The connection between a slipped / herniated disc and the C1 Atlas vertebra

A ruptured or herniated disk (slipped disk) occurs when parts of a disk's gelatinous nucleus protrude from the disk. The disks act as a cushion between one vertebra and another. The pulpy part that has become unseated may apply pressure to the surrounding nerve endings, thus creating a mechanical conflict that may cause pain or a sensation of numbness in the limbs.

The intervertebral disks act as shock absorbers for the loads impacting the vertebrae. These loads can be rather heavy provided that the forces that are applied are distributed across the entire disk surface and provided that the disks haven't experienced any degenerative change. The estimated load on the vertebrae can be up to 800 kg when you stretch out your arms and carry a 10 kg weight.

As a result of systematically photographing and documenting patients in front of a special measuring wall during their ATLANTOtec® treatment, we can state with certainty that the formation of a cervical or lumbar disk hernia always implies the presence of pelvic obliquity or a lateral deviation of the spinal column (scoliosis) in relation to the correct axis.

We can thus infer that a herniated disk can develop ONLY in a spine that deviates from the ideal form.

Doctors speak of a "worn" disk. Have you ever asked how a disk can wear out and why something like that would even happen? Could it be that doctors confuse disks with the shock absorbers on a car, which wear out over time? If that were the case, shouldn't we protect our disks by avoiding as much movement as possible? How can it be then that someone will remain completely healthy even if they move around a lot and regularly use their disks?

The truth is that the disks don't wear out. Rather they degenerate because they "dry out" and lose their density to a point where they rupture. Why does this happen? Because over the years, the disks receive loads only from one direction and, in addition, high muscle tension continuously compresses them. Think of a mayonnaise sandwich: If you apply too much pressure, the mayonnaise will ooze out!

How do disk ruptures (disk hernias) occur?

When the pelvis is in an oblique position or the patient suffers from scoliosis, the weight cannot be distributed across the entire surface and only rests on certain parts of the disks. The condition continues to worsen whenever there is a pronounced backward curvature in the area of the lumbar vertebrae. In such cases, the surface area of the disk under load becomes drastically reduced; with consequences that are easy to imagine: over time the point on the disk where the weight is concentrated will deteriorate, sowing the seeds for a hernia.

The muscles that develop as a result of the displaced Atlas and the resulting obliquely positioned pelvis end up becoming stubbornly tense and pull asymmetrically to cling to one or more lumbar vertebrae as if stuck in a screw clamp. As the constant pressure increases, the freedom of movement of any disks stuck in the middle becomes seriously restricted.

Intervertebral disks stay healthy by exchanging nutrition and waste products with the surrounding tissues; thanks to internal pressure changes within the disk itself – conditions that are created through compression when loads are applied and through decompression when the strains are provided with relief. Because their internal pressure is much higher than normal blood pressure, disks aren't supplied with blood like other tissue.

The load borne by the disks also changes as the body's position changes. Yet between standing up and lying down, the load is only reduced by 20%. The previously described conditions can lead to a lower load reduction rate, thus compromising the vital disk regeneration process that takes place during the night. As a result the disks "dry out" over the years, lose their elasticity, and can even fracture under increased loads.

What should you do if your disk ruptures (herniated disk)?

It is possible to surgically remove the part of the broken disk, or more frequently the pulp of the disk nucleus that is putting pressure on the nerve roots exiting the spinal canal and causing pain and numbness in the limbs. Nowadays alternative solutions are preferred, as operations of this kind are not risk-free and can lead to complications and chronic pain, as observed in several people.

Repositioning the Atlas makes it possible to achieve improved posture and a significant reduction in pelvic obliquity. The improved distribution of loads on the spine and, ultimately, on the intervertebral disks that results from the reduction in muscle tension, aids the spontaneous process of healing the hernia and reduces the risk of hernias occurring again in the future.

The ATLANTOtec® method is particularly suitable for the PREVENTION of herniated discs, or for hernias that are still in the initial phase. The treatment is aimed at resolving the cause rather than the symptom itself, so for hernias at a very advanced stage it is often necessary to intervene with more specifically targeted treatments. A new, non-invasive therapy called SPINEMED has been available for some time:

Video Spinemed