatomy
Disc Hydraulics / Mechanics
Compression Forces
Correlation of Mechanical Anatomy with Disc Pain
Traction Forces

SUBSCRIBE NOW !

PURCHASE BOOK NOW !