Waist shift

Each bone that forms the spine which carries our body is called vertebra. These bones are aligned on one another in a certain order. There are 5 vertebrae (plural of vertebra) in our waist. These bones seem straight in front view while they seem like a semicircle in side view.

There may be small fractions in our vertebrae called the stress fractures based on a number of reasons. These fractions do not recuperate like the bones in other parts of the body since they are constantly under load. These vertebrae become defected over time. This is called spondylolysis. In spondylolysis, your vertebra is more movable than normal. In other words the spine is instable. The displacement of the instable vertebra over another is called spondylolisthesis. It is generally known as a slipped disc, but slipped disc is often occurred near the coccyx (tailbone).

Although a slipped disc can occur congenitally or due to an impact, it is usually the result of an age-related degeneration. Things like bone loss, overweight, weak lumber muscles are some of the factors that facilitate the occurrence of a slipped disc.

When a patient consults a physician based on these symptoms, he/she goes through an examination and a detailed medical history is taken. The radiologic analyses are evaluated after nerve and reflex testing. The first analysis to be made is x-ray. Our waist is analyzed by x-ray in order to see if there is any defect in the alignment. Computerized Tomography (CT Scan) also allows us to evaluate the bone structure of our waist in detail. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can help examining the central (ependymal) canal inside our spine and the nerves in detail in order to see if there is a lumbar spinal stenosis or a nerve compression.

If a patient is diagnosed with a slipped disc, it needs to be determined if the displaced vertebral body is moving or if it causes a nerve compression. The degree of the displacement also needs to be determined. A slipped disc that is stable, not progressed and not causing a nerve compression does not necessitate a surgical operation. These patients should be treated with medicine and corset as well as physical therapy. Physical therapy strengthens the muscles in the back.