Disc Herniation Relief with Chiropractic

Disc herniation is a common cause of back and neck pain, and can result from aging, lifting improper lifting, work injuries, and auto injuries.

Your spinal vertebrae are separated by rubbery cushions called discs. These intervertebral discs are made up of a soft "jelly" center and surrounded by a tougher exterior. A tear or rupture in the tougher exterior allows the softer center to push through the crack in the exterior. This causes the disc to place pressure on the surrounding spinal nerves, causing pain, numbness, and weakness in the nerve pathway from the spine to the arm and leg.

Many patients are told they need surgery to correct disc herniation, but these surgeries do not always resolve symptoms in every patient. Fortunately, a growing body of research suggests that conservative treatments like chiropractic and exercise, such as what we provide for our Estero patients, can effectively relieve disc herniation without the risks of surgery.

Chiropractic and Disc Herniation Study 

A study from the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics included 27 patients with MRI-confirmed disc herniation in the cervical and lumbar spine. The patients were treated by chiropractor with traction, flexion distraction, chiropractic adjustments, physiotherapy, and rehabilitative exercises. Treatment lasted between six weeks and six months.

After receiving chiropractic care, 80% of patients had good clinical outcomes including a drop in pain scores to under a 2 out of 10, and a resolution of abnormal clinical examination findings. Although 18.5% of patients had only marginal outcomes, none of the patients had worse clinical signs.

Researchers were also able to measure the degree of patient disc herniation using MRI scans. They discovered that 63% of patients had reduced or resolved disc herniation. Additionally, 78% of patients were able to return to work following chiropractic treatment.

This study confirms what we've seen in many of Estero patients: that chiropractic care is a effective, safe way to ease disc herniation. Call Chiropractic Care and Rehab for effective relief of disc herniation today at (239) 495-1166.

Reference
BenEliyahu DJ. Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical follow-up: study of 27 patients receiving chiropractic care for cervical and lumbar disc herniations. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1996;19(9):597-606.