Do Not Choose Drugs or Surgery for Herniated Discs First
According to Mayo Clinic, 80% of Herniated Discs (also called bulging or slipped discs) Respond Well to Chiropractic Treatment
A herniated disc is a problem with the rubbery cushion between the bones that stack to form your spine. Think of a jelly donut with a soft center surrounded by a firmer ring. A herniated disc is also often called a slipped disc. But it does not mean the disc has shifted or fallen out of place. It actually refers to a disc that is in one of four stages of degeneration, from a bulging nucleus to a ruptured outer ring. That’s why the terms herniated disc, bulging disc, ruptured disc or torn disc are all appropriate names.
According to Mayo Clinic, treatment necessary for most patients with a disc disorder does not normally include surgery, and 80% of patients will respond to chiropractic treatment when a proper treatment schedule is completed.
Primary care physicians and orthopedic surgeons often recommend surgery, pain medications, muscle relaxers or steroid shots because those are the only treatment options in their toolbox. However, these treatments do not fix the cause or fix the problem. Physical therapy helps you stretch and exercise in an attempt to reduce pain, but again does not alleviate the problem. Only a doctor of chiropractic is specially trained to fix the problem that is causing your disc disorder and help your spine heal
What Causes Herniated Discs?
Herniated discs are often caused simply by daily wear and tear on the spine, called disc degeneration. As you age, your discs become less flexible and more prone to tearing or rupturing even with a simple strain or twist. Particularly at risk are people with repetitious jobs that involve heavy use of the back or overuse in sports. Some people are more prone to herniated discs due to genetics. A highly common cause of herniated discs is excess weight that puts extra stress on the discs in the lower back.
Symptoms of Herniated Disc Disorder
Most herniated discs happen in the lower back, but they can also happen in the neck too. Your symptoms depend on where the disc issue is located, and if the disc is pressing on a nerve.
Symptoms of a herniated disc disorder are usually felt more on one side of the body.
Back Pain
Herniated disc can happen anywhere along the spine. You may feel pain at the location of the herniation, such as aching, burning or piercing pain, but not always. Sometimes symptoms of a herniated disc will only be felt somewhere down the nerve that the herniated disc is affecting.
Arm Pain
If your herniated disc is in your neck, you'll likely feel the most pain in your shoulder and arm that might shoot into your arm when you cough, sneeze or move in certain ways. The pain can be dull or cramping, but is often sharp or burning.
Leg Pain
If your herniated disc is in your lower back, you'll likely feel the most pain in your buttocks, thigh and calf. You may even feel some pain in part of your foot. The pain can be dull or cramping, but is often sharp or burning.
Numbness or Tingling
You may feel numbness or tingling in your arms or legs if your herniated disc is pinching their nerves that exit the spine at the site of the disc.
Weakness
If your herniated disc is pinching your arm and leg nerves that exit the spine at the site of the damaged disc, you may feel them become weak, making it more difficult to held anything heavy, or lose balance more easily.
As symptoms worsen, you may not be able to perform your usual daily activities, and have bladder or bowel dysfunction. On the other hand, some people experience no symptoms at all while the condition progresses.
Herniated Discs Progressively Get Worse, Don't Wait To Treat
Herniated discs rarely resolve on their own and taking an approach to treatment that covers up the pain only allows the problem to continually get worse. Pain medications, anti-inflammatory medication and injections are only temporary, they do not fix the problem. The longer you allow a herniated disc to progress, the more difficult and risky any solution will become -- if there is any solution at all in severe cases.
Stage One: Disc Degeneration
During the first stage, the disc weakens from age or genetics, reducing water content.
Stage Two: Disc Prolapse
The shape of the disc begins to change. A bulge or protrusion starts to form and crowd the spinal cord.
Stage Three: Disc Extrusion
The “jelly” center breaks through the firm outer wall, but still remains within the disc.
Stage Four: Disc Sequestration
During the last stage the “jelly” breaks through the firm outer ring and spills outside the disc in the spinal canal.
Should I Get Steroid Injections for Pain?
Despite not having FDA-approval, spinal injections have gained popularity for herniated disc pain due to their ability to provide short-term pain relief by reducing inflammation of the affected tissues. However, this solution not only fails to provide a long-term solution, but it also causes additional problems, including weakening of the surrounding muscles, and weakening and brittleness of the bone.
Should I Get Surgery for a Herniated Disc?
According to Mayo Clinic, treatment for most patients with a disc disorder should NOT normally include surgery. Surgery is lucrative and recommended frequently for cases that can be resolved with conservative and effective chiropractic care. Only select severe cases of a disc herniation are potential surgical candidates, and only should be reserved for a last resort after a more conservative approach to fix the cause of your disc herniation has been tried. Chiropractic manipulation to realign your vertebral joint removes pressure off your disc and nerves, allowing your body to heal your disc, restore nerve function, and resolve your pain.
