What happens when we overstress or over impact the spine?
While bones are rather rigid and resistant to impact, they do have a breaking point, literally. A fracture is rare and most commonly is portended by osteoporosis, or decalcification of the bony matrix. The bone, with enough downward impact can compress causing the appearance of a wedge. Higher velocity or force of impact can lead to the bone spreading or breaking of the ring into what’s known as a burst fracture.
These situations are rare since the spine has a built-in protection, or shock absorber for the bone in the form of a disc above and below each vertebra. Like bones, however, the disc has a breaking, or at least, a bulging point. Just as the bone may collapse, compress or burst with too much force, the disc itself might bulge, protrude, extrude or herniate. This process can be abrupt but usually occurs over time through a process of wear. First to change with wear is the outer disc ring or annulus. Once this is stretched or fissured, the nuclear material is free to escape from the inside to out. In doing so, it can occupy space closer to or encroach upon the nerves adjacent.