Both laypeople and medical professionals enjoy using phrases that often confuse people. Let’s look at a few common terms and translate them into English.
- Slipped Disc – ‘Slipped’ disc is a misleading term. The disc is the cushion that separates each vertebra in the spine. Discs don’t actually ‘slip’ but they can tear and bulge, which is what the phrase is broadly referring to.
- Sciatica – Sciatica is the symptom of pain in the leg that is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve.
- Pinched Nerve – A compression of a nerve which produces distinct burning pain, pins and needles and/or numbness away from the site of compression. The severity of back or neck pain is not an indication of a pinched nerve.
- Pulled Muscle – A colloquial term usually referring to a grade one muscle strain which is a mild tear of a muscle.
- Wry Neck – A condition producing neck pain and marked stiffness with spasm of the surrounding neck muscles.
- Spinal Manipulation – A treatment technique where the practitioner applies a controlled force to a stiff joint to restore normal motion and reduce pain.
- Chiropractic Adjustment – Another term for Spinal Manipulation.
- ‘Crack’ – The colloquial term for Spinal Manipulation. It alludes to the crack or pop sound produced with manipulation. That sound is just caused by gas bubbles popping within the joint.
- Opioids – A broad group of pain-relieving drugs with some addiction risk, including morphine, oxycodone (Endone), codeine and heroin.
- Cortisone Injection – A steroid drug that can help relieve pain and inflammation in the injected area.
- Strain – A tear to a muscle.
- Sprain – A tear to a ligament. A ligament is connective tissue that connects two bones at the joint.
- Osteoarthritis – Also called Degenerative Joint Disease. It is wear and tear of a joint occurring gradually and worsening over time. Symptoms vary from no symptoms at all to significant pain and stiffness. The severity of the arthritis does not necessarily correlate with severity of symptoms.
Something here sound like you? Scott can assess it properly.
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Scott Leabeater - Principal Chiropractor
Most people come in because they're in pain. Some have just hurt themselves, some have seen other practitioners without success, and some have just moved to the area. Either way, they want to understand why it hurts, and they want to fix it.
When new patients come in, we discuss how the pain started and what it's stopping you doing. I examine the injury and anything nearby that might be contributing, then explain what I think is happening in plain English, including how long it should take to settle. Unless you need a scan first, treatment starts that day.
Since opening The Backstory in Caringbah in 2017, I've treated everyone from local office workers to Olympic athletes. The approach is the same for all of them: take the time, find the cause, and give you a plan you can actually stick to.
Bachelor of Chiropractic Science and Master of Chiropractic, Macquarie University · International Sports Chiropractic Certification · SOT · GEMT
Ready when you are
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