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herniated disc chiropractic treatment

Read and learn more about herniated disc chiropractic treatment. For more, visit the Chiropractic website ChiropracticHealthiness.com

Q: Is Chiropractic treatment safe?
Has anyone had successful Chiropractic treatment of cervical herniated discs (possible pinched nerve) rotor cuff tear, or carpal tunnel, and if so, was it painful and how long did it take. The neck part scares me, that unless they are using so called “gentle manipulation” the treatment can be very dangerous.

A: Yes, Yes, and Yes…but find a good one. Preferably one that doesn’t need PT equipment and machines. The less skill a chiropractor has, the more machines he needs to compensate.

Gentle and low force adjustments are very well suited for what you describe.

Be wary of the answers from negative know nothing skeptics. Those who say it cannot be done should stay out of the way of those who are doing it.

Q: CA workers compensation herniated disc case settlement?
I’m 18 years old, worked for a huge company as a stock employee and herniated a disc in my lower lumbar spine at work. i went to the doctor who sent me for an MRI which showed i had herniated a disc. after that, he scheduled me for 5 weeks of chiropractic treatment, which only made things worse…i was then sent to a spine specialist who sent me to a physical therapist for a month and after the third week, i was sent back to the spine specialist orthopedist because the physical therapist concluded not only was my back not getting better, but it was getting worse. the orthopedist then gave me an epideral (cortozone injection into my spine) the injection did not work…and now he wants me to have an artificial disc replacement surgery, or something like that…which i have been advised against by many people due to my age…i have seeked opinions from other doctors who all say your only other option is surgery. i’m a full time student and dont have time for the surgery, nor do i want to have it right away. and i have severe pain down my leg from my sciatic nerve and a really hard time sleeping, cuz my back is in constant pain…should i request a settlement and how much should i expect. i have fallen out of shape over the past 4 months and havnt been able to play any sports, let alone walk for more than a half mile….i would like to have to surgery, but not for another 4 years, when im done with school. should i ask for enough in my settlement to be able to pay for the surgery..what should i do…im looking for advice.

A: This with type of injury you really need a worker compensation attorney. Call the State Bar in your area to find one or look in your local newspaper.

Q: I have a question about a herniated L5 disc? ?
I have a herniated L5 disc. I also have: the L4 disc is bulging and S1 is also bulging, and two annular tears. Does a ” blown L5 disc, does that explain my numbness on the top of my left foot? I don’t have traveling pain down my leg, except pain just below my knee and a completely numb top of my left foot and burning and tingling sensations in my feet. The feeling never comes back and my big toe is not a strong as the other. Sometimes, when I’m walking it feels like Im ripping something on the side of my right foot. Is this because I am bearing more weight on my right foot? I’ve seen doctor after doctor, been through physical therapy and chiropractic treatment and tuesday, I will get my 1st set of 4 epidural steroid injections. I put off the injections for about two yrs.. but I cant handle the numbness in my feet and pressure in my back. Should I seek a second opinion to fix my problems? Will the shots help bring back the feeling in my foot? Is the feeling gone forever? Sorry this is so long. Today is a bad day for me. I am not sleeping well, as I can not lay still long enough due to pain. Please help me! Any advice is appreciated!
I have been to the neurosurgeon, had MRIs and xrays and so forth. Still no relief. In my MRI, the nerve is not fully compressed, which is why no surgery is offered. I wish the problem with my foot was seperate from my back :( Atleast, I might find some relief. EVERYONE points to my back ( L5) as a reason for my COMPLETE numbness of the top of my foot. There is tingling and occassional shooting pain into my middle toes, other than that complete numbness. Had 2 MRI’s, almost exactly 2yrs aparts. Thats how diagnosis was made. Problems continuing to get worse. P.S. I am 30yrs old, mother of 3, and a business owner. I feel like Im losing a fight here… and this is severely compromising my life style.
Also had extensive physical therapy (months of it, off and on) and chiropractic treatment.

A: Yes, your symptoms are consistent with the injury you describe. It’s difficult to tell your prognosis by the term “blown disc” as this could mean anything from a large herniation to an extrusion or sequestration. In the latter, there is not much to be done unless there is active nerve root compression…which is certainly possible in your case. However, in many cases of extrusion, the body will naturally reabsorb the fluid that has leaked out and your symptoms will gradually subside over several months, although some chronic pain is possible (albiet, it is usually less than they initial episode). Numbness (lack of sensation…not to be confused with parathesia or “pins and needles”) is unfortunately a symptom which takes a long time to resolve, if it does at all. Parathesia is often more rapidly reversible and the injections could certainly help with this.

It’s not at all uncommon to have little back pain, but sigifnicant symptoms in the foot…in fact, this is often a sign that the problem will not be reducible with conservative efforts other than time…and in some cases, surgery is necessary.

If you are not having success with therapy or chiropratic, the epidurals may very well give you some relief as you heal.

Q: What is the best treatment for injured, herniated, bulging, or degenerative discs?
Help. I’m a college student who has tried everything from pain management to chiropractic to orthopedic to physical therapy.

A: No treatment has been deemed superior. Physical therapy, chiropratic care and pain management have all been determined to have equal long term outcomes. However, I think part of the problem with reseach on treatments of low back pain, is that most back pain is never properly diagnosed. Your MRI may display bulging or herniated discs, but they might be completely irrelevant to your symptoms. A thorough mechanical assessment to see what happens to your pain during certain movements is necessary to classify your pain. Once your pain has been classified into mechanical or non-mechanical and subsequently one of the further subcategories can you seek the appropriate treatment. For instance, for someone whose pain is due to a bulging disc and confirmed by mechanical assessment, massage and “stablization” exercises will usually not help…conversely, someones whose pain is due to another reason will not be helped by the same methods used to treat the bulging disc.

To say the very least, most back pain is poorly classified (even if MRI has been done)… a thorough classification is needed to do this. This is a procedure that only a handful of PTs, DCs and MDs are credentialed to perfrom. If you have not done so already, I suggest you have a mechanical evaluation by finding a credentialed provider at: http://www.mckenziemdt.org

Another option you might hear about is spinal decompression. This is typically performed at a chiroprators office. Many are being lured to this with the statement that it has over a “90%” effectiveness rate…however, what they do not tell people is that this is at the 90 day mark only (short term results) and only for people who have a one level problem without degenerative changes. As more levels and degeneration is involved, the numbers drop to 70%, 65%, 50%…etc…similar to physical therapy. No large long term outcome studies have been done…and I suspect it has similar results as PT and pain mangement. I’m not against it, I just think it is not being fully honest with its marketing…I have had patients who’ve gone through it (and I was seeing them for another reason) and they state they find themselves going back 1-2 times a year for further treatment.

I would highly recommend the MDT website, and also exploring different pratcitioners within the same fields you’ve tried…there are always different treatment approaches among practicioners.

Q: Disc Decompression for herniated discs, how efective is it? ?
I have 3 herniated discs, L3, L4 and L5 and have quite a bit of pain. Last year I had a steroid epidural shot and it gave me good results for about a year. I hate needles and don’t want to go through that again, and somebody mentioned the disc decompression and mentioned a chiropractic clinic called Mass.Ave…Can anybody give me any feedback/insight regarding this type of treatment, since I have not had positive experiences before with chiropractors, making me spend time and money, unfortunately with no results (no offense to any Chiropractors out there please, this was just my personal experience!)
Thanks!

A: Before you consider surgery for disc decompression, do have a look at this site.

http://patients.meditech-bioflex.com/

It might be an alternative to spine surgery…It is something to think about so do make some honest search for ‘bioflex low-level laser therapy’.

I also need decompression on my L4 & L5 but before I consider having surgery on my lower back, I am seriously considering going through low-level laser. It is absolutely painless, non-toxic and non-invasive.
I also have a slipped disc on my lower back…If they can releive the pressure around my L4 & L5 with low-level laser, I will be with a lot less pain, that I am convince.
Don’t just take my word for it, make a search.
Be healthy.

Q: Electric shock in left arm.
I’ve been going to a chiropractor for 2 weeks to alleviate pain in my left shoulder. The pain is pretty much gone, but I have tingling up and down my left forearm, all the way to my fingertips. I checked out the Mayoclinic website and the symptoms point to a herniated disc. They advise chiropractic treatment as well as alternating heat/cold. Not helping.

A: sometimes it is also caused by a pinched nerve. are you doing anything that would cause your arm to be in the same place for an extended period of time, or are you resting you arm so that you are putting pressure on one small area for a long time? if you are a female, sometimes a badly fitted bra can cause the problem. sometimes it will go away if you start doing exercises on your arm- just get it moving, and get the blood circulating, do some arm stretches, too.

Q: Sciatica Questions… Chiropractic or Surgery?
Hello to All,

Can i ask, have any one experience Chiropractic and it works? I mean as in Fully recovered from just plain Chiropractic treatment?

Another thing, has anyone experience surgery, have the entire/herniated disc remove without replacing any fusion or anything, let the thing scar in. What happens when it scars in? any complications? How does a scar in look like cause i can’t seems to find in on the net.

Please really help me, i need advise, i have a L5-S1 Sciatica… Please..

A: You are talking about a nerve.I guess you are saying,that a herniated disc is putting pressure on the sciatic nerve. A chiropractic consultation would be a good idea,but that does not mean they will treat you. Have you had an MRI? Xray? I have severe back problems,so I understand the pain. Go to this website…losethebackpain.com. there is a lot of good advice there. A couple of my friends have utilized an Inversion table,and had amazing results.

Q: Is it possible to have cervical radiculopathy from herniated discs and not have neck pain?
I have a torn rotor cuff and carpal tunnel, but the overall pain was never this bad. And now my hand and index finger is tingling, in fact the index finger has gone numb and burns badly. My PCP is offering Chiropractic or Acupuncture as treatment options. BTW, physical therapy was tried repeatedly and only aggravated the conditions.

A: It would be unusual for cervical radiculopathy to not have neck pain. Pressure on a “pinched nerve” will push the nerve against bone and the sensory fibers will protest. There will also, usually, be neck muscle spasms when the pain hits. You haven’t described having any of these symptoms and so I doubt that the pain is originating in the neck.

But there is not enough information to actually try to pinpoint the source of your pain. What I can say, however, is that the numbness in your finger is a worrisome sign – especially if it is persistent. It suggests that permanent nerve damage may be occurring. What I would suggest, since things are not getting better, is to get a referral to a Neurologist. A Neurologist can do nerve conduction studies to find out where the actual site of the nerve injury is.

It may be at the wrist, or Carpal Tunnel. But you say that you tore your rotator cuff and I’m actually more worried that you may also have torn the nerve during that injury. The torn nerve is known as a Brachial Plexus injury and the torn nerve can be anywhere from the shoulder to the neck and trapezius area.

Q: what treatments are available for a herniated disc l 1 s 5 and i need it in scientific and in english?
i went to a chiropractor who did x rays on me i haven’t gotten the full results yet but i will on the 19th but i want to know is herniated disc l 1 s 5 a serious thing? will i need surgery and what costs are these sorts of things? but also what else other than surgery can i do? is chiropractics enough? help mandy

A: L1-L5-not so bad

Q: Ive struggled with herniated discs, L5/S1, c1,c2,c3,c4,c5, c6-7, T1, T2…pain etc.. i want go to a gym?
hello, im tired of eating percocets, lyrika and not seeing any improvement in relation too the levels of chronic pain and or the condition of the discs in my back.. in my doctors words, you are going too be on pain meds too get through each day as long as your quality of life is concerned… and i agree with the dude… ive had all treatments for back pain, all but invasive surgery which im against as it generally creates a need for more surgeries… ive had 15 epidural injections, years of chiropractic treatment ( intermittent of course).. physical therapy, traction, dmx table treatments, more pain pills, and no improvement!
now, rather than sit on my ass and eating percocets, then up too oxycontin, then up too fentanyl ( they want me on that now… i say no).. why cant i go and hit the gym, like try too exercise and get in some kind of cardio shape? im tired of not exercising, when 3yrs ago i was hittin the gym regularly… i know i cant go in an slam barbells around etc.. but im wondering why the hell cant i get some cardio and just ease into it slowly? if i have pain issues, i can tough it out… i just dont want too sit around and let my body go to hell! if i can hack the pain, should i work out? please dont say, ask your doctor.. they dont care! they just say walk a few miles blah blah…. thats not gonna get me in shape.. im not saying i wanna hit the weights, im just saying with my back injury,how much should i allow it too hinder my goals… working out was my favorite thing too do, i competed in boyduilding etc.. i want to exercise… too me not exercising it like death… i dont wanna waste away on meds and live with this back injury like its an excuse to be inactive…. im in pain al the time no doubt but does that mean i should allow the rest of my health too slide as well? any advice? ive seen some pretty bad disc injuries on some folks in the pro bodybuilding world and they get surgeries etc.. and bounce back? am i missing something? do i need a new doctor? what the hell should i do? i just wanna get back in the gym…. slow and easy… carefully….thanks

A: You’ve got the right idea. There’s a point at which the mechanical things take a back seat to a chronic pain state. Without getting into nitty gritty details about what happens to the brain and nervous system in chronic pain, let me just say that there becomes a point at which addressing mechanical things (muscle tightness, “subluxations”, trigger points, etc) becomes pointless because the neurosignatures made in the brain and nervous system are in overdrive. Your brain begins to misinterpret sensory input, biochemical changes occur and chronic pain ensues.

Beginning a general cardiovascular exercise program should be a part of almost any chronic pain rehabilitation program. You may find that you have to find the “right activity” for you and have to do a very gradual exposure to the activity. Start with low impact activities: swimming, cycling, ellipitical. Your pain may increase somewhat during the exercise, but it should subside to your baseline pain shortly after the activity is ceased. start with a very conservative amount of time: 5-10 minutes and increase by no more than 10% each week. As long as you aren’t experiencing progressive focal motor weaknesses (such as profound loss of grip strength), your legs giving out on you and that you aren’t having difficulty urinating (which is an emergency in those with LOW back pain), starting a general fitness program is acceptable and in most cases, necessary.

If you’d like some more information on what happens to the body in a chronic pain state, I’d suggest two books:

Butler, David “Explain Pain”

Mosley, Lorrimer G. “Painful yarns”

Q: im lance, i have herniated discs in my back, tired of pain,anyone have advice on treatment options to help me?
i do see a doctor to treat pain, but i get prescription and nothing else, i cannot workout at the gym, or exercise like i did in the past, im hopeless at this point as ive tried, chiropractic, decompression, strong pain meds, epidurals, nothing works, it getting worse as i have shooting nerve pain in my neck, hands, lower legs, ankles and get depressed, ive never heard of anyone fully recovering from this type of injury, im very worried. the sad thing is, the last 3 doctors that i have seen simply want to run up my bills to earn huge profits, ie. epidurals at 1600.00 each time, and one pain physician was arrested for improper contact with female patients, these doctors just want money, and to write scripts, im tired of the racket and want a SOLUTION!

A: Have you seen a doctor accredited in pain management? They treat pain as its own illness, not a symptom.

Physical therapy with an emphasis on core muscle strengthening may help.

Have you tried steroid injections? Beta blockers? TENS unit? Electrical implant stimulation? There are also newer medicines, like Lyrica, that have recently been FDA approved for this type of pain.

If you have herniated disks, have you had surgery? I had nine herniated disks, and had fusion with CD instrumentation. It still hurts, and I have secondary pain/nerve pain problems, but it’s certainly much better than before.

ETA: This link may help you find a doctor. Just remember, doctors are like shoes–you have to keep trying them on for size until you find one that fits you.

http://www.pain.com/sections/consumers/pain_clinics/

Good luck to you, and I hope you find some relief!

Q: Should I have an epidural steroid injection if my pain is currently under control?
I have a herniated disc in my neck and have had 4 episodes in the past 2 years. Each time I tried a different avenue of treatment, from chiropractic, to medication, to physical therapy. I had a flare up about 2 weeks ago and was refered by my orthopedist to a pain management dr. He perscribed me an oral steroid as well. The oral steroid got my pain under control, but I still have the appointment to have the injection this week. I’m affraid that in a few weeks I might have another flare up, which really affects my quality of life (I can’t move, can’t sleep, can’t lift anything, and it’s difficult to sit at my desk and do work, therefore it affects my productivity in the office as well). I’m hoping the injection will spare me from having another episode for at least another 6 months or so….But with my pain under control, I wonder if it’s neccessary. With my pain virtually gone, should I still go ahead with the ESI??

A: I think you are only allowed three every 6mos./year.

If you are not in pain, save it for when you are.

Q: help please?
i need three people to give there opinion i did not write the article i need three people opinion about what they have readed about the article

What Is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a term doctors use to describe a lateral curve of the spine. Depending on the etiology (cause) of the scoliosis, there may be one or more curves involved.

Types of Scoliosis

There are two types of scoliosis: structural and functional. A structural scoliosis can be caused by disease, bony or muscular deformities, congenital deformities (those that are present at birth) or improper healing from injury or surgery. A functional scoliosis can occur as a result of injury, muscle spasm, spinal mal-alignment, or the body trying to compensate for spinal problems, such as a herniated disc. Individuals with these conditions tend to “create” a scoliosis as they are leaning to one side trying to find a position in which to relieve their pain.

The curvature of a scoliosis can be mobile, or in more serious cases, can be fixed (unable to move). Cases of immobility are typically the result of injury or a disease, such as polio, that can result in multiple spinal bones fusing together.

The most common type of scoliosis is idiopathic scoliosis. This is what doctors look for when they perform spinal screenings on school-age children. The term idiopathic means “of unknown cause.” It begins as a functional scoliosis, but can become structural over time if it is not managed by a health care professional such as an orthopedist or a chiropractor. It is very important to catch scoliosis in childhood before it progresses as it can significantly worsen as the spine develops and the child grows.

More About Idiopathic Scoliosis
Between 60 and 80 percent of cases of idiopathic scoliosis occur in school-age girls, and are usually detected between the ages of 9 and 14. The condition may first be suspected when one shoulder appears higher than the other, when clothes do not hang straight, or when one hip seems more prominent. An initial complaint may be fatigue in the low or mid back after prolonged standing or sitting. Note that pain is a manifestation as time passes, as the ligaments of the spine endure prolonged strain.

Of the 4 percent of children with detectable scoliosis, half will require treatment or continuing medical observation; the other half can be screened in school and simply monitored for significant progression.

What Is the Outcome?
The outcome depends on the site and severity of the curve and the age of onset of symptoms. Complications are related to the type of curve present. The greater the curve, the greater the likelihood of progression after skeletal maturity. A prompt referral to a chiropractor or an orthopedist is recommended in order to institute treatment to correct the deformity or to prevent further deformity.

What Is the Treatment for Scoliosis?
Chiropractic treatment for scoliosis utilizes specific adjustments to the involved areas of the spine. This is combined with therapies such as electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, or intersegmental traction, and postural exercise. The progression of the curve in the spine is monitored very closely to determine if more aggressive treatments are deemed necessary. Chiropractic treatments are designed to focus on the correction of the scoliosis and the prevention of complications. A large percentage of scoliosis patients find relief and correction for their scoliosis deformity through chiropractic care.

A: i have idiopathic scoliosis and i found this to be interesting and if you are handing this in for some sort of grade or presentation you should mention how likely it is for someone who has scoliosis to have children with scoliosis

Q: any opinion on chiropractor for a bad back/sciatica?
was hoping to get an opinion. herniated a disc 2 yrs ago. got sciatica as a result that progressively got worse to the pt where i needed surgery. have been pain free for a yr, but 2 wks ago, pulled my back again golfing. the back pain is gone, but i feel the all too familiar pinching sensation in the upper-left buttocks. no pain going down my leg yet, but this is how it started last time so would like to seek treatment as soon as possible. i tried medication, physical therapy, accupuncture & epideral injections last time to no avail so had to get surgery as a last resort. this time, i’m wondering if i should try chiropractic treatment as it was the only treatment i didn’t try last time. however, i’ve heard mix things about it both personally & online, so if anyone can share their experience or expertise as it relates to herniated discs & sciatica, i’d appreciate it.

A: First, know that there are different approaches to PT. While you might have failed to improve with one approach to PT, you might have succeeded with another…just like medicine. The same can be said about chiropractic care…you might find relief with one, but not another. I fully encourage people who’ve failed with one conservative therapy to seek an opinion from another practicioner of the same discipline…much like people get different medical opinions.

Second, if you did fail to improve with your previous, various treatments, it’s quite possible that chiropractic care might not have helped either. Sometimes herniations are just too large to be reduced conservatively. The fact that you were pain free after the procedure means that you were a good surgical candidate, and this was probably the best treatment for you.

As to your new pain, you are wise to seek to fix it before it progresses…you are right, it is the normal progression of these things to start to radiate down the leg if they are not taken care of.

I see no problem with seeing a chiropractor…just keep in mind what I said about different treatment approaches. However, I chose to become a physical therapist because we emphasize patient self management. The goal is to teach the patient what THEY can do to correct the problem…I only use hands on techniques when the patient cannot fully abolish the problem themselves (because I can’t go home with them at the end of the day!). I have treated many, many patients without ever having to touch them…most are better in about 6-8 visits. Many therapists, and now many DCs are following the same approach.

My best suggestion for you is to get an opinion from either a PT or DC who is certified in mechanical diagnosis and therapy, go to: http://www.mckenziemdt.org The emphasis is on educating the patient on what they can do to fix the problem without external devices or people (unless absolutely necessary).

In the end, PTs and DCs seek to do the same thing…restore the joint to a normal position…just the mechanism by which we do it may differ. I defintely do not agree with all chiroprators, but I do agree with some…and I am sure they would say the same about me.

Good luck to you and don’t delay!!

Q: Could chiropractic care for the lower back have caused sciatica?
I was having lower back pain so I decided to go to a chiropracter at my gym. He adjusted me by pushing hard on my crossed leg down, at the time it felt good and I heard the crack sound. It wasnt the first time I’d been to a chiropracter so I wasn’t concerned. Two days later I could barely walk and pain ran down my right leg. I was travelling the following day on a 10 hour flight. When I landed I was in intense pain although walking around seemed to make me feel better. I had an xray done in another country and was told that it looked like one of my discs were herniated but I waited to get back to the U.S. to see my regular physician and am scheduled for an MRI. I am still in pain but it has alleviated somewhat and I’ve been riding a stationary bike 3times a week. I’m worried about the treatments I received from the chiro and wonder if they were too harsh or if it was just degenerative and something I wold have anyway. I am 43 years old, a teacher and relatively active. Help.

A: In theory, yes but the answer is much more complicated than this. Number one, you should return to that treating chiropractor and discuss this adverse outcome with him or her as I’d expect one of my patients to. It is very likely you had a pre-existing disc herniation. When he or she adjusted you, you had a soft tissue aggravation that began to swell. If that swollen tissue is either the disc itself or the facet joint ligament you can get sciatica symptoms. These symptoms are self-limiting and will typically resolve in 2-3 weeks. It is very unlikely the adjustment actually caused the disc herniation, rather it exacerbated one that was already there and without leg pain symptoms at initial presentation, the treating chiro would have no reason to have ordered an MRI. Hope this helps and again, return to the treating chiropractor and discuss this adverse outcome.
Best,
Jeremy Rodgers, DC, ATC
Boulder, Colorado

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