Multiple Locations in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, & Fernandina Beach, FL

Types of Disc Injuries

by Long Van, D.C.

There are several types of disc injuries, including degenerative disc disease, thinning disc, disc bulging, and disc herniation, which includes protrusion and extrusion. We shall explain the differences among these types of disc injuries later.

But first, what is a disc?

The Disc

“Disc” is short for the 23 intervertebral discs separating the 33 vertebrae of the spine. The vertebrae is a series of small bones forming the spine or backbone. These discs exist to absorb shock, keep the vertebral column stable, and “give the vertebrae ‘pivot points’ to allow movement.” 1

A disc has two parts: the elastic outer shell or rings of cartilage called annulus fibrosis, and jelly-like contents called nucleus pulposis. Imagine a doughnut with jelly in the hole. A healthy disc can handle a lot of stress, but some types of pressure can damage the shell and push out its contents.

Symptoms of Disc Problems

The symptoms can differ depending on the location and seriousness of a broken disc. Many patients who have positively scanned for damaged discs have demonstrated no symptoms.  That implies that there are usually no symptoms whatsoever. General indications could, however, include:

      • Back pain
      • Pain spreading down the legs
      • Pain worsening when bending over or sitting down for a long time
      • Pain worsening when coughing or sneezing
      • Numbness or pins-and-needles in the arm or leg

Different Types Disc Injuries

The Disc Injuries

Degenerative Joint Disease

Causes. Children’s discs are robust and moist but the water content in the discs, which stores oxygen and nutrients, decreases with time, lending to thinner and harder discs as people age. This wear and tear on the spine brought about by aging causes degenerative joint disease.

Symptoms. The symptoms range from none at all to pain so severe the individual is unable to perform any kind of activity. The most common early sign is pain and weakness in the back radiating to other areas such as the buttocks and upper thighs. There may be tingling and/or numbness in the legs or feet. There may be flareups of intense pain. And pain can worsen with sitting, bending, lifting, or twisting.

Degenerative joint disease can lead to osteoarthritis.

Bone spurs. Because the discs separate the vertebrae bones from each other, when these discs thin through time, friction between the bones increase, leading to growths called bone spurs around the discs.

Bone spurs or osteophytes are projections along the edges of the bone. They grow where bones meet each other—in the joints and in the vertebrae or bones of the spine. On the knee, bone spurs cause pain the knee when extending or bending. On the spine, bone spurs can press on the spinal cord or its nerve roots, causing weakness or numbness in the arms or legs. On the hip, bone spurs can cause pain while moving the hip reducing the range of the hip’s motion.  

Thinning Disc

Causes. As with the other disc injuries, thinning disc is associated with the natural process of aging. With the passage of time, intervertebral discs become smaller and less flexible as their fluid content start to dry up, and the outer shell weaken and turn brittle. Less fluid and a weak outer shell result in pressure from the vertebrae above and below the disc, potentially leading to a bulging disc, herniated disc, or degenerative discs.

Symptoms. Thinning discs do not exhibit serious symptoms, but because it can lead to more serious disc diseases such as bulging and herniated discs, when this happens the individual may experience symptoms associated with these injuries. Complaints characteristic of thinning disc and related ailments include localized pain in the back or neck, muscle weakness, tingling pain, and numbness in legs, and radiating nerve pain.

Disc Herniation

Disc herniation occurs when a disc’s outer shell weakens or cracks. A weak or cracked disc wall allows the jelly-like material or nucleus pulposis to leak out into the spinal canal. This displaced material usually involves 25% or less of the disc circumference. Herniated discs are more likely to cause back or leg pain as they can compress nerves leading to nerve pain, numbness or muscle weakness, or generate a strong inflammatory reaction.

Causes. Studies have shown that some people are biologically more prone to disc herniations. However, trauma to our bodies caused by heavy lifting, twisting, car accidents, or sports mishaps often cause disc herniations. An accumulation of small injuries over many years can also result in disc herniation.

Categories: Disc herniation has two categories: protrusion and extrusion.

Protrusion

In a protrusion, the leaked-out jelly-like material possesses a sizable connection to the disc space, making it look more like a “bump”.

Extrusion

With an extrusion, the jelly-like material flows out of the disc creating what looks like a pouch or an outpouching, with a narrow stalk linking the pouch to its main body.

Bulging Disc

A bulging disc is when the disc is compressed evenly and bulges out on all sides. With bulging discs, there’s no significant damage to either the outer shell or the jelly-like material.

Causes. Like degenerative disc disease and disc dessication, bulging discs can be attributed to aging although they come with different levels of severity. The loss of water content in the jelly-like material due to aging makes the discs stiffer, flatter, and more damage prone.

Apart from aging, individuals with a family history of spinal disc problems may inherit this disc injury. And any kind of minor or major stress, trauma or injury to the body can cause a bulging disc, to include:

      • Repetitive lifting, bending, driving, and standing
      • Improper lifting techniques
      • Contact sports or similarly stressful athletic activities
      • Car accidents or similar severe trauma
      • Excessive drinking or smoking
      • Poor posture

As pointed out earlier, disc problems hardly have any specific symptoms or have little or no symptoms at all. If there are any, individuals will experience some kind of pain, muscle weakness, or numbness in the area of the bulge. Men are more likely to have bulging discs.

Treatment

Treatment of disc injuries vary, of course, according to the specific disease. After a consultation and proper diagnosis with your doctors, they may refer you to any of the treatments below.  These treatments may be used individually, or in combination.

Physical Therapy

This includes exercises, stretches, and other strategies that strengthen core muscles to help take the pressure off your back, relieve pain, improve posture, improve range of motion, and avoid movements or positions that may trigger symptoms.

Back Braces

Medication

Medication, like all of the other treatment options are there to relieve the person from pain and other symptoms of disc injuries. This includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve).

Chiropractic

Chiropractic treatment focuses on improving spinal motion and reducing inflammation; and if you do not have advanced disc degeneration, it can focus on improving the function of the discs. To achieve these, chiropractors may use the various techniques in spinal manipulation, various manual therapies such as therapeutic massage and trigger point therapy, laser therapy, ultrasound, interferential electrical stimulation, among others.

Diet

As with any disease, diet is important in a complete treatment. If a person is overweight, diet is even more important in their daily treatment regimen.  An overweight body puts more stress on the spine than is normal, and will worsen the disc injury. Drinking plenty of water will certainly help hydrate the discs. Food with high calcium content prevents loss of bone mass and thus supports spine health. Vitamin C food helps develop collagen that in turn helps cells regenerate tissues during the healing process. Iron foods strengthen oxygen intake and helps produce myoglobin that keep muscles in good condition as they provide spine support. Vitamin A boosts the immune system and helps the body repair damaged tissues and form bones.

Injections

Injections serve to alleviate pain.  Where over-the-counter medication fails or is insufficient, steroid injections may be administered to help reduce pain and inflammation.

Surgery

As a last resort, corrective surgery may be recommended to patients who do not respond to conservative and/or natural treatment options.

There are other treatment options out there, including the relatively new Stem Cell Therapy method that aims to regenerate functional cartilage. But whichever treatment path one wants to take, it is important to:

      1. Be diagnosed by a doctor;
      2. Try natural and/or conservative treatment first, especially if the injury is not severe;
      3. Be well informed about all the treatment options;
      4. In other words, see a doctor.

References:
“Back Pain—Disc Problems” Better Health Channel; last accessed 5/24/2019
“Fragmented Disc Treatment: The Non-Invasive Method in Malaysia,” Chiropractic Specialty Center; last accessed 5/24/2019
“Bone Spurs,” Mayo Clinic; last accessed 5/24/2019
“Bulging Disc,” Braceability; last accessed 5/24/2019
“Bad Posture,” Braceability; last accessed 5/24/2019
What is the difference between a disc bulge and a herniation? By George Rappard, MD and Anand JoshiMD, MHA, Know Your Back; last accessed 5/24/2019
“Understanding Disc Dessication,” Healthline; last accessed 5/24/2019
“How can disc dessication be treated?” By Nicole Galan, Reviewed by William Morrison, MD, Medical News Today; last accessed 5/24/2019
“Chiropractic Care for Degenerative Disc Disease,” by Ron Grassi, DC MS ACFEI; last accessed 5/24/2019
“Eat Your Way Away From Degenerative Disc Disease,” North American Spine; last accessed 5/24/2019

Related Articles:
Understanding Intervertebral Disc Disorders by Kristy Donnelly, D.C.
Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Cervical and Lumbar Disc Herniation? by Kristy Donnelly, D.C.

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Allamm Morales, M.D.
Neurologist

Dr. Allamm Morales has over 15 years experience in personal injury and a wide range of neurological disorders. He has privilege, and provides patient care in local Baptist hospitals.

He was Chief Resident at the Neurology Residency Program of the University of South Florida, and worked at the Florida Hospital of New Smyrna, and St. Luke Hospital in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He also served many years with the Florida Neurology Institute, Inc.

Dr. Morales is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Morales studied in Nova Southeastern University, Davie, FL, had residency at the Caibarien General Hospital, Cuba, and obtained the MD degree at the Superior Institute of Medical Science in Cuba.

Fiaz Jaleel, M.D.
Physical Medicine & Rehab, Pain Management

“Life is short and precious. As a Physiatrist and Pain Physician my goal for my patients is to reduce their pain and suffering, enhance form, improve function and ultimately promote the best quality of life for that individual.”

Dr. Fiaz Jaleel graduated from the University of The West Indies in 1987. He completed a two year internship at Port of Spain General Hospital in Trinidad and Tobago. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, IL and went on to do a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis , MO. In 2007, Dr. Jaleel joined the team at Absolute Injury and Pain Physicians as Medical Director. He is currently Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as Pain Medicine via the American Board of Pain Medicine.

In Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Jaleel held positions as an Intern, House officer, and District Medical Officer. He has also practiced in Illinois, Missouri, South Dakota and Central and North Florida.

While practicing in Trinidad , Dr. Jaleel also worked in Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, Neonatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery, Ophthalmology, Radiology, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Orthopedics, Emergency Medicine and Community Medicine.

Dr. Jaleel has encountered many diseases, disorders and clinical situations related to multiple aspects of trauma including penetrating and non-penetrating injuries, motor vehicular accidents and concomitant injuries including intra-abdominal injuries, closed head injuries, fractures and burns.

When not treating his patients, Dr. Jaleel enjoys travelling, reading and spending time with friends and family.

Dr. Jaleel has the following affiliations:
Diplomate, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Diplomate, American Board of Pain Medicine
Fellow, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Member, American Academy of Pain Medicine
Member, Florida Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Member, Florida Academy of Pain Medicine
Member, Florida Medical Association

Deric L. D’Agostino, D.C.
Chiropractic Physician

“The health of a body is in direct proportion to the health of its nervous system. The nervous system controls every cell, tissue and organ in your body, tap into that and “miracles” will most certainly happen!”

Dr. Deric D’Agostino attended the Logan College of Chiropractic and has been helping patients at Absolute Injury and Pain Physicians for the past nine years. Around here we call him “Dr. D.”

Dr. D’Agostino specializes in Koren Specific Technique and in the treatment of injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents. He is a master of his craft and firmly believes that chiropractic treatment can not only help the body but also the mind. His sense of humor and the personal attention that he provides really puts patients at ease.

Dr. D’Agostino genuinely listens to the patient while working very hard to erase their pain-inducing symptoms. He is always seeking out continuing education and new methodology to add to his care repertoire.

When he is not helping patients find relief, Dr. D’Agostino enjoys training for sprint triathlons, gardening, as well as being an awesome father and husband. You will most likely find him at our Arlington location dawning a huge smile while drinking his homemade juice.

Vimal Reddy, D.P.M.
Podiatrist

Dr. Vimal Reddy has over 18 years experience in podiatric medicine and is a fellow at the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. Dr. Reddy currently serves at the Baptist Hospitals.

Dr. Reddy went to Jacksonville University on a University scholarship where he was a consistent Dean’s Lister. He finished his medical degree in podiatric medicine at the Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine in Miami Shores in 2001 where he was given the William Delavari Clinical Excellence Award and the Podiatric Merit Scholarship.

He had his PSR-24 Surgical Residency in Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago, IL and proceeded to practice podiatry continually from 2007 to present. He has vast experience handling personal injury, sports medicine, and DEA controlled substances. He was Chief of Podiatry at St. Vincent’s Medical Center Southside, Chief Resident at Michael Reese Hospital, PSR-24 and worked at Advanced Podiatry, Dr. Jondelle Jenkins DPM and Associates, and St. Lukes Hospital. He later founded the First Coast Foot & Ankle Clinic.

Dr. Reddy is a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association, the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, the Florida Podiatric Medical Association, and the American Academy of Podiatric Practice Management.

Kristy Donnelly, D.C.
Chiropractic Physician

“After suffering a lumbar disc herniation in college, the injury helped me to understand the pain that my patients are going through and to be able to offer them hope and communicate every stage of the healing process to them.”

Dr. Kristy Donnelly received her Bachelor’s degree from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA and her Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer Chiropractic College in Port Orange, FL. She is also certified in Impairment Rating for Disability Evaluation according to 6th edition AMA guidelines.

Dr. Donnelly is able to offer her patients a well-rounded approach to their health due to her certification as a nutrition coach as well as a personal trainer. She encourages all patients to ask questions to ensure that they are a part of their care and understand the healing process. Dr. Donnelly has also taught Anatomy at Florida State College at Jacksonville and taught fitness classes in college. Dr. Donnelly’s local affiliations include the Junior Service League of St Augustine, the St Augustine Lighthouse and Homes for our Troops.

In her spare time Dr. Donnelly enjoys exercising, going to the beach, travelling, and playing the saxophone.

Kunal Thakkar, M.D.
Otolaryngologist

Dr. Kunal Thakkar is an Otolaryngologist certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology.

He was President at the Advanced Ear, Nose, Throat Associates, LLC and Otolaryngology physician at Wilkinson Snowden Otolaryngology Consultants, P.A..

Dr. Thakkar trained at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he became Chief Administrative Resident after 4 years. He went to the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL where he gained membership into Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA). He took undergraduate degrees in Biological Sciences and Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

Dr. Thakkar’ clinical studies and researches were published in several publications, including Otology & Neurotology Journal, Ear Nose Throat Journal, Respiratory Medicine Journal, Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America, American Journal of Otolaryngology, Laryngoscope, and International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology.

Luz F. Senan, D.C.
Chiropractic Physician

Dr. Luz Senan earned a Bachelors Degree in Natural Science from the University of Puerto Rico and graduated Cum Laude. She then attended the University of South Florida where she earned a Masters Degree in Gerontology. Dr. Senan finished up her education in Kansas City by earning her Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College, where she also graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Dr. Senan’s prior work experience includes being a geriatric case manager and mental health counselor in Clearwater and St. Petersburg FL. Additionally, she is fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Senan’s background as a counselor in combination with her attention to detail assist her in making the best treatment choices to fit her patient’s specific needs.

Dr. Senan has training in Chiropractic Biophysics and Post Graduate Education in Impairment Rating for Disability Evaluation. She is currently a member of the Florida Chiropractic Association(FCA) and the Florida Chiropractic Physician Association(FCPA).

In her time off, Dr. Senan enjoys spending quality time with her daughter as well as reading, antiquing and flea market shopping.

Sanjay Trivedi, M.D.
Interventional Pain Management Physician

Dr. Sanjay Trivedi received his medical degree from J.N. Medical College, AIMS, India and received training in general surgery from Seton Hall University in New Jersey. Dr. Trivedi furthered his medical training by studying physical medicine and rehabilitation at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center and David Minkin Rehabilitation Institute in Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Trivedi also worked at Harvard Medical School and the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Spine Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Dr. Trivedi has special training in interventional pain management, electrodiagnostics and musculoskeletal medicine. He has extensive experience in the fields of acute and chronic spinal pain management, acute and chronic pharmaceutical pain management, musculoskeletal and joint pain management and personal injury rehabilitation and care.

Dr. Trivedi has worked and served in various cities and communities in Florida.

Long Van, D.C.
Chiropractic Physician

“If you can’t take care of the people around you, how can you take care of others?”

Dr. Long Van has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology University of North Florida and graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 2010. He has also earned his certificate 150hrs of study in Nerve Conduction Velocity(NCV) and Electromyography(EMG). Jacksonville has been his home since 1996 and originally joined the team at Absolute Injury and Pain Physicians as an intern in 2008. Dr. Van is currently associated with the Florida Chiropractic Physician Association (FCPA).

Dr. Van has experience in helping the human body function properly through a natural approach. Over his time with Absolute he has worked with many forms of injuries primarily focusing on treatments for motor vehicular accident injuries and sport related injuries.

When Dr. Van is not treating patients, he enjoys reading up on new information concerning medical conditions and associated treatments available. He also enjoys spending time with his family doing just about anything as long as they are healthy and happy.

Dr. Van was raised to always respect his family members and therefore family values are very important to him. Dr. Van believes that you should take care of your family because one day they may have to take care of you. He possesses this same mentality concerning his patient care strategy and strongly believes that he should respect all people through his words and actions.

Antoinette Davis-Williams
Practice Manager

Antoinette Davis-Williams joined Absolute in 2007. She first worked as a Certified Medical Assistant and worked her way up to Practice Manager. Antoinette is hands on with our multiple clinics and interacts with the patients on a day to day basis. She has over 15 years in customer service, has great verbal communication skills, is very dependable, and has an inner passion for helping others. These qualities make her an outstanding face of the company and has her helped build the close professional relationships she has today.

Antoinette enjoys spending quality time with her family, which includes her husband and son—traveling and making memories. She was born and raised in Jacksonville and loves her community.

Vandana Patel
Finance Manager

Vandana Patel has been with Absolute since mid-2017. She is a firm believer in the notion that “Quality is not an act, it is a habit. ”

Vandana completed her undergraduate Physics degree and additional programming courses in India. She moved to the United States in 2004 with her husband. She has a rich history in finance management as she and her husband owned a small business for 12 years prior to joining the Absolute team.

She is a proud mother of two sons with her husband, a civil engineer who works for the city. Her youngest is currently finishing up high school at one of the nation’s top schools and the eldest is finishing his undergrad in Engineering at the University of Florida. Her hobbies include spending quality time with her family, exploring nature and cooking. She also enjoys volunteering in the Indian community.

Meena Patel
Marketing Director

Meena Patel is the Director of Marketing at Absolute injury and Pain Physicians. She has worked at Absolute for over 10 years.

Meena came to the U.S. with her family when she was two years old. Most of her childhood years were spent in Chicago. As a young girl, she always wanted to help people and that’s why she decided to major in nursing in college.

When she finished nursing school, she went to work for Sturgis Hospital and Lake Side nursing home. Her family was also in the Dunkin Donuts business, so she would help them out when she got the chance.

Meena met her Prince Charming at Disney in her college years. They dated long distance for four years before finally getting married in 2003, and moved to Florida.

She went into marketing after getting married, where she continues to enjoy meeting new people—she is, after all, a people person.

She has a wonderful caring husband with whom she has two amazing boys—Aryan, 12 years old, and Arnay, 8 years old; and Rosie, the 8-month-old puppy. Meena works part time due to the boys’ busy schedule. She loves to travel and see the world, spending time with the family, and going to the beach.

Cecilia B. Williams
Online Marketing & Web Manager

Cecilia Williams (aka Geej Williams) joined RCMA in 2015 as Accounts Manager, and later as Online Marketing Manager. In 2020, she was promoted to Director of Operations and HR.

Before coming to the US in 2011, Cecilia worked in the field of communications and trainings—organizing and conducting staff development, popular education, and leadership trainings for government and non-government entities. Cecilia has almost 30 years’ experience as a web and graphic designer, and 10 years doing SEO, SEM, and SMO work. She has also worked as Executive Assistant-cum-Web Manager for a nurse triage company before joining Absolute.

Cecilia has also been doing project-based online translation work for a language translation company in Maryland since 2008. On the side, she is also a thespian, a singer-songwriter playing alongside her husband Mark Williams.

Haidar Karam
Senior Marketing Executive

Haidar Karam has over ten years of customer service experience. Prior to joining Absolute, Haidar was working as a Military Contractor where he was involved with the Marine, Army and Navy branches in North Carolina teaching culture diversity to newly-enlisted soldiers. He also very briefly worked as a car salesman for Chrysler Jeep and Dodge.

Haidar enjoys the beach, watching football, and working out at the gym.

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Dr. Claudine Aguilera
Pain Management Physician

Dr. Aguilera went to Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA, and later to Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center & California Pacific Medical Center to specialize in internal medicine, particularly pulmonary and critical care. She is also a hospitalist in St. Augustine.

Dr. Harsha Patel
Chiropractic Physician

Dr. Patel studied Chiropractic at Life University in Marietta, GA. She proceeded to own and head a Chiropractic clinic in Bloomfield, NJ for over 13 years before she and her family moved to St. Augustine this year.

Rebecca Morris, ARNP, FNP-C
Pain Management, Regenerative Medicine

Rebecca went to Chamberlain College of Nursing for her BSN and Maryville University for her nurse practitioner program. She has vast experiences in personal injury, pain management, regenerative medicine, primary care, home health, sports medicine, telemetry, critical care & psychiatric care.

Rebecca loves to exercise, sing, and play her guitar.