The Bad News:
You’ve suffered a disc bulge, and it’s causing severe pain. Do you need an injection or surgery? What type of doctor should you see? Can a chiropractor make it…worse? These are all common thoughts that may race through your mind if you have experienced a spinal injury.
First, take a deep breath and relax. Leading research journals have shown that you can take a conservative approach without drugs or surgery, and see great benefits. Many leading health organizations are now recommending chiropractic care as a top choice to find relief from disc bulges and even herniations. To learn why keep reading…
What Is A Disc Bulge?
A bulging of a disc is a direct result of a weakened disc. Discs become weakened when they don’t receive the nutrients needed to keep them hydrated and healthy. Nutrients to tissues in the body are normally supplied by the blood supply, but unfortunately, the disc has little to no blood supply to the inside of the disc. The only way that a disc can stay healthy is through motion. This process is called imbibition. It pumps the nutrients in and out of the disc to keep it healthy. When someone has a misalignment or abnormal weight-bearing in their spine, the disc becomes weak. If the disc protrudes out of the normal space it occupies between the vertebrae then that is considered a “bulge”. This can put pressure on the spinal canal, narrow the canal, or put pressure on the nerve root coming out of the spine. A herniation is worse than a bulge and is when the inside of a disc comes out and occupies space around or on a nerve or the spinal cord. A person can be without symptoms (asymptomatic), or they can have very debilitating pain symptoms that will affect how they can perform even the simplest of tasks. That is why how we prevent or treat this condition is so important.
Why it Matters:
New research has shown that over 90% of people with a lumbar disc herniation that were treated with spinal adjustments were improved within 3 months, and 88% were improved within 1 year.
Perhaps even more impressive was another study which indicated that for disc herniations in the neck, 86% of people found relief with chiropractic adjustments compared with less the 50% of people who underwent a spinal injection.
We continue to learn that, a majority of the time, the benefits of medications, injections, and surgery just don’t outweigh the risks. – Top healthcare organizations recommend taking a conservative approach to care such as chiropractic with medications, injections, and surgery only being used as a last resort – In a recent study over 90% of patients with a lumbar disc herniation were improved within 3 months of receiving chiropractic adjustments – Over 35% more people with cervical disc herniations found relief with chiropractic adjustments compared to spinal injections.
Discovering the most up-to-date research that matters is part of our practice. We focus on using this research and combining it with our clinical expertise and experience to provide you with the best care possible.
https://chiromt.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12998-018-0185-z
https://www.jmptonline.org/article/S0161-4754(10)00211-3/fulltext